'Girls don't study that' is not acceptable

A homogenous culture will always prepare in the same way – but the pandemic showed the importance of expecting the unexpected

Imagine the first thing you hear after settling on your career path is "That's not for people like you." Too many women face this resistance to working in IT before they've even left home, whether it comes from a teacher, family member or peer pressure from a friend. Luckily, it didn't dissuade Supraja Russell.

"When I was younger my dream was to be Secretary General for the United Nations - but I soon realised I was more suited to science and maths than politics! After school, I decided to study Computer Science for my undergraduate degree, even though I was told that girls don't really study that. I could see the huge potential and growth in computer usage that was to come, and wanted to be a part of that."

Russell worked two internships at university before joining consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble in 2005. She's now the global data governance manager and product manager covering financial reporting. That simple paragraph skips over the massive effort she put in, having started at university without the IT familiarity of many of her peers:

"I was one of six girls in a cohort of 300 at university, where most of my fellow students had prior experience, through computing A-levels or school computing clubs. For me, it was brand new and I really struggled at the time; not because I wasn't capable, but there was the underlying assumption that everyone already knew this information.

"I had to play a lot of catch-up, but I had a fantastic group of friends who understood and supported this, and it really led me to realise anything can be learned with the right mindset! Whilst I don't write code anymore, my technical training is a key foundation to my work now."

Although it didn't stop her personally, Russell believes the lack of role models in tech and STEM puts many women off.

"Female participation in STEM subjects in school drops off significantly when entering into secondary [education], and I put this down to social conventions and the lack of role models for young women and girls. In P&G we often talk about the importance of showcasing the amazing women we have working across the business - particularly those in STEM roles. That's because we recognise that you can't be what you can't see."

For women and minorities considering an IT career, Russell advises thinking about the tools you need, and how to access them. For those who are still students: choose STEM courses, and join clubs and societies that can help to build technical experience. For those who have already left education or are looking for a career change, free and cheap coding courses online offer an excellent resource, as does work experience.

"Companies like P&G have internships across many STEM functions, such as IT, R&D, supply chain and manufacturing, which are a great training ground for technical skills and building professional confidence.

"Overall, believe in yourself and your potential for growth, which is hard if you're not socially conditioned to do it. Mentors and role models are a great way to learn more, but you can also be your own role model!"

"For the first time, my entire team is made up of women"

The IT industry is making progress towards equality, although some firms are still well ahead of others - and they're the ones who'll see the benefits of diverse thought.

"For the first time, my entire team is made up of women right now! Again, I would love to see more senior representation, but I'm encouraged by the next generation of women in IT who will hopefully move more quickly into those positions.

"Studies have shown that diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams. The best thinking, best ideas and best innovations come from teams with diverse backgrounds and experiences, which provide different ways of thinking and working together. I hope that this resonates with employers as businesses continue to grow, so we can all reap the benefits of working within an inclusive workplace and see this positive change continue to grow for the industry."

It would be wrong to dismiss this as a challenge for the board level; every IT leader should be aware of the strength of a team with many different perspectives, united under a common goal, and take steps to make it happen.

Education is at the core of a CIO's role: whether it's teaching yourself about new market developments, or your team about new technologies. Leverage this experience to research turning equality and inclusion into a core business strategy, then put it into practice.

"Learn the barriers to creating a fully diverse team, and put in the time and resources to remove them. Could it be broadening the field for recruitment? Is there a need for specialist or technical training programmes or internships? Do you have an inclusive work environment and culture? Does unconscious bias play a role in evaluating women for advancement? Maybe role models or mentors would help?

"It's easy to say ‘We just can't find the talent to join us', but I can assure you they are there!"

Post-2020, it's more important than ever to have a diversity of thought, experience and skills on your team, so it certainly is worth putting in the work to identify the barriers that may exist - especially if you aren't aware of them.

"I feel that the pandemic highlighted the critical need for tech and broader STEM skills - and I hope this encourages a more diverse pool of people to get interested in tech and see that they can translate their interests into fantastic jobs.

"This year has shown a lot of things, not least that tech and STEM skills have a critical role to play in a thriving business."