Women in IT: Their Role in Filling the Talent Gap

The IT and ITes industry in India constantly faces the challenge of finding the right talent pool. The industry and government are jointly taking several educational initiatives to bridge the talent gap. A prominent focus area to achieve this goal is to promote the share of women in India’s IT workforce.

According to NASSCOM, women contribute only 34% of the total IT workforce at present. The gender gap is evident, and companies are proactively introducing steps to encourage the share of women in their companies.

But what’s the realization that has prompted tech companies and IT recruitment companies to introduce this welcome move of improving their hiring practices in favor of women?

In this blog, we will provide a glimpse of how women can be the answer to the dearth of quality IT talent, and provide insights about the aspirations and needs of women working in the IT sector.

IT is a diverse field that requires advanced problem solving skills with an innovative and leadership mindset. According to a Pew Research Center report, women rank higher than men on the leadership spectrum.

With the IT space witnessing rapid changes in terms of technology, it is imperative that the workforce upskills itself. Women are more open to upskilling, and a survey found out that almost 94% of the participating women believed and were open to upskilling to progress in their jobs.

Women can fill crucial shortages and skills gaps in the IT sector. That’s evident. Their share of the talent pool is also bound to significantly increase as the number of women in B.Tech courses has seen a 2x uptick over the past five years.

This gives tech companies an opportunity to hire more female talent and train them with the specific skills required for the job. But, what do they want and what can companies do to hire and retain them?

As per Taggd-Business Today Best Companies to Work For Survey 2022, the perceptions and aspirations of India’s women workforce is looking for:

• Learning & Development Opportunities

Women want to continuously develop their skills so that they can remain competitive in this ever-evolving IT industry. According to Taggd’s Women in IT report, 53% of women working in tech companies ranked training opportunities as one of the top five incentives offered by their organizations.

• Flexibility

Flexible work arrangements and a good work-life balance are important factors for women in tech. Women conventionally have more domestic responsibilities, which can make it difficult for them to work in the traditional 9-5 job or a rigid work from office setup. As per our report, about 43% of the women preferred working from home, while 42% preferred hybrid work mode.

• Equal Opportunities

Despite having the same qualifications and experience, women tech professionals often earn less than their male counterparts. As per the findings of Skillsoft’s report, 47% of the women said they believed that men were more likely to be promoted than women, even when they had the same skill level.

• Women in Leadership Roles

Women are often the minority in leadership teams, creating a feeling of isolation. According to our report, 47% of women say that more women in leadership positions at tech companies would inspire them to pursue tech-related roles. 

Top Fields Preferred by Women in IT

• Data management
• Programming languages
• Application development
• Cloud computing

Best Practices for Hiring Women in Tech

• Companies should set clear diversity goals to help create a more diverse workplace.
• Using women-friendly platforms to hire candidates can allow companies to increase the pool of qualified women candidates..
• Companies should review their policies and introduce changes that will make working easier for women.
• Hiring from non-tier one cities can also increase the pool of women’s talent.

Taggd can help you close the talent gap by providing you with access to a pool of qualified and talented women IT professionals.

We offer a proprietary digital recruitment platform that connects companies with pre-screened, pre-interviewed, and ready-to-hire talent. Taggd has a database of over one million active candidates, including women IT professionals, who are looking for opportunities to work with leading companies.

We understand the importance of diversity in the workplace and are committed to helping companies create a more diverse workforce. If you’re looking to hire women in tech, Taggd can be a valuable resource. With its large talent pool recruitment and powerful search capabilities, you can bridge the talent gap efficiently.