Amy Foster, Director of Operations and Partner at Rockborne (part of Harnham Group), discusses the state of gender diversity within the data industry.
At Harnham Group we have been surveying the state of diversity in the data industry for over six years. It gives us unparalleled access into the inner workings of our sector, including how fairly pay is distributed and how diversity within leadership levels is faring.
Despite the hard work of many businesses, the last 12 months have represented a worrying step backwards. In the UK, the proportion of female professionals joining the industry at entry-level has fallen by more than half, from 35% in 2022 to 11% in 2023.
Female representation at the junior level has been on a steady incline over recent years, and entry-level roles have historically been the most gender-diverse section of the workforce, so these statistics present a disappointing move in the wrong direction.
The most concerning aspect is what this means for the diversity of the industry’s talent pipeline going forwards. After all, this section of the workforce is representative of the sector’s future.
Why is gender diversity in STEM important?
The problem with a lack of representation of any section of the workforce within a forward-thinking industry such as STEM is that it automatically reduces the range of perspectives that will be included in idea generation and decision-making.
A team of people with similar backgrounds, whether that be age, gender, ethnicity, or education, will likely approach a problem or a scenario in the same way. This isn’t conducive to problem-solving or to change. Decisions, particularly within STEM industries, require a multi-faceted approach that considers every avenue. Something that only diversity of thought can facilitate.
Diversity is particularly critical in areas where data and tech are becoming increasingly embedded in business operations. All employees will have natural, unconscious biases that will influence the way they scrutinise data and have the potential to creep into their interpretations.
Furthermore, a team of people with similar perspectives and life experiences can miss glaring issues.
The way that algorithms or software products are designed, for example, will have a knock-on effect on the consumer base. If your compliance team includes a diverse range of people, for instance, they may be better able to identify alternative routes that ensure that all potential consumers are safeguarded.
By building a workforce that reflects your consumer base, you will help to ensure that any products, services, or communications you release are inclusive and appealing to all.
What barriers are preventing female talent from entering STEM roles?
When looking at the reduction of female representation in entry-level data roles specifically, we know that younger generations were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 hiring cutbacks. For businesses that were forced to downsize, junior levels were often the hardest hit and, for others, new hires into entry-positions were frozen.
However, the findings may also be symptomatic of the fact that we are simply not doing enough to appeal to female candidates. To ensure that gender diversity in junior talent continues to flow into the industry, we need to ensure that a career in STEM is viewed as worthwhile to all, but also that we are making a sustained industry-wide commitment to removing any barriers to entry.
Areas in need of improvement include the persisting gender pay gap, which we saw widen in the UK to 16% in favour of men in data in 2023, up from 6% the previous year. The choice and allocation of benefits is also key. For instance, we often see flexible working hours offered to staff unequally, such as only permitting those of a certain seniority level to work in a hybrid manner. To have their intended effect, benefits like this must be open to everyone.
Ultimately employment offerings need to be reflective of the talent that we are trying to reach, and until we eradicate issues such as the lingering gender pay gap, we will never be able to realise our potential for equity.
How can STEM improve gender diversity?
Keeping an open mind
When looking at an industry’s entry-level statistics, it’s crucial to consider not only how these candidates are entering the sector but also which ones are not making it in and why.
To ensure that STEM careers are appealing to as wide a pool of talent as possible, not only does work need to be done at school level to demonstrate why it presents a good career choice, and to tackle misconceptions as to the skills that are needed to carry out certain roles, but organisations who are hiring for STEM roles also need to keep an open mind.
In tech, employees tend to gravitate towards those of a certain educational ‘ilk’ – typically STEM graduates from top universities. Without consideration as to whether this background is required to carry out the role effectively.
Many continue to operate on the belief that only STEM individuals can become top tech professionals. But our own experience has proved that non-STEM degree holders and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds can offer new approaches, and still be trained to become just as technically capable as their STEM counterparts.
Furthermore, employers in sectors like tech frequently conduct prolonged recruitment procedures out of habit without assessing their necessity or the potential impact on the gender diversity of their workforce. Employers need to challenge themselves by asking ‘do we really need seven interviews for this role?’
If a candidate is already feeling ‘underqualified’, the prospect of enduring a complex and lengthy process might be daunting enough to cause them to drop out of the race.
Keep job listings simple
Adjustments made at the job listing stage can also have a significant impact. For example, there needs to be work done on the ‘fluff’ that goes into job adverts. The language used often forces candidates to read between the lines to decipher exactly what it means. This might not be easy for everyone, particularly if English is their second language or if they are new to the job scene.
Overloading advertisements with exaggerated and convoluted language could narrow the pool of talent that employers attract, potentially causing individuals to opt out of the process, thus hindering gender diversity.
Instead, employers would benefit from making adverts focused on the skills and experience required, as candidates may be more likely to match their abilities to the list.
Speak to your employees
There are so many resources out there for businesses to educate themselves on different cultures and backgrounds. And while training will make a big difference, we need to move away from this dangerous zone of blanket policies and be ‘human’ about it, by speaking to people.
Talk to your workforce or to other employers to find out what is working well and what isn’t.
