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HPE News. Tech Insights. World-Class Innovations. We take you straight to the source — interviewing tech's foremost thought leaders and change-makers that are propelling businesses and industries forward.
Aubrey Lovell:
Hello, and a very warm welcome to Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett-Packard Enterprise where we take what's happening in the world around us and explore how it's changing the way organizations are using technology. I'm your host, Aubrey Lovell. And Michael is off this week, so you're stuck with me.
In this episode, we're talking about inclusion in tech, specifically getting more women leaders into the field. We'll be looking at diversity in the workplace and whether the tides are finally changing. We'll also be taking your questions to the expert around breaking the glass ceiling. And of course, we'll be looking at the books that are changing the way you, our audience, and some of our wonderful guests, see the world.
So, if you're the kind of person who needs to know why what's going on in the world matters to your organization, this podcast is for you. Oh, and if you're enjoying it, remember to subscribe on your podcast app of choice, so you don't miss out. Right, let's get on with the show.
All right, so let's talk about some stats for a second that I think will paint the picture of women in tech, essentially where we are today and what has led us here. According to research by Deloitte, in 2022, only 33% of the workforce in tech is female. That stat is mirrored in other STEM fields and in student numbers too. That's not always been the case though. From the 1940s until the 1960s, coding was dominated by women. In fact, 90% of coders were female.
So, why the change? Well, back in the days of punch guard programming, it was seen as similar to crochet. Women also notoriously operated switchboards for telephone calls. It was only the rise of personal computing and massive growth in the industry in the '70s and '80s that computing became a well-paying job. And therefore, men started to outnumber women with computing being considered a high-value skill only men should occupy.
That's pretty embarrassing, right? But things are starting to change, and there's a lot being done to bring balance to the force. To talk about why all of this should matter to our organizations, today, we're joined by Laura Stebbing, CEO of EQL:HER. They are a global network based out of the UK, which exists to rebalance gender in the technology sector to secure women an inclusive future across all businesses. Thank you for joining us, Laura.
So, Laura, from your perspective, what are the issues facing women who want to lead in tech today? And do you believe we are still dealing with issues stemming from decades past?
Laura Stebbing:
Yeah, this situation for women in tech today is not good. Women make up only 26.7% of the tech workforce, and only 16% of C-suite executives at Fortune 500 tech companies are women. On top of that, just 17% of founders globally are women. And yes, in answer to your question, we are dealing with issues from decades past.
I think one of the key factors that leads to less women in leadership positions and in the funnel is that girls and young women are still less likely to choose STEM subjects and go into these sectors, and this is for a number of reasons. And partly, it's societal expectations, lack of female role models, and really a lack of exposure to STEM subjects at that early age.
Another thing that really contributes to this gender gap in the tech industry and for leadership is that women are much more likely than men to leave the tech industry. So, 41% of women in tech leave the industry within 10 years, which is compared to 27% of men. And this was especially the case during the pandemic where we saw women leave the tech industry in droves. It was known as the she-session due to that pressure of childcare and work.
And why they leave is because of that lack of support for working parents. And we see that they don't have the flexible work arrangements, and there's a culture that's often hostile to women. Women are still paid less than men in the tech industry. Women in tech earn 82 cents for every dollar that men earn. So, we have this kind of massive issues of less women entering the tech sector. Then once they're there, nearly 50% of them leaving.
And I think, ultimately, the biggest issue for women who want to lead, either within companies or as founders, is access. And that's either access to the networks that they need to accelerate their careers or the funding that they need to grow their businesses. So, we know that just 2% of venture funding goes to female founders. And of course, that's much, much lower for women of color.
So, actually at EQL:HER, we're all about providing access to those all-important networks that you need to progress your career, whether that's getting a board role, finding investment through our curated events, or finding a female co-founder. And it's also so, so important for us to showcase amazing women, both on the main stage at London Tech Week, but also through our Inspiring 50 Awards ceremony. We get so tired of seeing manholes, when actually, there are amazing women in technology across every region, and it's all about providing them with a platform.
Aubrey Lovell:
Now, Laura, obviously, there's a lot of factors to some of those statistics that you just outlined for women and the challenges and why behind some of those numbers. What do you think can be done about it? How do we start to solve some of those issues with equality and diversity and also inclusion, giving those opportunities for women?
Laura Stebbing:
So, there are multiple prongs that we need to be approaching here. One of them is, of course, start early. Encourage girls and young women to pursue STEM education careers from that young age. Show them role models like we do with our Inspiring 50 campaign. Expose them to STEM activities, companies like Mama Codes who get kids working on tech from three years old. Get them involved with organizations that are working with girls like TechSheCan, STEM METS. Really involve girls and show them that this is something that they are equally can be excited about and are included in.
And the second is obviously, when they're in the workplace, really create a more inclusive workplace culture. So, that's about looking at every factor of your organization and seeing where can women succeed. Address the unconscious bias, look at flexible working arrangements, and create that culture that means that women can thrive. And now, the key thing is promoting women into leadership positions even if they're not 100% fit.
I think that, so often, women self-select themselves out of positions, leadership positions. And we need to be pushing women into positions and saying, "You've got the transferrable skills. You can do it." I think when women are promoted into those leadership positions, it serves a message to everyone across the company and broadly that women are valued and they're important.
Mentoring is really important. And actually, we found that organizations that have a formal mentoring culture on average have a 20% lower turnover. You don't just give the woman advice, but you actually promote them and talk about them when they're not in the room, and put them in positions where they're going to gain more expertise and gain the skills they need to get into leadership positions.
And then the final thing, I'd say, is be proactive to reach beyond your current networks. Go to people that don't look like you, that don't have the affinity bias. I know that Duolingo, for example, have achieved a 50-50 gender ratio for new software engineers because they looked at the data and realized we need to hire from schools where there are more women software graduates coming out. So, just be really proactive about reaching out to new networks.
Aubrey Lovell:
I think one thing that's really interesting as we talk about the levels of discrimination against women and how some of the existing framework of industries really do play against women and trying to get to those specific roles, what are some of the quick wins or quick actions that I could take to ensure that my company or my organization isn't discriminating against women and have things like unconscious bias, for example?
Laura Stebbing:
The one thing that I would always say is look at the data. Awareness of your unconscious bias is really important, but it's a first step. And for everyone who's ever made a New Year's resolution, you know that there's an intention-action gap. And we need to make it easier for people and businesses to actually live up to their virtuous intentions.
And so, that's about going through, looking at the data in your company, where are women leaving? Why are they not coming in? And then using the tools that are plentiful now to actually do things like remove gendered language in job descriptions, completely change the way that we do performance reviews, for example. So, we don't ask women to rate themselves before their boss rates them because we know that, routinely, women give themselves a lower score than the men do. And of course, that impacts then on their ultimate score.
Another thing I would say is equalize parental leave in your organization. That's super key. Normalized men take a leave and taking time off just as much as women. And stop calling it maternity leave. Call it parental leave. An HPR article that came out recently talks about a whole host of issues that new mothers in high-income countries encounter when they're away from paid work.
Their probability of a promotion decreases. They're less likely to move into management positions, get a pay raise. Once their maternity is over, they're more likely to be fired and demoted. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimates that by the time a woman's first child is 12 years old, her hourly pay rate is 33% less than a man of the same experience. And we look at countries that are doing this well like Scandinavia, where they equalize these things, and these stats aren't the same.
And another thing, which I think is an easy win that would be a really exciting thing for more companies to take on, is to put your money where your mouth is and start investing in women. So, that's again about looking at your procurement processes, building a baseline data of how your company works with suppliers, and then stipulating that even if it's just 10% of your company suppliers need to be women-founded businesses, that could have a huge impact.
Aubrey Lovell:
Absolutely. I love it. Put your money where your mouth is. I think that's the new mantra. And I think for companies, it's super important to invest in your people. Last question, this is a very important one. What would be your advice to young women who want to start their own tech company, and where do they begin?
Laura Stebbing:
One thing I'd say is that you don't have to be a techie. So, many leaders of tech companies' founders are not. In the UK, we have this amazing woman called Martha Lane Fox, who is a leading woman in tech here, founder of Lastminute.com, now in the House of Lords. She doesn't come from a STEM background.
You can find a co-founder. You can find tech leads. It's all about the idea. And then once you have that idea, get networking. So, come to events like EQL:HER or other events where you can meet your co-founders. Start to test your ideas with investors, with mentors. Loads and loads of investors have an early stage. Angels and VCs have office hours where you can go along and start to discuss. You can talk about your ideas.
There's also great incubators out there where you can go. And even if you don't have an idea, you can go and say, "I know I want to be a founder. I've got an inkling it's in this area." You just have to have the tenacity and the commitment and to have that network around you, which is what we try to do to help you progress.
Aubrey Lovell:
Awesome. Thank you, Laura, I do have one more personal question that popped into my mind, and I had to wonder. You were talking about lead with passion. Was there a moment, like an aha moment for you or incident that occurred where you were like, "This is what I want to do," and that's how you started EQL:HER?
Laura Stebbing:
Such a good point. I was working for an organization called the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which was all about working with women entrepreneurs in developing and emerging economies and using technology to help them grow their businesses. And I realized that the gap in access to technology for women was what was really, really holding them back.
And it was then really that got me excited about the tech space, and the idea that this is the future, and that if we don't get to 50-50 in this space, then women are going to be held even further back than they have been over the generations. So, that was, for me, the really critical driver of how do we get more female founders? How do we get more female investors? How do we get more women into the tech space, so that they can build the future that is going to be the workplace of tomorrow and that young girls are going to be going into?
So, EQL:HER was also co-founded by Poppy Gay and Brent Hoberman from Founders Forum Group. And I think for them all this time ago, it was looking at the tech sector as it existed right then for founders and really seeing the need to open up a key network of founders and investors to women who were earlier in the industry. So, together, we've really built out this network, looking first and foremost at founders, but then beyond that at women across the tech industry and putting in place all the different things that we can do to accelerate them.
Aubrey Lovell:
I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that. That's really special. And just, again, thank you for everything that you do for women in the industry and creating EQL:HER. It's super needed. We'll come back to you in a moment, so don't go anywhere as we've got some questions sent in from the audience.
And of course, for those who want to dive in further on this topic, we'll drop some useful links in the show notes about everything we've talked about on today's show.
All right, you know the drill. Next up, it's down to you, our audience. We open the floor for you to give your recommendations on books, which has changed the way you look at the world, life and business in the last 12 months. They could be technology based, have changed the way you work, or even could have just made you look at the world in a totally different way. If you want to share your recommendations, there's a link in the podcast description. So, just record a voicemail on your phone and send it over.
Christian Temporale:
I am Christian Temporale. I am based in Milan, Italy. I work as AI and data architect, mainly as solution architect and technology consultant. I like to read books of different topics. However, out of the ones I read in the past month, perhaps the more relevant from the professional point of view is the Phoenix Project by Gene Kim. It is written in the form of a novel, but it's really a book about the box and many concepts here are relevant for our job. I think the author of the book will be happy with the automation pipeline we put in place.
Aubrey Lovell:
Thanks so much. Okay, so it's time for questions from the audience you've been sending in your questions to Laura Stebbing, and we've got a couple lined up for you now. Charlie from Brisbane would like to know if there are any good resources that you'd recommend for aspiring women who want to rise into senior leadership in a male-dominated industry.
Laura Stebbing:
Sure. Obviously, first thing I'd say is check out EQL:HER. We'd love to bring you into the fold as part of our network. There's great books I'd recommend. Own It by Sallie Krawcheck, the founder of Ellevest, who's an amazing woman leader who founded this network, and I'd recommend that. There's also Women of Color in Tech by Susanne Tedrick, worth the read. Women in Tech by Tarah Wheeler. There are loads and loads of organizations out there, both physical and global, that are there to help you build your network and really focus on getting connected.
Aubrey Lovell:
All right, the second question is from Alice, from Portland. And she wants to know what your major takeaways have been from running EQL:HER so far, and any tips you can share from someone who is starting out on her business journey.
Laura Stebbing:
So, first, I'd say is pick something you're passionate about. As a founder or CEO especially, I think you put in so many hours to get your business off the ground. And I've found that having a focus on a bigger issue, like for me, gender parity in the workplace has been the critical driver to helping to keep me going.
The second is invest in your people. So, all of the things that we've been talking about today but build the company at the outset by hiring diversity and really thinking about that because it's so much harder to do down the line.
And then the third thing, I'd say, for anyone across your career is build a tribe of amazing women around you who can cheer you on, push you ahead, and give you critical feedback, or even just share a template with you when you need to not rework the wheel because it's that tribe of women who, as you progress your career, will be the ones that will be the network to help you lead and to help you get to where you want to go.
Aubrey Lovell:
And again, we'll drop a couple of links in the podcast description for more on these topics. Thanks, Laura.
Laura Stebbing:
It's been really, really great to talk to you. So, thank you so much for having me.
Aubrey Lovell:
All right, we're getting towards the end of the show, which means it's time for this week in history, a look at monumental events in the world of business and technology, which has changed our lives.
And this week, to celebrate women reaching for the sky, it's the anniversary of Amelia Earhart becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic on May 20th, 1932. It took her 15 hours to get from Newfoundland to Ireland. She'd originally been trying to reach Paris, but bad weather forced her to land. The flight came five years to the day after Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in just over 33 hours.
Amelia was a certified daredevil and adventurer, founding the Ninety-Nines, an international organization for women pilots, and became the first person to explore much of the world by airplane. She disappeared just before her 40th birthday while trying to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air in July 1937, but left behind a pioneering history as an activist, adventurer, and author.
Next week, the clue is four dots dot dash dash dot dot. Got it? Don't tell.
That brings us to the end of Technology Now for this week. Next week, we'll be keeping to the theme by interviewing Hewlett-Packard Enterprise's Chief Technology Officer Fidelma Russo about what the tech space is doing from the inside to improve diversity.
In the meantime, keep those suggestions for life-changing books coming, using the link in the podcast description. Until then, thank you so much to our guest, Laura Stebbing of EQL:HER. And to our listeners, thank you all so much for joining us.
Technology Now is hosted by Michael Bird, although he's not been here this week, and myself, Aubrey Lovell. This episode was produced by Sam Datta-Paulin and Zoe Anderson with production support from Harry Morton, Alicia Kempson, Alison Paisley, Alex Podmore, and Ed Everston.
Technology Now is a Lower Street production for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
We'll see you next week. Cheers.