08/03/2023 – The IT industry is still a heavily male-dominated sector - the Robert Walters Salary Survey 2023 revealed that only just under 20 % of positions in IT are held by women. Looking deeper into the corporate structures, however, it becomes apparent that the HR departments of IT companies – as in other industries – tend to have a surplus of women.  

As a recruitment consultant at Robert Walters, Annalena Prieb is very familiar with the conditions in the IT sector. On the occasion of International Women's Day, she spoke about the challenges that female HR professionals in particular have to face in the IT environment and gives valuable tips on how to deal with them. 

1. Overcoming insecurities in technical queries  

Prieb knows from her own experience that the IT industry can be intimidating at first, especially if you are responsible for recruiting and initially have limited technical knowledge. Once you get deeper into the technical details of a vacancy in the recruiting process, it can be a huge challenge. She emphasizes: ,You should not be intimidated, but be open and honest about insecurities. If you come across as confident, that's half the battle.’ During an interview, Prieb makes a note of any questions that go deep into the subject and clarifies them for the candidate afterwards. She explains: ,What I'm particularly happy about is that I can expand my own IT knowledge through the candidates' queries.'  In order to stay up to date, Prieb recommends for example regularly attending professional training and watching explanatory videos on emerging topics.  

2. Keep a clear line and be taken seriously  

Women who work in the IT industry sometimes face not being taken seriously by their male colleagues. Prieb says: ,You should definitely not be put off by the self-confidence of others and always keep a clear line – clearly stand by your own opinion. This requires a certain amount of courage and assertiveness, which you can train over time. In addition, you should always make it clear to your counterpart that you know what you are doing. The best way to do that is to perceive and position yourself as an expert.’  

3. Finding and convincing suitable candidates  

Recruiting suitable candidates in the IT sector is a widespread problem due to the enormous shortage of skilled workers. With a target group with such an affinity for technology, it is advisable for recruiters to deal with the latest technologies and communication channels. To familiarise themselves with these, it can be beneficial to conduct regular online research, read relevant blogs, forums and websites, and above all: networking – even within their own company. One concrete method that works particularly well in IT recruiting, according to Prieb, is video messaging, for example.  
 
But the right approach alone is not enough. Prieb explains: ,In any case, you need a lot of condition and patience. The best candidates often are hard to find and still have to be convinced.’ Employer branding also plays a crucial role in this. Prieb says: ,If you present yourself as an attractive employer on the market, you lay the foundation for winning over the best candidates.’  
 
Also essential, is ensuring fast application processes. The popular IT specialists often have several offers on the table and there is a high risk that they will drop out. To ensure that everything works quickly, the specialist departments must pull together with the HR departments and with us, the recruitment consultants, and provide feedback to the candidates as quickly as possible.  
 
In the IT industry, flexible working models and home office are also more in demand than ever. Prieb notes: ,Fruit basket, water or corporate benefits are a minimum requirement for candidates in IT today. You have to create new incentives here.’ Designing flexible working conditions aligned with the needs of candidates, as well as creating a strong team cohesion, training opportunities and salary in line with the market, are good ways to become attractive as an employer. 
 
,Sometimes you have to go unconventional ways to find out more about the candidates and to get an idea of their daily work routine and their requirement profile. A coffee or lunch together are good possibilities. In a relaxed atmosphere, most people are happy to talk about their job and you can take away valuable information from the conversations that you wouldn't have got otherwise’, says Prieb. 

4. Low proportion of women in technical professions  

Women in IT are not only underrepresented, but also often still confronted with prejudices. ,As a woman in the tech industry, you often have to have a thick skin and fight hard for your place. But there are many positive examples of successful women who are advancing their careers,’ says Prieb. It is important that companies encourage women to work in technical professions and that they receive fair treatment and promotion.  
 
,As a recruitment consultancy, we also help to ensure that women are better established in the IT industry. We know our candidates very well and know where we can reach them – in addition to approaching them directly, we rely on placing job ads on selected women's job portals. This can be a good lever to support companies in their diversity efforts – because this is the only way they remain successful in the long run. Only a few IT companies have managed to achieve a balanced gender distribution so far: currently, the share of men in IT is around 80 %. The male candidate pool is thus significantly larger, which makes it enormously difficult to fill a position with a woman. This lack of women in tech professions, already arises at school and in the selection of training or studies: STEM subjects need to be made more attractive for girls and politicians should strive to improve youth development.’ 
 
The IT industry is a promising sector with exciting development opportunities and attractive working conditions – even for career changers without in-depth IT knowledge. The challenges for female HR managers described by Prieb can definitely be applied to other functions in IT companies, such as the Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing or Legal departments. Annalena Priebs' tips apply equally to candidates of all genders and backgrounds.

Further information 

Here you can find our current jobs in Information Technology.

Detailed information on current developments and salary trends in the IT industry can be found in our salary survey 2023.