Recruiting more women in tech

A couple of years ago, when my son was in first grade, he took a coding class after school. The class was in high demand at his school, in part because we as parents now have a greater appreciation of the importance of gaining computer science skills at a young age. Unsurprisingly, my son’s after-school class, which allowed for 15 students at most, sold out within minutes of registration opening up.

What did surprise me, however, when I picked him up from his first afternoon of coding was the number of girls in his class. Zero. Not one little girl had chosen to join the class and learn how to write code. To some extent, this lack of interest may be the result of limited exposure to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field at this tender age, but it also could come down to not seeing themselves represented in the computer programming world.

A recent study from Microsoft reveals a similar story: The young girls surveyed said that a lack of female role models was a primary reason for not going into a career in STEM. They also felt that they weren’t getting enough practical, hands-on experience in STEM subjects. And, more than half responded that they would have more confidence in their success in a STEM field if they knew that both men and women were equally represented in those professions. So, I can’t help but wonder – what more can I do to be a vehicle for change, particularly to help increase female representation in the tech industry?

In my career, I’ve had to smash through barriers of my own to reach senior management levels. Now, I find myself in a position to pay it forward and help the next generation of young women realise their potential, whether it is in the technology industry, recruiting or another field altogether.

How do you get more role models if girls don’t study STEM subjects? 

One way is to ensure those women who are in the industry don’t face bias in the recruitment process.

I take great pride in the role that I play in developing products that can accelerate gender parity in the workplace, and I look forward to continuing to do my part in advancing women’s opportunities in tech and other critical fields. As a first step, I’ll begin by signing up my daughter for that after-school coding class – even if she’s the only girl there.

*Jeanette Maister is Americas Managing Director at recruitment technology company WCN.