The Wellbeing/Advancement Equation: Solving for a Gender-Balanced Workplace

6 March 2024: While pioneering, innovative and exciting in many ways, the tech sector also harbours unique stressors and barriers that impact the lives and careers of the women who currently make up 26% of its workforce.[1] Previous studies have laid the groundwork in highlighting the wellbeing crisis experienced by working women. everywoman’s research, a collaboration with Bupa, zeroes in on women working in the technology space, and shines a spotlight on how the fast-paced nature of the industry combines with low female participation to create an environment in which women are struggling to thrive and grow meaningful, rewarding careers. These findings highlight the wellbeing concerns of women in technology roles, and the implications these have for the future talent pipeline. They also uncover the tangible and urgent steps which must be taken to strengthen the talent pipeline and ensure the success of the technology industry. 

The technology industry’s fast-paced male domain is accelerating the wellbeing crisis for women. More than three quarters of women in technology (76%) have experience of burnout and varying degrees of sleep deprivation (75%), while 69% are experiencing job dissatisfaction.

This report is more than a compilation of data; it is a narrative of the lived experiences of everywoman’s unique community of women in technology. It speaks to women’s successes, struggles, advancements, setbacks, and solutions, and amplifies the voices that the tech industry needs to listen to if it genuinely wants more diverse talent working in it. It is a call to action for individuals, recruiters, policymakers, network leads, and business leaders to join everywoman in this endeavour, driving forward a culture of inclusivity and respect that benefits everyone in the tech ecosystem.

Wellbeing is a cornerstone in the employment decisions of women working in technology, with 80% considering genuine wellbeing benefits and meaningful support as important. The survey is a deep dive into the wellbeing priorities of women, recognising that physical and mental health are both inextricably linked to job satisfaction, workplace inclusion, career advancement, pay parity, and require investment in the form of learning and development opportunities.

 In everywoman’s work as pioneers in the field of advancing women’s careers, they work with numerous forward-looking tech organisations, large and small, who are making significant investment in attracting more women to their organisations in order to reap the well-established benefits of gender balanced teams. Against this backdrop it is more important than ever that organisations understand how they can retain and advance the female talent they’ve worked so hard to attract. The issue of women’s wellbeing concerns must be brought out into the open; this report gives a voice to what those barriers and priorities are for women, so that real change can be made for good.

The top challenges for women in technology

The study uncovers a number of barriers to the wellbeing of women in technology.

Imposter phenomenon and the female role model deficit were identified as the top barriers to women's success in tech and are intrinsically linked. This underlines the profound psychological impact these issues have on women, leading to self-doubt and a sense of isolation. The deficit of role models particularly hinders women's access to mentorship and guidance, exacerbating the challenge of navigating an industry in which they are underrepresented, which profoundly impacts wellbeing. The conversation around female role models and imposter feelings is not new, but they remain the top two barriers for the industry’s female talent, highlighting that more must be done. 

In addition to the psychological hurdles highlighted above, the report identifies the diverse gender-specific challenges compounding women’s wellbeing. Among these, work-life balance difficulties, lack of workplace inclusivity, and the gender pay gap are critical issues, with 38%, 36%, and 34% of respondents, respectively, citing them. These challenges, coupled with limited advancement opportunities and gender bias in hiring, paint a comprehensive picture of the multifaceted barriers women face in tech. This underscores the urgent need for industry-wide reforms to support and empower women in technology.

Also highlighted in the report as a critical barrier to women’s advancement and wellbeing was the difficulty women have accessing leadership roles due to entrenched biases and a lack of sponsorship—a barrier that becomes more stubborn as women progress up the ladder. This ‘glass ceiling’ effect results in many qualified women being side-lined. Gender bias in hiring, including unconscious bias and stereotyping of women's technical abilities, further skews opportunities and perpetuates gender imbalances within tech teams.

Additionally, 85% of women over 25 said learning and development was important to their job satisfaction and when contemplating continued employment with a company. Job dissatisfaction was a factor in some degree for 69% of respondents and highlighted ongoing learning as another area of contention, emphasising the importance for tech companies to offer robust leadership and personal development opportunities to support their overall job satisfaction and wellbeing.

The report shows a need to create a working environment where wellness is a necessity to keep up with the fast paced and relentless rhythm of innovation. Attracting women into technology is no longer enough to address the gender gap if their health, wellbeing, career progression and job satisfaction are disproportionately compromised.

It is vital that women’s wellbeing in the technology industry is supported with a holistic approach. If only around 26% of people working in IT[2] are women and they are burnt out, stressed, unsatisfied in their career advancement and employer support, the industry-wide initiatives to attract women into tech will never be enough on their own to attract diversity and sustain growth.

The partnership with Bupa underscores a shared vision—to create a more inclusive and supportive tech industry that delivers on its responsibility to ensure women are fully supported to unlock their potential, fulfil their ambitions without limits, and develop happy, productive, and long careers.

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman:

“Empowering women in tech goes beyond just opening doors; it's about creating an environment where their wellbeing is prioritised — a necessity if we require our tech workforce to keep up with the relentless pace of innovation. Our mission at everywoman is not just to elevate women's professional status but to ensure they thrive in every aspect of their work life.

This report highlights a need for urgent interventions to be taken to strengthen the talent pipeline, increase female participation in every job function and sector, and build cultures of diversity and inclusion that are so important to both personal and organisational success. This report is a testament to our commitment to making the tech industry a space where women are not just present, but are also healthy, valued, and fulfilled.”

Yolande Young, Chief Information Security Officer at BGUK:

“Organisations across every sector are digitally evolving at pace - women in tech roles play a critical part in this transformation. Having diverse contributions throughout the tech lifecycle helps us produce technology that meets a broader range of customer needs and drives innovation. We also know that a combination of mental, social and physical pressures can have a tremendous impact on people’s health. Early intervention often leads to better health outcomes, and the findings in this report show the need for more sustainable health and wellbeing support in the workplace to prevent the high levels of burnout that many women in the technology sector are experiencing.

Safe working environments, work-life balance, fair pay and representation, professional development and access to healthcare services are imperative to workplace wellbeing. This will keep talented women in the workplace for longer and encourage those starting their careers to consider technology as a career. This research identifies critical barriers women are facing that can shift the needle on women’s wellbeing for the technology industry more widely.”

Key findings

•  Many women in tech report experiencing significant levels of stress (45%) and anxiety (35%).

•  Senior managers and C-Suite women present with elevated levels of the above, with a greater number saying they suffer a lot from stress (55%), sleep deprivation (39%) and work-life balance issues (44%).

•  Women who have worked in technology for six years plus are more likely to experience elevated levels of stress than those first entering the sector (48% versus 37%).

•  While the number of women at entry level experiencing a lot of stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and struggles with work-life balance are fewer, the range of 32-38% of respondents who say they experience these things ‘a lot’ still gives cause for concern.

•  Only 7% of women said that they do not experience anxiety to any degree, while only 12% said they do not have any issues related to work-life balance, and 17% have no symptoms of burnout or concerns about experiencing burnout in the future.

•  Job dissatisfaction - a significant factor in poor wellbeing—is a factor to some degree for 69% of the respondents, with almost a quarter indicating that it is a significant factor in their wellbeing.

•  For women who have been in the industry for less than two years, job dissatisfaction is at its highest, with 34% of newcomers to the industry expressing the highest rates of dissatisfaction—highlighting the risk of losing the new talent that organisations have often worked hard to attract.

•  Sleep deprivation is a significant issue, with 75% of women saying they experience this to various degrees, with 35% reporting it as a regular issue.

To read the full report visit:

https://www.everywoman.com/tech-hub/bupa-challenges-and-priorities-for-women-in-tech-roles-report/

 [1] Women In Tech Survey (2023)

[2] Women In Tech Survey (2023)

Ends

Editors notes

About everywoman - Powering businesses to achieve their gender inclusion goals 

everywoman is a global learning and development organisation that drives positive change by empowering women to achieve their professional potential. Established in 1999, everywoman works with leading corporations and organisations, improving productivity and performance through its membership offering and unique tailored blend of products and services which unlock female potential and powers businesses to accelerate their gender inclusion goals. As part of its portfolio, everywoman’s cross-industry awards and forums, such as the 2024 Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards and annual everywoman in Technology Forum on 14th March 2024, have created thousands of female role models and inspired generations of future leaders. For more information visit www.everywoman.com

About Bupa

Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We are an international healthcare company serving over 43 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers. We directly employ around 82,000* people, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Middle East and Ireland. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia and India. For more information, visit www.bupa.com.

*Based on average number of employees during the year.

About the survey

To comprehensively understand the wellbeing concerns of women in the technology sector, everywoman and Bupa conducted an extensive survey that reached out to a diverse and representative sample of the female tech workforce. This survey was not just an exercise in data collection but an exploration of the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of women shaping the future of technology. Our survey was conducted in December 2023.

Demographics and reach

• Participants: Our survey captures a wide spectrum of voices and perspectives, engaging over 1,400 female professionals. These comprise individuals who belong to our everywoman in Tech Hub community of circa 23,000 women in technology roles, and women who were nominated in the 2024 Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards.

• Diversity in roles: Respondents ranged from entry-level technicians to senior executives, encompassing a variety of roles within the tech sector.

• Age range: The participants varied in age from young professionals just starting their careers to experienced leaders, offering insights across different life stages and career phases.

Scope and focus

• Wellbeing and work-life balance: Questions delved into how women in tech perceive and manage their wellbeing, including work-life balance, stress, and job satisfaction.

• Career advancement: Our survey explored perceptions around career advancement opportunities, challenges faced in professional growth, and the impact of mentorship and role models.

• Gender-specific challenges: Focusing on issues like the menopause experience in the workplace and the effects of gender bias and pay disparities, our survey sought to uncover the unique hurdles women encounter in the tech industry.

Methodology and analysis

• Quantitative and qualitative approach: Utilising a mix of quantitative data and qualitative insights, our survey was designed to not only gather statistics but also to capture the nuanced experiences of the respondents.

• Data integrity and privacy: Ensuring the utmost confidentiality and integrity, our survey data was collected and analysed with a strong commitment to privacy and ethical research standards. References to specific employers have been removed from published comments.

Purpose and intent

The aim of this survey was multifaceted—to bring to light the realities faced by women in tech, to inform policy and decision-making within the industry, and to fuel everywoman’s ongoing initiatives in championing gender diversity and inclusion. By providing a platform for women to voice their experiences, our survey is a critical tool in our mission to drive meaningful change and support the ongoing advancement of women in technology.