search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Point of View


POINT OF VIEW


Towards a representative gender balance in technology roles across all industry types


WORDS Laura Meyer


women in tech. Male-dominated images of program- mers, and pop-culture depictions of tech folk as broadly strange, together with a lack of female role models, make careers in technology unappealing to many—a huge missed opportunit. Employers need to push for more gender diversit


I


WRITE THIS FOR all women considering their careers: you may be thinking about a job in publishing, but you may not have considered working in technology for a publisher. Tech careers in publishing are a great way to engage with and to support the business in so many ways, and while gender diversit isn’t an issue in publishing, it remains one in tech. Perhaps you or someone you know is planning a career in medicine, aviation, retail, banking or publishing. Whatever it is, there are bound to be opportunities in technology within those industries—but where are all the women? Deloite Global predicts that by the end of 2016, less than 25% of IT jobs in developed countries will be held by women, claiming “gender imbalance in IT has been recognised as an issue since at least 2005”. I’m biased: I have worked in technology for nearly 25 years. One of my first tasks was to get a group of employees to switch from tpewriters to computers. Luckily things got more interesting! I’ve been fortunate enough to meet incredible people and travel extensively with my work, so it’s alien to me that so few women want to work in my profession. There are numerous jobs in all sorts of disciplines—from support, business analysis, soſtware development, cyber securit and project management—and so many options to pursue, all requiring skills that are massively in demand from thousands of organisations globally. In other words, a job in tech is a real investment in your future. However, the annual TLA Women in Tech Leader- ship Index found that 48% of women in the capi- tal’s tech communit hold less than 25% of senior management roles. Just 23% of senior management teams in tech firms reflect the same gender balance as London’s population. Finding candidates to fill vacancies is a challenge.


Inciting change


Parents can encourage school-age girls to take an interest in technology, and it’s also great to see icons of the industry (such as businesswoman and entre- preneur Melinda Gates) pushing the issue of a lack of


Laura Meyer is chief information officer at Harper- Collins UK, overseeing the company’s technology division. She also has executive oversight for its distribution and production.


in tech, and we can help by insisting that recruiters look harder for female candidates, and by supporting women through mentoring and coaching. At Harp- erCollins, we’re proud to have women in technical positions ranging from operations director and soſt- ware delivery manager through to soſtware devel- oper. When I worked at Time Warner, I co-founded WING (Women’s Industry Network Group), a cross- industry leadership body; its aim was to provide a network for women in industry and a pool of mentors for those coming through the ranks. WING is currently being reformed, and I look forward to seeing it benefit our talent at HarperCollins and further afield.


A man’s world? The number of jobs in tech is only increasing, and a lack of women will be problematic. We don’t want products developed exclusively by men. Think of the possibilities in virtual realit and AI, and how these technologies may explode; we desperately need gender balance to improve our products and services so they can benefit the widest possible audience. Martine Harris, founder of MPH Coaching and


mentor at DevelopHer, says: “With 60% of the global graduate population being female, any sector or discipline that is not actively engaging women at the earlier stages of their education and as they embark on, or consider a change in, their careers, will miss out on a hugely important talent pool. Networking organisations such as DevelopHer provide a great platform to role-model and connect with female talent in technology, and to showcase the real diver- sit of opportunit available, which I don’t think people are necessarily aware of.” So what can you do to help? Encourage any young girls, or women, looking for a career change—and it is never too late—to consider one in technology. Talk to women you know who work in tech and ask them to talk to your daughters, nieces, family and friends. It is a fascinating, enlivening and rewarding career path, and one that is only going to become more and more important in our day-to-day lives. ×


www.thebookseller.com


15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32