When we first emerge from college, we are ready to take on the world. Stats show that women in tech entering their career life have confidence they will advance and grow within the company. However, (according to an article in Forbes) that confidence women in tech feel when they start out drops significantly once they have been in their job for a while.
Here begins the story of the chicken and egg for women in tech. If there are fewer women aspiring to reach top management then we have fewer women to serve the role as mentor.
3 Reasons Women Lose Confidence
The information provided in the article outlines the three main reasons women lose confidence in their ability to advance:
- Women in tech don’t see a path that will lead them to the top
- They don’t have managers willing to assist them in moving up the ladder
- There aren’t any (or very few) role models of women in tech who have successfully secured top leadership positions.
So how can businesses break the cycle?
Restoring Confidence for Women in Tech
The best way to find a solution to a problem is to take the stated problem and turn it into an action. As we examine the three reasons above, how can business leaders and managers turn those statements in action for change?
- Create a more visible guideline for those women in tech interested in advancing to a leadership position. If women are not able to see the clear path then something needs to be done to make the career journey clear.
- Create a program that provides additional education and cross training for those interested in advancing. By encouraging with concrete resources and experiences you will increase the number of women who feel prepared to take the next step.
- Develop a mentorship program for those women interested in advancing. For those women who have lost confidence, if they see others being mentored by women leaders they may rethink their ability to advance.
It’s important to note that the research that was conducted by Bain and Associations reported a need to education front line managers as well:
Most managers are not equipped to coach and develop employees, so offer skill-building and training opportunities to address the biggest gaps in existing manager capabilities. These trainings should address the particular ways they can coach and inspire women, with thoughtful dialogue and role-playing exercises to underscore the complexity of the task. It is particularly important that male managers be consciously included in these trainings and reminded of the importance of the role they play in supporting their female employees.
Although the message of supporting women in tech needs to come from the CEO, it is the frontline manager that can actually make change happen.
Question for women in tech:
Are you interested in advancing? If so, do you feel your company provides the encouragement and opportunities to help you succeed?
Question for business leaders:
Do you have programs in place to help women advance? Do you currently have women in leadership positions who can act as a role model?
Restoring confidence for women in tech is a two-way street but it can be achieved. The article from Bains offers concrete and detailed suggestions. You may want to start by surveying your current staff to see how the Bain’s stats compare to yours.
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- Women in Tech – Be Visible
- Leading Women in Tech Offer Their Advice
- Is There an Age Limit for Women in Tech?
JJ DiGeronimo — the president of Tech Savvy Women — is a speaker, author, and thought leader for women in tech and girls and STEM. Through her work, JJ empowers professional women and consults with senior executives on strategies to retain and attract women in technology to increase thought and leadership diversity within organizations.
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