Equal Pay Day 2024: Why the gap is worse for women in tech

It’s no secret that the tech industry has a gender equality issue.

Today is Equal Pay Day – the day in the year when women in the UK effectively stop earning due to the gender pay gap. Calculated by the Fawcett Society using the mean, full-time hourly gender pay gap, it is two days later than in 2023 – with the pay gap at 11.3%.

With 41 days still left of the year, this paints a bleak picture for women’s progress. However, in the tech sector, the outlook is even worse. At 16%, the tech sector’s gender pay gap is higher than the UK national average and all other industries. Using the Fawcett Society’s calculations, this means women in tech effectively stopped earning on 3rd November.

But why is tech’s gender pay gap so bad, and what can organisations do to make real progress over the next year? We spoke to three tech experts to find out:

It starts with the hire

By 2025, there will be just one woman for every 115 tech roles in the UK. Tech organisations struggle to attract more women to the sector, especially into more high-paying roles.

“Businesses often claim that they don’t have enough women in leadership positions because there aren’t enough candidates to choose from,” notes Alex Pusenjak, VP of People and Culture at Fluent Commerce. “However, it could be argued that the company itself isn’t doing its due diligence in making itself a desired employer for women.

“Where companies vie for top talent, the job posting stands as the initial handshake—an introduction that can either captivate or repel potential candidates. Your choice of words wields immense power. Consider the adjective ‘aggressive.’ It’s often sprinkled across sales job descriptions. But while it may evoke determination, it can also alienate.

“Swap ‘aggressive’ for ‘eager’ or ‘proactive.’ Suddenly, the landscape shifts. The language becomes an invitation, not a challenge. And guess what? More candidates step forward. If you’re not sure where to start to ensure that your job postings are inclusive, several different software tools will check them for you.”

He adds, “job postings aren’t mere announcements; they’re an introduction to the type of work environment you are attempting to create.”

Prioritise education

To close the gender pay gap, organisations must create opportunities for women to thrive in the tech industry – focusing on attracting and retaining skilled talent. Becky Wallace, Chief People Officer at LearnUpon, believes that learning and development is a key driver in creating the cultural shift needed for meaningful progress.

“Negotiation training and leadership development programs should be a part of development programs aimed at women in the workplace. This will help empower women to advocate for themselves – helping them advance their careers and move to higher-paying roles.

“To supplement these efforts, organisations should roll out unconscious bias training that equips managers with the mindset and thinking to recognise biases and make conscious changes. This will ensure any bottlenecks to women’s progress are addressed. Managers and senior leaders would also benefit from specific training on equal pay laws and regulations. This will ensure they understand and uphold these principles.”

A company-wide initiative

Importantly, making strides with the tech industry’s gender pay gap can’t be a solo effort – it needs company-wide buy-in and support. “As industry leaders we must leverage our influence to drive meaningful change at every stage of the employee lifecycle and in every facet of our working practices,” believes Lindsay Gallard, Chief People Officer at Six Degrees.

“Transparent policies, robust DEI initiatives, and tailored workforce management are crucial steps towards closing this gap. Implementing comprehensive pay audits, fostering an inclusive culture, and supporting flexible working arrangements are just some of the ways we can create a more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We all have a moral obligation to do so – and we have the means.”

He concludes: “Let us use this Equal Pay Day as a call to action to renew our efforts and ensure that progress towards pay equity does not stall, but accelerates.”