WOMEN IN TECH THE FACTS

THE PHYSICAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENT: Subtle Cues About Who Belongs Here
The design of physical working spaces communicate a company’s culture and what kinds
of people might fit-in or not fit-in (e.g., Hattenhauer, 1984). Feelings of belonging or potential
belonging are important factors when candidates consider both joining a new workplace or remaining
in one (Walton et al., 2015). For these reasons, efforts to attract a broader population must avoid
communicating bias and stereotypes that lead women or other underrepresented groups to feel
excluded, unwelcome, or alienated.
Technology work environments often communicate a stereotypically masculine culture and
related expectations.
• In research done with college students, stacked soda cans, cliché sci-fi images and
paraphernalia, video game boxes, comics, science fiction books, electronics, and computer
parts communicate a lower sense of belonging to young women and to young men who do not
resonate with these “geeky” characteristics (Cheryan et al., 2011; Cheryan et al., 2009).
• This effect of stereotyped environments measurably reduces women’s interest in declaring a
computing major and their anticipated success in computing.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Clearly, recruiting strategies and processes present multiple challenges as well as opportunities for
confronting bias and promoting diversity and inclusion while maintaining standards of excellence.
Recognizing and changing problematic recruitment and selection processes not only improves
work environments for underrepresented employees but also creates a more inclusive and thriving
workplace overall.
Industries outside of technology employ more women
software engineers than do the tech industry.
Women accounted for about 32% of software engineers in healthcare and
25% in banking, compared to only 20% in the tech industry.
Murthy, 2015
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