Australian workplaces overall have made significant strides towards equality. For employers in technology industries, however, challenges in improving gender diversity persist.

These challenges involve not just tech recruitment practices, but also the retention of women professionals in the tech industry, along with gender-based pay gaps in many organisations.

A survey by Women Rising found almost half of women in tech jobs in Australia have considered leaving the industry in the past 18 months, while women made up just 29% of the overall tech industry workforce in 2022, marking the first decline in nine years, according to Australian Computer Society research. There is clearly more work to be done to support women in tech and encourage them to stay in the field.

If you’re dedicated to improving gender diversity in tech like we are, here are a few areas you can look at to start tackling gender diversity challenges in your organisation.

Set Gender Equality KPIs

Don’t underestimate the power of targets when it comes to improving the diversity of your workforce. For an organisation, setting specific and measurable goals for diversity enables everyone to be on the same page regarding recruitment and people strategy.

For example, you may have a technical team that has no female employees. In this scenario, it could be beneficial to set a target of 40% of female employees in that team, to be achieved within 18 months. That provides an actionable goal for which you can measure progress.

Setting gender targets is often a long-term project for organisations, with the work involved in achieving those targets depending on many variables, including company size, the existing gender mix of the workforce, and the composition of teams and business units. As the Workplace Gender Equality Agency recommends in its comprehensive guide on setting gender targets, it’s wise to focus on specific areas of the business instead of setting an overall organisational target.

Focus on Female Employee Retention

Relying on tech recruitment strategies to support women in tech can only get organisations so far. Hiring practices play a foundational role in supporting gender diversity in technology sectors, but it’s just as important to have a workplace culture that encourages women employees to stay for the long term.

As Women Rising’s research shows, 33% of women who recently quit their jobs in the tech industry did so due to a lack of flexibility, while 24% resigned due to a lack of career advancement opportunities. It’s sensible to regularly review company policies to ensure they support women’s work-life balance and career progression.

Identify and Address the Gender Pay Gap in Tech

As a gender pay gap in tech persists, this is another area where employers can focus on to make progress towards gender equality. Official figures show the pay gap in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, which encompasses many types of tech jobs, currently sits at 22.7% – up from 21.2% in 2022.

Adopting these practices and policies can help your organisation address the gender pay gap in tech:

1. Collect and Analyse Pay Data: Start by collecting data on salaries, bonuses, and other forms of compensation across genders within your organisation. Break down this data by job level, department, and other relevant factors. Analyse the data to identify any disparities between male and female employees.
2. Conduct Pay Audits: Perform a thorough pay audit to identify any systemic biases or discrepancies in your remuneration strategies. For example, this may involve comparing the salaries of male and female employees who hold similar roles and have similar levels of experience and performance.
3. Review Hiring and Promotion Practices: Examine your organisation’s hiring and promotion processes to ensure they are fair and transparent. Address any biases or barriers that may be preventing women from advancing in their careers and earning equal pay.
4. Promote Salary Transparency: Take a proactive approach to increasing transparency around salary and compensation practices within your organisation. This can help identify and address disparities more effectively and demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to addressing the gender pay gap in tech.

From the end of February 2024, the WGEA will be publishing gender pay gap data for every Australian employer with more than 100 employees – another incentive to address pay gaps within your organisation and address them as a priority.

Use Opportunities to Inspire Women in Tech

Using role models and highlighting women employees in your business can be powerful ways to attract female candidates and motivate current employees. Here are a couple of strategies for inspiring women leaders and professionals of all stripes to work for your organisation and stay for the long term:

Offering mentorships: By identifying strong female role models within your company and cultivating them as mentors for new female team members, you lay the groundwork for a more inclusive environment. If there isn’t anyone available to be a mentor, consider offering junior female employees the opportunity to participate in external mentoring programs.

Celebrate milestones and achievements: Promote and showcase female accomplishments within your organisation. Use your company website, LinkedIn page and other public channels to highlight the innovative projects and wins that female employees have been involved in. Showcasing your actual employees is much more authentic than relying on stock photos or cliché slogans about diversity. Internally, it’s also important to regularly recognise the achievements of female employees during meetings or company-wide events.

Get Support for Diversity Strategies in Tech Recruitment

No quick fix exists to improve gender diversity in tech, but it’s certainly possible to make genuine progress with the right amount of commitment and targeted strategies.

Connecting with tech recruitment specialists who understand the nuances of the Australian tech employment market and are proactive in hiring can help your organisation reach these goals. Contact our friendly team today for tailored support of your diversity hiring goals and growing your team – we’d love to help.