Resetting Tech Culture

Women have almost caught up to men in the fields of technology, engineering and mathematics, right? You might assume so—but they have actually fallen further behind at the very moment when tech roles are surging and vital to the U.S. economy and its continued leadership around the globe. Unbelievably, the proportion of women to men in tech roles has declined over the past 35 years. And half of young women who go into tech drop out by the age of 35.

This new report produced jointly by Accenture and Girls Who Code argues that it’s possible to crack the code to reverse this troubling trend. They found that an inclusive culture—one that is not only diverse on paper, but that enables everyone to have a voice—is the master key that unlocks opportunities for women who are studying and working in technology.

Their survey of students, employees, senior HR leaders and human resources officers (SHROs*) reveals the specific environmental characteristics that will help women in tech advance and thrive.

The differences between the most and least inclusive environments are huge. In less-inclusive colleges, one in four women feel like an outsider. Just one in 20 women feel that way in more-inclusive colleges.

And in less-inclusive workplaces, the likelihood that a woman will advance to manager is just 28%, compared with 40% for men. That gender difference disappears in more-inclusive workplaces.

A widespread cultural reset would help drive much-needed change: This analysis suggests that if every company scored high on measures of an inclusive culture—specifically, if they were on par with those in the top 20% of the study—the annual attrition rate of women in tech could drop by up to 70%.

If this were to happen we could see up to 3 million young women working in tech in the USA in 2030, 1.4 million more than there will be if current trends continue.

The report’s action items for colleges and companies can help leaders reprogram their organizations for inclusion and success, starting today.