Although there has been great progress in gender equality in the workplace over the last few decades, the number of women entering the field of technology still lags behind other industries. The promising news is that there is a myriad of practical and easy steps that business leaders can take to encourage more women to enter this continually changing field and promote advancement and sustainment over time.
Encourage the fight by helping others
One of the most important things leaders can do to support women in the tech industry is to work hard to open more doors for those at the beginning stages of their career. By being insistent on equal pay and opportunities for advancement of female workers, the corporate leaders can ensure that women will be supported as they progress up the career ladder.
Encourage female leadership
Positioning your company as an advocate for diverse leadership promotes sustainable growth within by equipping female leaders with the skills they need to advance and continue on their careers in technology. Companies with reputations of employing strong female leaders also tend to attract more women in lower-entry jobs looking to jump-start their careers in a place that offers advancement opportunities.
Encourage younger generations
By promoting science and technology to younger girls both inside and outside the classroom, females will be more encouraged to pursue these careers later on in life. Inspiring a passion in STEM subjects will undoubtedly encourage girls to create and innovate, naturally leading them to develop confidence in their abilities to understand technology.
Encourage mentorship
Women owe each other the gift of positive and empowering mentorship. Mentoring professional women has endless benefits and can make a huge difference in someone’s career trajectory. It’s also important that mentors are men and women who have achieved success in their industries. By encouraging your existing female leaders to provide verbal encouragement and positive role modeling, the younger generation of female technology leaders will be cultivated and grown, leaving the future of the gender in the field in capable hands.
Encourage perseverance
A major shift in the number of women entering the field of technology will not happen instantly, despite everyone’s best efforts. As such, it is critical that women are encouraged to keep at it and fight through the obstacles placed in front of them, knowing that the progress will take time but that the end result will be worth it. Find ways to encourage women in the industry, even in the face of adversary.