ITS Technology have partnered with InnovateHer for 3 years now. Like InnovateHer, we want to see more diversity in the tech industry. We want to ensure it’s a welcoming and inclusive industry to work in. A big part of doing so is closing the gender gap, which we both work to do. In this blog, I will address why partnering with InnovateHer helps fight the gender gap. 

What is the gender gap?

According to Tech Nation, women make up just 26% of the tech workforce in the UK. Code First Girls and Natwest’s report shows that gender minorities make up 28% of the UK tech workforce. This percentage significantly decreases for women of colour, with representation of only 8%. 

Why do businesses want to close the gender gap?

It is now widely accepted that diverse teams are great for business. Increased creativity innovation, enhanced problem-solving and decision-making, and heightened employee engagement are listed as benefits by Indeed.com. Harvard Business Review says that diverse teams are ‘smarter’. McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. This is a snippet of the evidence out there for the case to attract and retain a diverse workforce. 

I also think it’s good for society in general to have diverse groups working together. The more we learn from each other, the more compassionate we are towards each other. 

How does our partnership with InnovateHer help?

We’re helping InnovateHer with its mission to get girls and non-binary teens ready for the tech industry and the industry ready for them. In tandem, working to close the gender gap. We do this through the following actions:

In addition to our health checks to keep us on track, we receive reports that show our impact, for example, how many students our activities have reached. It’s important to us as a business to measure our progress and continually improve. I hope our work makes a difference and I hope that the future of the tech industry is a diverse and inclusive one! 

This blog was written by Marie Steele, Social Value Manager at ITS Technology Group. You can find out more about ITS’ Faster Britain Network here.