Corecom Consulting flies the flag for Diversity and Inclusion with two key appointments

Diversity and inclusion in the tech sector has received much attention over recent years. From encouraging young women to consider STEM careers to addressing gender gaps in tech boardrooms. You would like to think the tide was turning, but the reality is that gender disparity in the UK remains almost exactly the same as it was 20 years ago despite interventions to attempt to address it.

Leeds based award winning IT Recruitment Consultancy Corecom Consulting,  crowned ‘The UK’s Leading IT Recruitment Company – UK’ at the national Corporate Excellence Awards for the second year running, has appointed Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors, Aishia Ullah and Dominic Brown, to champion the cause both within their own team and the teams of their clients. It demonstrates just how committed the company is to promoting Diversity and Inclusion across all its activities.

The figures for gender

Even though 49% of the UK workforce is women, they are still only 18% women across all tech roles, with for example, 14% in software engineering, 23% in Data Analytics, 33% in Product Management and 36% in Design. Added to this there is also a gender pay gap with the average salary of men in tech companies being £66,000 p/a and women £60,000 p/a.

 What can be done?

Aishia Ullah, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador at Corecom Consulting said:

“There are a number of solutions that can be used to solve this problem in the workplace. Starting at the very beginning of the process, when men and women apply for jobs, it could be useful to leave out names and gender identification from the application form.

“Whether consciously or unconsciously, employers may have false stereotypes towards women workers in tech. Therefore, it may be better for application forms to focus purely on qualifications and past experience. This will enable the first stage of the employment process to be completely fair, avoiding all the potential biases and stereotypes.”

Although it’s not happening quickly, executives worldwide are realising that companies that offer women the same opportunities as men are performing better than those who favour men in the workplace. A study on Fortune 500 companies that had at least three women in executive roles showed that the average return on equity increased by 53% and their returns on invested capital increased by at least 66%. With these facts in mind, jobs in tech for women should improve in the future.

What about ethnicity?

The vast majority (62%) of tech workers in the UK identify as white. Women are more likely to come from non-white ethnicities than men, although the majority of both genders surveyed were white (71% of men and 53% of women). Interestingly, around a third (29%) of female tech workers are Asian (versus just 13% of men).

Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, Dominic Brown at Corecom Consulting said:

“You need to build diversity into your company culture. If you don’t you are unlikely to retain talent. Companies that have diversity and inclusion strategies see fewer reports of unfairness, significantly lower sexual harassment, bullying and stereotyping, and lower rates of leaving due to unfairness.

“We know the issue can’t be addressed overnight, but at Corecom Consulting we are championing the push for cultural inclusion and gender equality in the workforce.“

Going forward

After recent events both in the US and the UK, Corecom Consulting is optimistic that the culture for change may be shifting. BLM protests, the MeToo movement and growing awareness around LGBTQ+ rights have provided renewed focus on disparities in pay, opportunity and success that underrepresented groups face in the UK workplace. Managing Director Jonathan Sanderson adds:

“It’s all about recruiting and retaining the very best talent for our team and our clients. Now, it’s more important than ever for tech companies to prove their commitment to closing the gender and diversity gap.”