Prioritizing culture can increase the number of women in tech

Hmon Ksor , March 31 2022

Hmon Ksor

Digital Communications Manager

The future of technology heavily relies on diverse thought and innovation. At Ava Security, we are bringing the future to us by embracing the diversity of our global team. Diversity allows companies to create better and safer products that benefit society. Unique viewpoints and personal experiences of team members leads to innovative product design and therefore, products that work for a larger, more heterogeneous audience. This is why the inclusion of more women is integral as we move forward towards better products, more change, and security transformation.

According to Deloitte, big tech firms, on average, will reach 33% female representation in their workforces this year, up two percent from 2019. This represents significant progress, no matter how gradual. As larger companies continue to create more inclusive workplaces, opportunities for women to thrive in influential companies grow.

Navigating a male-dominated industry can be challenging, but it is necessary in order to #breakthebias and encourage more women in tech. How exactly can we do this? Culture plays a big part.

Work culture by definition is, “the collection of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that make up the regular atmosphere in a work environment.” It’s easy to define, but hard to identify concretely. Some may think it’s how many perks a company offers, or how often workers get time off and how easy it is to do so. Some think of work culture as celebrating the various cultures and traditions of employees company-wide. Others say it’s how easy it is to speak to your skip-level about an issue or concern you have. The truth is, all of these are aspects of a company culture. And women fall into the center, by offering perspectives not often ingrained in the historically male-led industries. Opening up a culture to more female and minority leaders brings fresh point of views and new understandings of established products. 

We want to set the tone for the future of diverse workforces. Ava values the growth of every individual at the company, and praises cross-functional collaboration, transparency, and equitable growth opportunities.

“Diverse work cultures and diverse teams bring better dynamics, perspectives, discussions, and understanding. In terms of growth, I see my own understanding, experience, and skill sets expand at a much higher rate in diverse teams,  fostering confidence and drive."

Michelle Harper, Head of Hardware Engineering at Ava Security
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Having an inclusive culture invites not only women, but other individuals from various backgrounds to feel empowered in their roles- increasing performance, motivation, and retention levels.

A study, led by Accenture and Girls Who Code, found that women leave the tech industry at a 45% higher rate than men. Therefore not only is it important to get women interested in working in tech, but also to make it worth staying.

“We still have gaps wherein not a lot of women take up and sustain their tech jobs, but I feel here at Ava, we have created an environment that shows no gender bias in what we do and what we stand for. We have such an amazing, open and inclusive environment here where we all are encouraged to share our problems and not hesitate to ask for help. From my personal experience, I can say that I have never been so happy and content in any workplace other than Ava.”

Priya Durairajan, Systems Test Engineer at Ava Security

As an equal opportunity employer, Ava Security does not discriminate against employees based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other protected category. Therefore, we encourage all employees to promote an environment that is respectful, open, and supportive.

Although there is a significant demand for women in STEM roles, working in tech doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have a technical role. Tech companies need to fill positions from sales to marketing to human resources and more. All roles filled by women in the tech industry impact the representation of women and drive diversity overall. Let us all actively create a workplace environment in which women are respected and heard, no matter the level or role they are in. With the industry only growing, it’s important that the people in charge of creating the tech represent the people they are making it for. And we intend to do just that. 

Learn more on how Ava Security can help you build a career in tech.