Acronis released new data and insights on the current state of gender diversity within the information technology (IT) industry. The report, entitled “The New FOMO: Females Fear Missing Opportunities in IT” reveals the ongoing challenges, perceptions and opportunities for women who currently work in the industry. The report’s key findings were presented today during the Acronis-led Women in Tech panel at MSP Global in Tarragona, Spain.
As a historically male-dominated industry, many IT companies have been described as having limited career development opportunities for female employees. Issues like lack of mentorship, inadequate policies for work-life balance, and sometimes even a culture of exclusion have contributed to this. To gain insight into the current state of gender diversity in IT, Acronis commissioned a survey of full-time female employees to gauge their sentiments on equality in the IT industry and explore what employers can do to encourage more women to consider professional IT careers.
The survey findings discovered that while 32% of respondents already think that men and women are treated equally in the workplace, 31% of women strongly believe that men are promoted faster. A staggering 71% of women reported working longer hours to improve their chances of career advancement. Additionally, 63% of women in the tech/IT industry reported they feel there is a lack of female leadership in cybersecurity, and 84% of employed women in IT agree that tech organizations would benefit from more female leadership roles.
Regarding career development opportunities for women in tech and IT, 34% of respondents only somewhat agree that there are adequate training and development programs for women to advance in their careers. Master classes, learning courses, and workshops were rated the most important activities women think they should participate in (63%), followed by networking events (58%), and memberships in professional organizations (44%). Mentorship opportunities (51%), actively hiring more diverse candidates (49%), and pay equity (49%), were among the top initiatives respondents said their organization could do more of to balance gender equality in the workplace.
“In order to advance gender equality in the tech industry, we must recognize that encouraging women into taking IT roles is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic advantage that presents unique opportunities for both women and the organizations who hire them,” said Alona Geckler, SVP Business Operations and Chief of Staff at Acronis. “By hiring women into IT roles, companies will gain a wealth of perspectives and innovative ideas driven by creativity and enhanced problem-solving skills. This not only strengthens teams, but positions IT organizations to better meet the diverse needs of their customers in an increasingly complex digital landscape giving them a significant competitive edge.”
Acronis offers mentorship programs as part of the company’s #CyberWomen initiative that identifies, educates, inspires, and coaches the next generation of female leaders. The program selects high-potential women through the organization’s performance review process to be mentored by Acronis senior leaders, executives, board members, and advisors.
For additional insights and survey methodology, please visit the Acronis blog.
