By 2020, there will be 1.4 million computer science jobs available in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This calls for the need to leverage roles for women in IT and STEM fields.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68 percent of women enroll in colleges, compared to 63 percent of men. Women have increasingly outnumbered men in college graduation rates. Unfortunately, women still make up only a quarter of the tech industry workforce.

The technology field has long been perceived as one that is inhospitable to women because it has been dominated numerically by men. While barriers to career advancement continue to exist for women within the technological sector, the extent to which these barriers are perceived is diminishing.

Advances of Women in IT

Women with IT skills are now taking advantage of the opportunities in the IT industry due to their high demand. Women and staff from under-represented groups are now making an enormous impact on ideas, productivity, and the ultimate growth of an organization.

Female representation and advancement within the high-tech industry has fluctuated over the past couple of decades. The intense growth of high-tech industries, together with considerable attention on retaining women in high-tech managerial positions, has helped women make major strides towards advancing their technology careers.

When working for an organization, women are continuously monitoring and improving the flow of information by having an open and direct conversation with their employees about their performance and ways to improve their performance.

Women are now more involved in projects by being offered greater visibility, more direction within an organization, and more stretch assignments. These are geared toward giving women greater opportunity for more challenging tasks, stronger careers, and goal planning.

Fairness and voice

Women in technical roles at high-tech companies now have the ability to express themselves and voice strategies that can work for an organization. The enhanced perceptions of fairness among employees has created an ideal environment for women to prosper. Women are now being equally involved in management decision on employee advancements and promotion, representative leadership and acceptance of diverse individual styles.

Women can get the leverage they need to succeed in the tech sector by following these strategies:

1. Go for the leaders with “juice” – Women in STEM careers usually confuse role models, mentors, and people who like them with sponsors, or even people who can help them and are motivated to do so. Seek clout leaders who have the power to make a real difference in your career.
2. Grasp the power of high performance – Sponsors support people who have shown their potential to deliver. Hit deadlines, perform beyond expectations, and drive superior results that will burnish the legacy of the sponsor.
3. Exude executive presence – Are you a leadership material, and do others perceive you to be? Focus on the three pillars of executive presence – appearance (look like a leader); communication (sound like a leader); gravitas (act like a leader).

All-Inclusive and Diverse Workforce Representation

The progress technological companies have made on behalf of women has resulted in enhanced satisfaction for women in the technology workforce. Tech companies are now taking the right steps to build and improve supervisor-supervisee relationships as well as addressing procedural fairness and voice. This is geared toward increasing the satisfaction and engagement of women.

As the technology job market has become increasingly competitive, organizations must provide a work environment where everyone can flourish and succeed. A diverse and all-inclusive workforce is critical to attracting and retaining top female talent.

Employees are now continually monitoring their workforce statistics to ensure that advancement and promotion systems are not biased, and that women are equally promoted at each organizational level. Women in technology also send a clear message to organizations about increasing the diversity at higher corporate ranks. This is also a clear signal in celebration of the advancements and achievements that women have made for the society.