Dive Brief:

• London Technology Week took place in June 2016 and a number of large organizations, including those at the government level, all shared the concern that there are shortages of women in STEM careers, and that it is contributing to ongoing skill gaps.

• There are multiple reasons why companies should embrace diversity in hiring, said Joanne Cumper who is a Managing Consultant of Technology at EMEA. She advises that companies in the top percentile of gender diversity have higher financial returns, and the most innovative companies have an equal number of men and women in teams.

• Korn Ferry research shows that less than 3 of the world’s 10 science researchers are women, and 53% of women choose to leave their high-tech careers to take on other roles. There is also pay disparity between what men and women earn at an average of 17.6%, according to recent figures. 

Dive Insight:

Cumper challenges companies to change the way they see diversity in hiring. It’s clear that more are realizing the value of diversity and gender equality, but the programs that are in place do not support sustainable impact on a large scale. Just because there are a few women in leadership programs doesn’t mean that organizations are doing well. The entire organization needs to provide opportunities for women and monitories at all levels with succession planning and smarter recruitment.