You are here:  Home  Blog

Saturday 4th February 2012

Women in Technology Blog

Welcome to Women in Technology's blog where you'll find our various musings on women in IT, women achieving in the technology profession, jobs, careers, events, networking - all sorts of stuff connected to our goal which is to increase the number of women working and succeeding in the UK's IT industry. Please join the debate, add your comments and if you're interested in being a guest blogger, please contact our MD, Maggie Berry: mberry@womenin.co.uk - thanks so much! 

Careers | Women | Women in business | Women in IT

I’m often asked whether I believe companies should be made to appoint a certain number of women to their boards, or whether there is another solution. My answer is always the same: females want to succeed in their career because they deserve it – not simply because of their gender.

And a recent survey we carried out appears to suggest that the consensus among female technologists is the same.  Almost half (47%) of respondents would like to see the proportion of female executives grow organically.

See our latest infographic below for the full survey results:




Whilst there is no question that in the past year, some progress has been made regarding the number of female directors on UK boards, work still needs to be done.  Recent statistics suggest that the number of women in British boardrooms has risen to its highest level. The number of female directors on FTSE 100 boards now stands at 14.9% - compared with 12.5% a year ago.  Despite this rise, the fact still remains that women are underrepresented. And rather than hailing this slight increase as a success, surely we should be discussing how the business world can get to the bottom of the issue?

It’s clear that females want to be promoted - perhaps eventually leading to a position on the board - because they have worked hard, have the ability and have a track record of success. To be appointed to the board simply to meet quotas would make many women feel insulted. 

So what’s the solution? Certainly, and perhaps the most obvious solution, is for targets to be introduced. This gives organisations something to aim for and would put a certain amount of pressure on them to boost gender equality, without enforcing them to do so like quotas. And, it appears that female technologists are beginning to view targets as a viable option to increase diversity. 15% of those we surveyed are in favour of targets to increase the number of women on boards. And whilst I certainly share this view, I also believe that more work needs to be done by business leaders if real, long term progress is to be made. So what can be done?

  • The business case for diversity: more needs to be done to highlight and celebrate the positive effect women board members have on an organisation at national level. Several studies illustrate that female executives encourage wider thinking and ideas generation. Only when this attitude is engrained throughout a whole company, and management understand and support a diverse team, will we start to see real, meaningful results.

  • Mentoring and support: Many businesses tell me that they find it hard to source great female talent in the technology industry – and this is particularly true at senior level.  It’s vital, therefore, that businesses mentor and support women from the minute they enter the company.

  • The motherhood penalty: If women are to realistically reach board level, the motherhood penalty needs to be eradicated. Employers must take further steps to ensure women who take a career break are supported and encouraged to return to work - without feeling their choice to have a family has jeopardised their career prospects.

  • Non -governmental groups: Perhaps the most encouraging initiative to date is the 30% Club – an organisation backed by Cass Business School – which aims to bring more women on the UK corporate boards by not only providing guidance and support to UK companies who want to increase their diversity, but also helping women who may be seeking board appointments. Further action by groups such as the 30% will serve to highlight and make change.

It’s my strong belief that without quotas, talented women can rise to the top of their company if they have had the right training and investment. And it is ultimately down to business leaders to ensure this happens. What’s your view? Let us know by commenting below.

Full blog  Add New Comment  

Latest BLOG

Incentivising your employees Business | Careers | Guest blogger | Technology | Training | Women | Women in business | Women in IT

An independent review has said that involving employees fully in the future of their firms will help businesses to innovate, develop and grow. The MacLeod Review of employee engagement proposed that the relationship between employees and employers should be placed at the centre of business plans. How employers can make more of their employees One way of involving employees in the progress of a...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Women And Technology: Winning Business Combination Business | Careers | Technology | Women | Women in business | Women in IT

Like science and industry, men have for a long time dominated the world of technology. If we think of the terms ‘computer geek’ or ‘computer nerd’, usually an image of a studious, bespectacled man springs to mind. All that is changing, however, as entrepreneurship among women is on the increase and women increasingly engage with technology. This is a truly winning business combination. Smart an...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Ginny Rommety’s big secret Business | Careers | Guest blogger | Training | Women | Women in business

Written by Sarah Dudney A recent article told me that Ginny Rommety is like many career women I  meet. She has had what I would call the career handbrake.earlier on in  her career. She had that common modesty of many successful women – that she felt underqualified.and did not put herself forward for well deserved promotion. the following extract  article tells us: “When Ginny Ro...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Unemployment on the rise in 2012 Business | Careers | Guest blogger | Women | Women in business | Women in IT

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recently published the figures for unemployment in the UK. This data highlights that jobless individuals have reached 2.6 million in November 2011, the highest figure since 1994. The outlook for 2012 is not rosier,  being the economy on the brink ofa double dip recession, with rising problems in the eurozone and implementation of austerity plans...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
5 Top Tips for Graduates and Students Business | Careers | Graduates | Guest blogger | Technology | Women

Previously published on Position Ignition. There are a few key things that as a student or recent graduate, you may want to be considering as you enter into the job market. It's a tough market out there if you aren't prepared and aren't sure what to do so think about the following tips: 1. Get Clarity How clear you are about what you want to do after university is critical.  It is the ...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Salary Advice: What Should I be Earning? Business | Careers | Guest blogger | Technology | Women | Women in business | Women in IT

Previously published on Position Ignition. How do you know in the first place what you deserve? We obviously can’t tell you that, but we can give you some tips for finding out for yourself what your market value is, as it were. We use the term ‘market value’ because, as an economic worker in the labour market, you are of value to employer organisations. Whether you’re in your first job or in...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Does Your CV Match Your Business Image? Business | Guest blogger | Training | Women | Women in IT

Written by Karen Hale and Sarah Dudney “She looked too perfect..almost robotic so we rejected her candidacy after the 1st interview. She did not feel as if she could be one of us ” so spoke a well known female financial entrepreneur to us in a recent meeting about her recent experiences of hiring. This revealed an interesting downside risk in overperfecting one’s professional image.   &nb...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
Are Free Public Wi-Fi Networks Safe? Business | Careers | Guest blogger | Social media | Technology | Women in business

IT Insider / NetworkAre Free Public Wi-Fi Networks Safe? By Marc Saltzman for IT Insider You already have plenty on your plate, whether you are implementing and maintaining technology, helping to resolve technical issues or ensuring your company’s data is safe and secure. Now, you can add the proliferation of rogue free public Wi-Fi networks to that list. Free Wi-Fi connections can ...
Full blog  Add New Comment  
View All Blogs

Job search

Job search