“I will hire whoever is the most qualified for the job, I don’t care if they’re male or female”
We’ve heard this from a few people who genuinely think they’re being ‘unbiased’ and are therefore positively influencing the gender gap.
Wrong.
Where we are now, in 2024, is in a position where we have to undo all the damage that has already been done by society, and PROACTIVELY correct it.
There are significantly more men than women in tech. Therefore there are significantly more ‘skills and qualifications’ amongst the male population than amongst females. And so if you take the attitude of ‘I’ll hire whoever is most qualified for the job’, you’re still contributing to the problem. You’re most likely to hire yet another male into your tech team, making the gap even bigger than it is currently.
We need to level the playing field. We need to create opportunities for women so they can upskill, retrain, and gain qualifications that they haven’t always had the same opportunity to do.
Why??
Because you AND your team AND your business AND your product AND society will benefit!
Women will bring a lot more to your team than hard skills and qualifications.
Yes they need to be able to do the job, but they don’t need to be the most qualified in the talent pool. Maybe you’d rank them 2nd or 3rd in terms of hard skills. But really consider everything else having a diverse team will bring (and this goes beyond the gender split of course).
💫Diverse Perspectives: Women bring unique perspectives and insights to problem-solving and innovation, which can lead to more creative and effective solutions.
💫Improved Team Dynamics: Diversity in teams can foster collaboration and creativity, leading to higher levels of productivity and morale.
💫Better Representation: Hiring women in tech helps to address gender imbalance in the industry and provides role models for future generations of women interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields.
💫Enhanced Decision Making: Research has shown that diverse teams make better decisions, as they consider a wider range of viewpoints and potential outcomes.
💫Broader Talent Pool: By actively recruiting and hiring women in tech, companies can access a broader talent pool, increasing the likelihood of finding the best fit for the job.
💫Meeting Customer Needs: Women make up a significant portion of technology users and consumers. Having a diverse workforce can help companies better understand and meet the needs of their diverse customer base.
💫Innovation and Creativity: Studies have shown that diverse teams are more innovative and produce more creative solutions, which can lead to a competitive advantage in the tech industry.