Who are the progressive employers leading the way for women in tech?

Employer commitment to recruiting, retaining, developing and promoting female talent is at an all-time high, with employers increasingly recognising the importance of:

• highly inclusive work cultures
• rewarding career opportunities
• flexible working conditions
• equitable and impressive employee benefits.

When women enjoy their work, feel valued and are supported to achieve, it is more likely that their careers will thrive. As a technology recruitment company with a wealth of experience of placing women in technology in progressive organisations, Corecom Consulting can certainly vouch for this.

More women in tech is good for business. Studies show that companies with more female leaders perform better commercially and are more innovative. Women can offer unique perspectives to meet challenges, solve problems, and design new products. They can bring a fresh approach and, in turn, they can bring even more women into technology. As the industry offers higher salary opportunities than many others, women’s presence can also help to reduce the overall gender pay gap.

The upshot is therefore that, if women in technology choose a progressive employer, their careers are more likely to flourish. So, to celebrate all things ‘women in technology’, here we showcase the best of the best companies, exemplifying progressive employers for women.

Optimo

Provider of operational solutions and change management services, Optimo, is leading the way in its commitment to being a responsible and responsive employer:

• treating everyone with dignity and providing fair pay for all
• enabling and welcoming constructive dialogue about its behaviour in keeping true to its purpose
• fostering innovation, leadership and personal accountability
• protecting and nurturing all who work for the company to ensure its people learn, contribute and thrive.

Vicky Otley, Business Analyst, Co-Director and EDI enthusiast at Optimo gives us an insight into how the company has given her opportunities to thrive:

“Everyone at Optimo has something that they are passionate about, whether it’s the planet, tech, animals or equality and diversity. My big passion and enthusiasm is diversity and inclusion, having a diverse and inclusive workforce is important to me and to Optimo, but we don’t just want to say we are, we want to walk the walk too. This is unpinned by our D&I policies and practices.”

Take a look at the full interview with Vicky where she tells us more about her career journey, what it’s like as an employee at Optimo and her advice for choosing the right employer.

Zen Internet

Zen Internet provides home broadband, phone and hosting solutions that puts people and the planet first. The company’s Women in Tech programme is driving day to day changes across Zen, its people and the tech industry. The company is striving to find new ways of recruiting, supporting and embracing women in technology, to make it more accessible.

Amongst other initiatives, Zen has set up a mentor scheme and a Step into Tech program; a women focused upskilling programme. The following video highlights some of their greatest achievements, as well as their plans for the future to continue driving diversity in Technology.

Answer Digital

Answer Digital is an employee owned customer centric digital transformation business, helping organisations use technology to improve their operations.

Amongst the company’s many employee benefits, clubs and ‘Lunch and Learns’, it hosts Agile Meet-Ups, where people can learn from one another and discuss hot industry topics. Answer also has a Ladies Community. It’s a chance for women at the company to build relationships through getting involved in meet-ups and social events. The company also publishes their recruitment process on their website, so that prospective employees know exactly what to expect and how to prepare.

Senior Agile Project Manager & EOT Director, Luisa Van Der End, tells us about the opportunities that Answer Digital has given her to thrive:

“Answer really encourage you to ‘never stand still’ – again, another of our ethos we stand by. As I’ve always enjoyed surrounding myself around innovative and passionate people, Answer presented me the opportunity to really grab this with two hands. I’ve held talks at Leeds Digital Festival and also been a panellist on a Leeds WITBoss Event. Here is where I started to thrive – the world of Women in Tech! 

“I’m sure it’s not news to anyone when I say the sector can be more male orientated and I found that the meet-ups are a chance to change that up a bit. Meeting other like minded women in the industry.

“It’s great to just have a chance to bounce some ideas, share opinions and even just develop your confidence meeting new people. I’ve enjoyed them so much that I’ve actually encouraged our team at Answer, to create our own monthly Agile Meet-Ups. It’s more specific to agile and project management as that’s something we feel we can deliver some real value in. I’ve taken the lead on this – my hopes for the sessions are to provide an environment where people can learn from one another and discuss hot industry topics.”

Read Luisa’s interview about her career journey and her experiences of having Answer Digital as her employer.

Yorkshire Building Society

The ambition at YBS is to be a leading employer and unleash the potential of every colleague. The company champions a culture of supporting all colleagues, prioritising their wellbeing and promoting diversity.

YBS is a signatory to the Women in Finance Charter, celebrates diversity across its business and has made a promise to include everyone. With a warm, welcoming, inclusive and flexible workplace, its employees’ identities are from all areas of life, with different cultures, beliefs, ages, outlooks and more – in tandem with the communities that they serve.

The following Colleague Networks have been created by YBS, which are closely linked to the company’s Inclusion and Diversity committee and sponsored by a member of its Senior Leadership Team:

• LGBTQIA Network
• Women’s Network
• Disability Network
• Parent and Carer’s Network
• Ethnicity Network

YBS is striving to do everything they can to create lasting change in the workplace, with every colleague, and for the community. So much so, it has published its commitment in building a more balanced workforce. As well as a host of other goals for 2023 to increase diversity and inclusivity, here are their momentum measures, which will have a direct impact on women in technology:

• Their Women in Finance Charter aims to make sure that 50% of the company’s senior colleagues are women
• They want to remove all barriers to entry so that 38% of the company’s IT team are women
• Their gender balance goals mean that 40% of the company’s customer facing colleagues should be men
• Gender balance goals also mean that 25% of the company’s branch colleagues should be men.

These, as well as its volunteering programme giving colleagues up to 31 hours paid leave each year to take part in voluntary or charitable activities in their local community and its REACH programme to help Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse leaders progress into senior leadership roles, means that YBS truly is a pioneering progressive employer.

Tunstall Group

Leading provider of technology enabled care solutions for health, housing and social care, Tunstall Group, have made great strides in being a progressive employer that is:

• striving to enhance the work environment
• positively impact the communities they serve
• use technology to their best advantage
• thinking about how they treat their employees and how to make them happy at work.

Tunstall is planning specific women in technology initiatives for the long term, as well as building frameworks to enable opportunities for career progression beyond their current offering.

Laura Collie, Squad Leader and Technical Author at Tunstall Group, tells us about the company’s Development Manager, Emma Keaney, with whom she refers to as a ‘role model’ for her women in technology peers:

“…she provides you with the confidence to succeed through coaching and support as well as the challenges which take you out of your comfort zone and build up confidence.”

Take a look at Laura’s experiences of Tunstall as an employer, plus her career journey and some advice for women when choosing an employer.

The WIT community created by Tunstall has connected women across the business, giving them the platform to share ideas, advice and resources. And there’s a lot more in the pipeline, so watch this space.

BJSS

Leading technology and engineering consultancy, BJSS, is continually working to address the gender imbalance. The company is committed to increasing opportunities to those from under-represented groups also.

Beth Gibbins is the Talent Acquisition Coordinator & Diversity and Inclusion Champion at BJSS. When asked what advice she would give to women in technology regarding choosing the right employer, she said:

“Find out what is important to you, what gets you out of bed in the morning and what kind of environment and team helps you to grow/thrive. Then make sure whoever you choose to work has values that align with yours and is full of likeminded people to nurture your talent.”

Click here to read more about what Beth enjoys the most about working for BJSS and the opportunities that the company has provided her with.

Corecom Consulting embraces equity

Recruitment companies that specialise in placing women in technology roles have long understood the benefits of progressive employers.

Corecom has been advocating Women in Technology since the outset and, in 2015, grew our own Women in Technology Team and series of Women in Technology events, WITBoss, to celebrate and promote women’s success in the sector.

At the helm of the team are our five Women in Technology Ambassadors, who come together from across the business to campaign for and champion women in IT.

Addressing the gender gap is a priority for us and this agenda runs through every aspect of our work, from our internal ethos, policies and culture right through to the reach out work we undertake with our clients, candidates and wider community. Take a look at our Women in Technology Services.

Gender diversity within organisations drives creative thinking, happy and healthy workplaces and solid financial return. Let’s continue to make a difference.