Women in IT Industry

Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yahoo, Microsoft and Apple - all are billion-dollar success stories. Thanks to their revolutionary technologies and must-have products. But these tech giants have one more thing in common - a shortfall of female employees.

The big names of Silicon Valley have begun releasing diversity figures that reveal men outnumber women two to one. If we consider purely technical roles in these companies women population is only 10 to 20 per cent of the workforce, whereas it is 57 per cent for all other professional roles in the US.

• Why there aren’t more women in technology?
• There aren’t enough women in the US choosing tech careers. According to a research, only one third female teens responded that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) would be their first career choice.
• Women's decisions to have children make them less desirable to tech companies filling demanding roles. 
• Women do not consider IT as their choice of career because of hostile male culture.
• Lack of clear career path 

Organizations’ initiatives to attract women

Attracting and retaining women in IT is something several companies and organizations are working toward.  Google offers several scholarships for women in computing and technology. “Google Prize” is a financial award specifically for outstanding female computer science students. The prize is intended to encourage women to enter and remain in the field of computer science.

By inspiring the younger generation of females at high-school age, Microsoft have been showing the lighter side of IT and how women can make a difference to a very male-dominated workplace.

Many IT companies are hiring remote employees and offering flexible schedule to help them maintain work-life balance. This especially proves to be appealing to women who are often juggling career, children and home responsibilities.

Why do companies want gender diversity?

Diversity makes the team stronger. By bringing together different points of view, different personalities and life experiences, organizations build better teams. Studies show that teams with more women perform better. Woman-friendly workplaces are nice places for everyone to work. A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g. languages, cultural understanding) allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis.

With the increased public awareness of the lack of gender diversity in technology field, companies will experience more pressure to disclose their statistics and be accountable for reaching diversity objectives. It is time for organizations to address their cultural bias and create initiatives to attract and retain women.

As more and more tech businesses are taking initiative to hire female employees, obviously, women have a better chance to get hired by a reputed IT company. Register on TheGongzuo.com and post your resume today!

Getting Over Anxiety at the Start of the Job

Starting a new job creates anxiety in even the experienced professionals.  It's not uncommon for people to worry about their performance, ability to come up to speed and adjust to a new work environment.

But, the sooner you can face those fears, the sooner you can dive in and start making an impact. Here are five helpful ways to keep those nerves at bay, ease your fears, and feel more confident at your new job.

1. Be calm - Your body is a great mirror for how your mind is, so if your body is tense and anxious, there is a good chance it is because that's how you are feeling. So relax. Loosen your shoulders. Breathe naturally. Listen to your body, and when you feel it becoming tense or tightening up, make a deliberate choice to loosen up and relax.
2. Trust the process – In a new job, you feel stressed because you try to find the best solutions, provide right answers and impress the right people. But actually, nobody expects you to know everything. Sometimes the brave thing to do is to tell people you’re still figuring things out and that you’ll get back to them with an answer. 
3. Remember, no one is perfect – When you are new in an organization, you think that everyone around you is better in some way; that they know more or do more or are capable of more. Everyone around you is incomplete and imperfect. Everyone has their own strengths, weaknesses, wins, losses.

Best Companies for Women in IT Industry

A recent survey conducted in 2016 revealed that among 60 companies evaluated during survey, only 21.7 per cent of technical roles are held by women. While there is a marginal increase in this per cent over the year 2015, the number of women at senior and executive levels is too low than that of entry level jobs. The main reason behind this adverse ratio is promotion gap.

The top IT companies for women are leaders in recruiting, retaining and advancing more women in technical roles. These companies are committed to building workplaces where women in technology roles can thrive. These companies are assessed on the basis of following metrics:

• Representation of women at entry, mid, senior and executive levels
• Recruitment, retention and promotion of women
• Policies regarding maternity leave, flex time, gender diversity, leadership development programs etc.

Tips For Moms Returning To Workforce

Re-entering the IT workforce after taking time off to stay at home with kids can be difficult and emotionally challenging process for women. Many females worry about their technical skills still being relevant and if they will still fit in and adapt to a workplace environment all while juggling their new added responsibilities at home. 

Experts say transitioning back into work life can be a smooth shift with the right attitude and mind set. According to the survey conducted, 95% of female professionals said that the unique skills involved with raising children are portable to the workplace, increase confidence and energy, and enhance the ability to motivate others, tolerate ambiguity and apply past experiences in new ways.

Here are the tips for returning mothers:

• When you send IT job applications to prospective employers, do not explain the gap in your career in cover letter. Instead, you can mention it in your resume. Brush up your interview techniques.
• Be clear on your objectives and priorities. Do not hesitate to ask for flexibility or a part-time schedule, but should make the request before a final round of interviews. 
• If you are returning to a previous employer, mention your past success that highlights why you are a valuable asset. 
• Stay in touch with your employer, co-workers and prior managers during your opt-out time and follow what’s happening in IT field.
• Be honest about why you’re returning to work and what you want to get from your return. Whether it is money or career accomplishments - your motivations will guide your job search, so it’s incredibly important to know them ahead of time. 
• Before sending out applications, research through IT job search engines, such as TheGongzuo to get an idea about which technologies are in demand.
• Talk regularly with other moms who have gone back to work about their experiences and challenges.
• Consider options such as telecommuting, part-time, flexible schedule or freelancing while returning to the job market to achieve a good work-life balance.

To restart your IT career, register at TheGongzuo.com and go through the list of IT jobs. Job postings for different technical roles such as data analyst, PMO, program managers etc. are listed out on our website. Find out which role suits you best that will take your career to the next level.