Balancing the gender gap does not fall primarily on the hiring process but involves a much more complex approach. While companies are focusing on bringing in changes to their recruitment practices, they are slowly working on removing the pay gap as well. Additionally, it is important to encourage work-life balance, especially for women employees. Most of them need to manage work at home and at the office and sometimes struggle to balance both.
People are becoming increasingly conscious of the gender imbalance in the technology industry today. It is not just about being conscious or aware anymore. Tech companies are quickly moving to put in place policies to amplify the number of women employees at their firms. Prominent tech companies in India said that as of December 2021, they have at least three women in ten employees and are aiming to increase this ratio in the coming years.
According to a March 2020 NASSCOM report, women constitute 35% of India’s technology industry workforce. While tech and non-tech companies focus on increasing the number of women becoming a part of the industry, a lot needs to be done to bridge the gender gap. Especially when we talk about women in leadership roles.
A recent Skillsoft’s 2022 Women in Tech Report suggested that two-thirds of women in tech believe that the leadership positions at their organizations are largely held by men. Some of the most common challenges faced by women included lack of equal opportunity provided to women and under-representation of women in the tech landscape. While both men and women undergo similar training and learn from similar job experiences, somehow, it takes women longer to climb the corporate ladder and reach the top. It is important for women to see other women role models managing teams and being a part of the leadership circuit. Here’s where tech companies need to find solutions to encourage both men and women and provide equal opportunities to all.
There are far too many internal and external factors that impact the progress towards gender equality. As the first step, it’s important to do a thorough check on the internal environment of the office. Recruiters need to review the kind of questions they ask potential candidates. Companies need to consider the existing ratio of women and men employees, understand if their culture is gender neutral, and if there are equal opportunities for both men and women to develop and grow in your organization.
In terms of promoting fairness, recruitment becomes the most critical step where this balance can be achieved. By altering hiring criteria, companies will find it easier to ensure equal opportunity is provided. Not just hiring criteria, it’s also important to have a diverse recruitment panel to ensure a mix perspective is considered before hiring someone. Added to this, it is imperative that organizations ensure both women and men are paid equally for a said position.
Policy too plays a crucial role in this regard. Ensuring fair practices are put in place to drop any form of harassment at the workplace could act as a catalyst for more women to want to join the workforce. By providing a flexible work environment, women will be able to balance both house and office work without having to stress about either.
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