While the conversation about women in tech is by no means new, it is still an important topic because relatively little progress has been made. Women still only hold 20 percent of the jobs in the tech sector, which is a staggering statistic considering the fact that women are graduating with STEM degrees in record numbers. More women in the tech field simply means more competition, which has been shown to be particularly good for business, so the idea that we need more women in tech is just common sense.
Diverse Teams Perform Better
Silicon Valley has a pretty atrocious track record when it comes to its treatment of women, let alone the employment of women. Women in Silicon Valley are regularly ignored despite great ideas when managers, whether consciously or not, focus on their male colleagues even if they are inferior performers. This is an unfortunate reality in the tech field, that even when qualified and intelligent women are the best choice for a project, they are consistently passed over in favor of the men working in their field.
This is obviously a shortsighted practice on the part of the companies in Silicon Valley that aren’t taking advantage of the talent right in front of them. We need women in tech because diverse teams that include women are better at both meeting deadlines and staying under budget. Gender-diverse teams across all industries have been shown to be more creative, experimental, and productive than all-male teams. Companies that value diverse teams and rely on many perspectives are sure to break ahead of the competition.
Women in the tech world are steadily closing the gender gap and breaking through the glass ceiling. In cybersecurity, women like Ann Barron Dicamillo are proving that not only do women belong in the tech field, but that they thrive within it and are often better qualified than men doing the same job. When women work in tech companies, the companies end up better off, more successful, and better equipped to handle a variety of different challenges.
Women Make Excellent Bosses
Women tend to make fantastic leaders, whether they went to school for that specific purpose or transition into a management role from a more hands-on position. It is important that women continue to find themselves in management positions in the tech world because it will act as a gateway for other women in the future. Women in leadership roles tend to excel, and the tech industry needs strong leaders to remain competitive in an increasingly tech-forward world.
Women leaders are scientifically proven to be better than their male counterparts when it comes to innovating and leading with clarity and impact. Men have traditionally been thought of as better leaders simply because they are often more willing to speak in commanding tones and tend to perform slightly better in competitive environments. However, when building a brand in a competitive world, having a leader who knows the ins and outs of their business and has a more strategic approach to leadership will always work out better than a gregarious but brash leader.
Women are better bosses than men because they tend to be more skilled communicators, better at building community within a company, generally have more patience, and better at inspiring passion within employees. Whether they are working with a marketing team to build a digital strategy, or working out kinks in business software with the IT team, women are consistent and effective leaders. The tech industry not only needs more women working within it, but more women leading it so that innovation and progress does not stagnate with the old guard.
Women Are The Future
Women don’t just make fabulous employees and fantastic leaders, women are by and large the future of business. U.S. consumers have been shown that they expect companies to act on social and environmental issues, meaning that the public actually expects women to be equally employed and represented in the tech field. Additionally, women in leadership positions are actually more likely to act on those social and environmental issues than men in those same leadership roles.
The tech industry is still expanding, and women should trust in themselves to succeed in it and concentrate on their career paths. While there are always going to be people standing in women’s way—telling them that they aren’t the right fit for the job or that it is a male-dominated field for a reason—if women focus on developing the necessary skills to succeed in the tech field, there isn’t any single person who can stop them from achieving their goals. Progress is always moving forward, and the idea that women can’t work in tech is not only outdated, but outright wrong.
Whether working in marketing, engineering software, or working in applications development, women are here to stay. Not only are women becoming more common in the tech field, but they are beginning to thrive in it and for good reason. Women know how to get things done, and are truly the future of not only tech, but any number of other industries. Use the presence of women in your company as a branding touchpoint. This can only lead to more women in tech. The tech sector needs women because women are capable, intelligent, and bring innovation to the field. Not only are women fantastic tech workers, but they also make for amazing leaders due to their ability to effectively communicate with and inspire employees. Finally, the world needs women in tech simply because it is time, and holding any outdated, sexist ideas about who should hold any particular job is just wrong.
Photo by Cayley Nossiter
Sam Bowman
Latest posts by Sam Bowman (see all)
- Why We Need Women in Tech - May 15, 2019
