Ensono’s 2024 Speak Up survey finds that, although gender equity appears to be at an all-time high, challenges persist. One in two women (51%) struggle to balance caregiving responsibilities with in-person work, and one in four (26%) have felt uncomfortable or unsafe due to microaggressions or other kinds of discrimination in the past year. Even with budgets under greater scrutiny, tech employers must provide support and opportunities for female employees, Meredith Graham, Ensono’s chief people officer, writes about the report.
The survey finds that 93% of respondents say the experiences of women in tech have improved over the last year, with 97% of in-person and hybrid respondents cited at least one benefit of in-person work in the past year—mostly regarding colleague relationships (49%) and improved boundaries between work and home life (48%).
At the same time, nearly all respondents who work remotely at least part of the time agree there are more opportunities for them in the job market due to remote work. Another 95% say remote work has improved their work-life balance and 82% say it has made it easier to receive promotions.
More than one-third (35%) of respondents say that women have led trainings and discussions around generative AI at their organizations, compared to 24% who say it has been mostly male colleagues. Additionally, 73% of women have female mentors at work who provide guidance on generative AI.
In 2022’s report, 20% of respondents said they planned to leave their current company within the year. In the 2024 report, 19% of respondents say the same. This is particularly true for younger employees, with just 36% of Gen Z employees planning to stay at their company for more than two years.
The survey reveals several challenges facing women in tech that employers should take note of. This includes a lack of support for caregivers. In addition to the more than half of women who struggle to balance caregiving and work, this number jumps to 62% of women in India compared to 40% of women in the U.K. and 50% in the U.S. Further, 17% of respondents say childcare support is the most important area for organizations to invest in to improve the experiences of women in tech.
Though women appreciate remote work due to the flexibility, 72% of remote and hybrid respondents miss the social aspects of in-person work. This is particularly the case for Gen Z (77%). At the same time, women working fully remotely lack experience or knowledge in generative AI, compared to 7% of hybrid and 9% of in-person respondents. Additionally, 50% of remote respondents have female mentors at work to help provide AI guidance, compared to 77% of hybrid and 73% of in-person respondents.
The survey also finds that 72% of all respondents agree that women absorbed more responsibilities than their male colleagues after a reduction in the workforce.
More than half (51%) of women who plan to leave their tech job say they want to have a more impactful voice in decision-making, while 41% want flexibility and remote work and 31% want better work-life balance. In 2022, respondents cited different reasons for wanting to leave, including better pay (59%) and benefits (42%).
