Diversity in Tech: Why Companies Must Lead and How to Achieve It

What is your perspective on the role of women in the digital sector?

Over the past two years, the situation has been quite challenging. Particularly in the digital sector, we’ve seen a decline in hiring. In reality, it’s been a year and a half since we’ve assisted any companies because the doors are shut. They favor internal mobility and focus on economic issues, leading to a noticeable regression.

Our primary audience consists of women seeking a career change.

Currently, companies are primarily seeking senior profiles with at least five years of experience. They are more concerned with maintaining an image rather than taking real action. With the ongoing economic crisis, this trend has accelerated. When recruitment slows down, diversity and equality unfortunately no longer remain a priority.

Why do companies still have a crucial role in promoting diversity and inclusion in digital jobs?

There are several reasons. The first is democratic. We would like everyone to be free to choose a profession and engage in the digital world. Currently, numerous barriers, especially for women, exist. The culture within companies is still significantly sexist, and often, the workplace environment is neither calm nor healthy for women.

When a team is diverse, one feels more valued at work, which positively impacts productivity and enhances the employer’s brand.

It’s also vital for companies creating tomorrow’s digital tools to have a team that mirrors society. For instance, if a team is solely composed of white men in their thirties from the same engineering school, it will not cater to the diverse needs of society.

The absence of women in designing future digital tools, particularly in the age of AI, raises significant concerns.

It’s crucial to have a balance of men and women, as well as diverse cultures and genders. If companies aim to develop tools that meet the needs of the population, they must consider diversity and inclusion. This requires effort: thinking about how job offers are written, checking if they are inclusive, questioning the images and media used, the values highlighted, and the reality of wage structures.

Often, we hear: “We would like to hire women, but they do not apply“. It’s essential to delve deeper: Why don’t they apply? Is the job offer inclusive enough? Does the company practice zero tolerance towards sexism? Can women access the same positions as men? These are the questions that need to be asked instead of shifting the blame to higher education or societal upbringing.

What are the benefits for companies in having diverse teams, especially with the rise of AI?

As I mentioned earlier, diversity is crucial, particularly given the rise of AI. Artificial intelligence merely reflects our society, which is inherently biased. If teams think alike, these biases are perpetuated.

This was evident with Amazon, which had developed a recruitment aid tool based on AI that systematically disadvantaged women’s resumes because it was trained on data already biased — predominantly men’s resumes.

• Presenting as a 25-year-old woman interested in computing, the three suggested professions were: UI designer, web developer, and data scientist,
• As a 25-year-old man, the suggestions were: video game developer and engineer.

A woman, therefore, is steered towards professions perceived as “lesser” in terms of training and salary.

This example highlights the importance of diversity in teams to limit biases.

If the same people always design AI models, it completely biases society. We need diverse teams to create AI models that are as representative as possible of societal needs, with minimal or no biases.

What actions do you recommend for companies to work towards this goal?

The organization ESTIMnumerique is not a consulting firm. Our role is to initiate change. For this, we operate in stages, starting with a sensitization conference (lasting 2 to 3 hours). The goal is to understand the history, the role of women in tech, to reiterate the message of equality, and to show that the current situation is a regression.

We also explain the impact of gender stereotypes: from childhood, girls receive the message that computing is not for them. Many men feel targeted by this, but our message is clear: it’s not your fault, it’s a societal observation.

We aim to open the discussion and help companies understand where to focus their efforts in terms of inclusion and diversity.

Next, we propose concrete actions. Here are a few examples:

• Individuals can “put on gender glasses” and make a difference at their level, by supporting a woman’s career in their company or by adopting zero tolerance,
• Some companies choose to work with us on a mini-action plan, collaboratively, to set realistic priorities,
• We also suggest revising job offers to make them inclusive, setting up discussion circles for women, and considering the organization of events (afterworks, meetings, etc.) to ensure they are truly accessible to everyone.

We have also created an annual event, 100% tech and 100% expert, to make visible the women who have technical expertise.

The idea is to boost their confidence, support their careers, and enhance their recognition. This also benefits companies, which use the opportunity to highlight their female talent.

Finally, what message would you like to send to female students and women looking to enter or transition into digital careers?

I’m not fond of the word “dare,” as it’s overused and implies a form of guilt. In the current context, the most important thing is to persevere. We know it’s tough: many women changing careers struggle to find internships or apprenticeships. But it’s crucial not to get discouraged.

We need to convince them that they belong and must claim their place in the tech industry.

Despite the negative signals, it’s essential to remain hopeful and seek support. Too many women suffer in silence until they reach a breaking point. No: it’s necessary to speak up, articulate your thoughts, and speak out when a situation is unacceptable. Often, sexist remarks are not ill-intended but are the result of years of stereotypes and culture. To remain silent is to accept. Therefore, it’s important to intervene, even in a minor way, and to point out when a comment is inappropriate.

The message I want to convey is this: do not get discouraged, claim your place, and assert it.