17 April 2023
Tietoevry’s recent survey shows that fewer women in the Nordics would consider education and a career in tech, despite recognizing the potential of technology to address the biggest challenges of our time like climate change.
The Girls & Technology* survey – conducted by YouGov in February 2023 on behalf of Tietoevry – shows that 66% of women in Finland believe technology can help combat climate change, yet only 12% would consider a career in tech. There is even more skepticism in Norway, where only 8% want to work in the tech industry, even though 45% of women believe technology can solve climate change.
The results from Sweden** were more encouraging. One in four women between the ages of 16 and 30 (26%) has become more interested in working with IT/tech over the past three years. However, the tech industry is still perceived as non-inclusive, and the interest in pursuing an education in tech has declined over the last three years.
"The industry faces a significant challenge, but also an opportunity. We need to become much better at explaining the different professional roles, as well as the education and career paths available. IT and tech are both somewhat vague terms," says Anna Gulliksen, Head of Talent Acquisition at Tietoevry.
The survey also found room for improvement in recruitment practices, as well as in the guidance provided by educational institutions that should encourage women to pursue careers in technology.
Three in 10 women believe that IT employers do not do enough to recruit women, and that educational institutions are failing to increase girls' interest in tech careers. 44% of women and 34% of men said parents do not sufficiently encourage their daughters to pursue tech careers.
Technology companies have to step up their game as well. Tietoevry’s survey shows that only 26% of women find technology exciting, and 10% even think it’s boring.
The survey in Sweden also showed that fewer than one in 10 respondents had a female role model in IT/tech (9%). We know from last year's survey that 38% of respondents believe more women would be interested in applying for IT jobs if more female role models were in the spotlight.
The majority of respondents see the tech industry as 'difficult' and 'male dominated'. Almost half (49%) believe that the industry needs to be more inclusive if it wants to attract more women.
"The tech industry still faces serious challenges in attracting young women. The overall perception of the industry is discouraging. As employers, we have a significant responsibility to promote an equal and inclusive work environment in various ways. This includes everything from leadership training to how we design recruitment ads,” she says.
“It’s also about our conduct in everyday situations, such as in meetings and conversations in the lunchroom. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own behavior and speak up when a colleague is not treated with respect."
Tietoevry has set the ambition of reaching a 40% share of female professionals globally by 2026, and 50% by 2030. Today, the corresponding figure is 31%. To reach this goal, the company has outlined several actions in a wide array of areas.
For example, the Being an IT Girl guidebook provides practical insights into the industry and the variety of roles and career paths available. The aim is to lower the barrier to selecting tech/ICT as a field of study and a profession.
“A lack of women in the tech industry can have very negative effects on the development of our societies. More and more services are digitalized and data driven. An inclusive approach is crucial in the development of digital services to avoid biased solutions", says Anna Gulliksen.
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*The survey was conducted by the YouGov analysis institute. A total of 1004 Finns and 1007 Norwegians aged 18-65 were interviewed using CAWI methodology during the period 24-26 February 2023.
** The survey on young women and tech was conducted by Tietoevry in collaboration with Insight Intelligence, Bredband2, and Foxway. The survey was conducted nationwide in Sweden and had responses from 1000 women between the ages of 16 and 30. It’s the ninth year that Tietoevry has conducted this survey.
Tietoevry Newsdesk, news@tietoevry.com, +358 40 570 407
Tietoevry creates purposeful technology that reinvents the world for good. We are a leading technology company with a strong Nordic heritage and global capabilities. Based on our core values of openness, trust and diversity, we work with our customers to develop digital futures where businesses, societies and humanity thrive.
Our 24,000 experts globally specialize in cloud, data, and software, serving thousands of enterprise and public-sector customers in more than 90 countries. Tietoevry’s annual turnover is approximately EUR 3 billion and the company’s shares are listed on the NASDAQ exchange in Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as on Oslo Børs. www.tietoevry.com