Closing the Gender Gap in Technology with a Carefully Cultivated Culture

The last two years have awakened many people across the globe to the benefits of digitization, but the uptake and retention of women within this future-fit work area is slow. We chat to Carrie Peter, Managing Director of Impression Signatures about the strides being made with the tech space to be more gender balanced.

Peter believes that gender misalignment is still very prevalent in the world today. This can be attributed to a legacy of poor demographic distribution, a lack of women with the requisite skills, gender stereotypes, and outdated recruitment practices. “Whatever the cause, the best way to create gender equality is to offer a culture that supports women and encourages their participation in the industry, while still accepting that the best person for the job is the best person for the job – regardless of their gender identity, creed, race, or personal background.”  

According to Women in Tech ZA, only 23 percent of South African tech jobs are held by women. Out of 236 000 ICT (tech) roles, women occupy 56 000. Yet Impression Signatures has become a business driven by skilled women; from co-founder Magda van Vollenstee, to Peter being promoted to Managing Director, and a mostly-female software development team. Their success has recently been recognised by EOH, as the Group seeks to study the business and replicate its cultural success. So, what is their secret?

The first step is revolutionising the recruitment process. “It’s more about culture fit than driving an agenda… but if your culture is steeped in inclusivity, your recruitment will likely rout out any candidates who present bias, an inability to accept authority from a female, or uncertainty as to whether the candidate would be a good fit for the business,” confirms Peter.

“We fiercely protect our culture, constantly striving for an inclusive and diverse environment. This requires swift action when employees display prejudiced behaviour or threaten the ethos of the business. We don’t care about the gender of the person we hire, if they’re skilled and a good cultural fit. With this approach, we have attracted and retained immense talent – while fostering an environment that supports, nurtures, and grows women in tech.”

What has become evident at Impression, is that cultural fit is far more valuable than remuneration. “Our experience shows that treating people with respect is worth more than money. We have several team members who took a pay-cut to join us or turned down profitable opportunities because they’d rather work in an environment where they enjoy freedom, respect, and a culture in which they feel comfortable. The key is judging staff on their work - with a total output focus - not their skin colour or gender identity,” states Peter.

Women must also take charge of their own futures. Although, from the outside it may seem that the industry isn’t ready for female infiltration, this simply isn’t true. “It is open season, and while it may take some extra effort to break through tenuous, traditional barriers to entry, we certainly can succeed in the sector. Women offer not only vast skills, but also enhanced socialisation, commitment, integrity, an internal drive to deliver what is required – and more.”

The reality, according to Peter, is that what employees do in their private lives has nothing to do with the working environment.  “To achieve proper parity in the working environment, people must feel safe to challenge their biases, while uncompromisingly respecting professional and personal boundaries. With this methodology, businesses have the best possible chance to achieve some sort of balance.” 

Yet many women are still pushed into stereotypical roles in technology. Peter herself was initially directed towards a role in human resources, or as a receptionist. Thankfully, she chose to pursue her ambitions beyond the “female role”. Her advice to women entering the sector is to consider software development as a gateway to a lucrative career in tech.

“Women are logical thinkers, who are naturally risk averse and grasp technical skills with ease. These innate skills mean we’re perfectly positioned to become adept business analysts or systems analysts. These are great starting points, offering women the opportunity to sink their teeth into real tech roles, proving their proficiency while growing into higher level jobs, breaking into solution architecture, or lead architecture roles.” ‘

Peter concludes that she attributes her success in the sector to sticking to her values and a lot of yoga. “I have always found fewer barriers in stereotypically male dominated, or exclusive environments by being assertive with my values. When you hold to your standards and filter out bias ahead of time – mentioning gender, age, and race differences – people who would ordinarily choose to be combative generally disengage. This leaves you room to focus on your goals.”

As Winston Churchill once said, “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks”. Women in tech may not always experience smooth sailing, but they’ll be far better equipped to stay the course when wholly focussed on their objectives, avoiding the distraction of engaging with damaging preconceptions.