The tech industry knows it has some work to do when it comes to gender and racial diversity. It seems like every week there’s a new diversity and inclusion officer appointed to help reshape a company’s demographics and workplace cultures.
According to a recent report by Booking.com, 52 percent of women currently working in tech say that their companies are not prioritizing gender diversity. However, the same percentage of women say the tech industry is making gender diversity a big deal overall.
Re-entry into the tech sector was also a major issue according to results. More than 60 percent of women respondents said that taking a break from the industry can be important to an individual’s growth. Another 69 percent said that the tech industry needs to do more to help women re-enter the field and make the process easier.
Big tech firms like Amazon, Apple, and Google have recently created initiatives to promote and encourage women in the tech space. Amazon U.K. announced Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary, a grant funding 24 startups founded by women overseas. The program is part of the company’s Amazon Amplify initiative which is aimed at hiring and retaining more women.
Although Amazon has created programs to help women in and outside of the company, some of its female workers want more. There’s currently a group of 1,800 moms within the company that is pushing for daycare benefits.
The Bookings report said that 90 percent of women think that increasing gender diversity within tech companies could have a huge impact on the flexibility with HR benefits.
In January, Apple launched its first app program to serve women-developers and entrepreneurs. Google recently gained attention when it found that it paid some men less than women for the same job, a move that could create a bigger trend of closing the wage gap in tech firms.
