Do women lack interest in a tech career or are they just not empowered to pursue it?
We wanted answers to this question, too! So, in partnership with Women in Tech Network and Brigit.dev, CAKE.com organized a study exploring the experiences of women in tech. The study, conducted between July and October 2024, collected 414 responses from women in different age groups, years of experience, positions, and education levels.
The Women in Tech Report contains all of the findings from this study which, among other things, analyzed:
- The most desired workplace benefits, as told by women in different job positions and age groups,
- Reasons why women in tech resign from their jobs,
- The main challenges women with various levels of experience and age groups face, and
- Why fewer women choose a career in tech.
Findings from this study serve to provide a better understanding of what makes women happier at their jobs and possible reasons why they opt out of a career they’re interested in.
Finding #1: Women in tech value flexibility
Flexibility is a crucial benefit to many women in tech. Namely, remote and hybrid working options are the No. 1 job perk for 75.12% of survey respondents. Furthermore, flexible working hours are the second most desired benefit, as 64.98% deemed it important.
In addition, 37.68% of women in tech would quit their jobs due to the lack of remote and hybrid working options.
Further reading
We’ve explored gender differences in another study on the distribution of domestic labor. Check out key findings of that research:
Finding #2: Women are generally satisfied with their work-life balance
Women in Tech Report shows that 77.77% of respondents are satisfied with their work-life balance. Out of them, 30.43% are very satisfied with how they’re able to juggle their professional and personal commitments, and 47.34% are somewhat satisfied.
When it comes to different age groups, women aged 25 to 34 are the most satisfied with their work-life balance (80.85%). On the other hand, female tech employees aged 45 and above are less happy about their work-life balance, with 28% of them claiming they are somewhat or very unsatisfied.
Finding #3: Poor company management is a bigger challenge for women leaders
For women in leadership positions, poor company management is the 2nd most common reason for resignation, chosen by 55.88% of study participants. Females in non-leadership positions placed poor company management as the 3rd largest resignation factor.
On the other hand, women in non-leadership positions are more likely to resign due to a lack of raise (56.56%). In contrast, 37.06% of women in leadership roles would quit because of no pay increase.
Finding #4: Older generations face more career challenges
The Women in Tech Report also found an interesting correlation between career challenges and age. Namely, the percentage of women who dealt with challenges at their workplace rises as they get older.
Here’s the percentage of female tech employees who faced issues in their careers based on age:
- 18-24 age group: 35.71%
- 25-34 age group: 63.83%
- 35-44 age group: 84.37%
- 45-54 age group: 92.86%
- 55+ age group: 100%
Women in the 45-54 age group mostly deal with pay and opportunity inequality (71.43%) and difficulties with career progression (71.43%). Females aged 55 and above named pay and opportunity disparity (78.57%) and stereotypes (78.57%) as their biggest career challenges.
Finding #5: Many women avoid a career in tech due to the lack of confidence
Lack of confidence is one of the most common reasons why women decide against working in tech, 55.07% of our survey participants highlight. Misconceptions from an early age are another popular answer among study participants, with 48.79% claiming this to be the main reason fewer women go for a tech career.
This list shows the common reasons why women decide against working in tech, according to the respondents:
- Male dominance in the industry: 66.18%
- Lack of confidence: 55.07%
- Misconceptions from an early age: 48.79%
- Lack of work-life balance support: 42.03%
- More difficult career progression: 39.61%
- Lack of mentorship: 36.47%
- Pay gap: 25.02%
- Lack of fairness in the recruitment process: 21.26%
Women in Tech Report: Women value flexibility and need more confidence
Offering benefits and more flexibility as well as promoting a healthier work-life balance will be instrumental in making women happier at their jobs.
Furthermore, boosting female confidence and staying away from common tech misconceptions will go a long way in making sure women feel empowered to choose a career they’re passionate about.
These are just some of the Women in Tech Report findings. Download the full report to learn more about what women in tech value and need.