IT gender gap continues to widen

Women, and particularly senior female executives, are still leaving the profession in significant numbers.

The gender pay gap widened to almost 19 per cent last year, according to employment researcher Incomes Data Services.

That's a worrying trend when the IT industry is keen to attract more women and build a balanced workforce to redress the 80/20 male/female split.

A government study recently found that women in the 40 to 50 age group are leaving despite attempts to encourage child-friendly policies and a focus on work/life balance.

And, although 36 per cent of new recruits in the first quarter of 2002 were women, they accounted for 46 per cent of all leavers.

The IT industry should take note. The costs of recruitment, training and replacement represent a considerable investment for any business.

I watched a news item recently which showed a female IT support worker retraining to become a plumber. She hoped to increase her annual income from £25,000 to £50,000.

She clearly enjoyed the attention of being female in a predominantly male world, and was not fazed by working long or unsociable hours. IT support had clearly prepared her well.

So is salary the main reason for desertion? It's an important factor, but it's not the only one. The market is riven with inequality, and women lack confidence.

New government proposals likely to come into force in April will give women the right to know what their male counterparts are earning.

This will cause further demotivation in the ranks, and women will be even more likely to leave the profession.

As a recruiter, I've noticed that women tend to have lower pay expectations than men. Given a tight recruitment budget, you can't blame the employer for offering £30,000 if you're prepared to accept that, rather than the £35,000 you had in mind.

Don't undervalue yourself; an employer will value you at the price you've quoted, and this might not be a fair reflection of your actual worth.

Women have a lot to offer the IT profession, and it has a lot to offer them in return. Plumbing in comparison is a messy business.

Jan Stevens is corporate services director at DP Connect.