Nicola Saner, MD, Chorus IT
How would you summarise your role?
Business leader, coach, and mentor.
Do you feel the industry’s gender-diversity deficit something that needs to be highlighted and addressed?
Yes absolutely. We’ve made good steps in understanding the importance and drawing more attention to the unbalanced gender diversity in IT and tech but I still think that we need to make more tangible steps as businesses to address it. It can still feel like a ‘box ticking’ exercise instead of actual change at times.
What’s it like being a female leader in what remains a male-dominated industry?
It definitely comes with its challenges. You have to accept that you might stand out and need to be thicker skinned, however it also has its benefits. By being a female leader in a male-dominated industry, you can bring a new perspective and also make real development towards diversity and inclusion in the industry. I’m proud to be in a position where I can support others, understand the important of ED&I and be able to make changes within Chorus. Hopefully other women and girls will see more female leaders speaking up and it will help inspire and motivate more women that there is an exciting and rewarding place for them in IT and tech.
Is the industry as welcoming to women as it could be?
I still think there’s a long way to go to make all industries more inclusive – and not just for women. Companies should review their ED&I policies, ask for more employee feedback and put more initiatives in place to better support inclusion, whilst being mindful that we need to support individuals with emotionally intelligent management – and not a ‘one size fits all’. I do also want to shine the light on the positive progress that has been made and all the great role models and allies (all genders) that are talking about ED&I and playing their part in making workplaces more inclusive.
Do you think the industry has made any headway on recruiting, retaining and promoting women over the last five years?
“Quite often the progress in recruitment can be hidden by non-technical roles, such as marketing, accounts, project management etc, and I do believe there are still too few women in technical roles”Nicola Saner, Chorus IT
I think there has been real progress into recruiting and retaining women. I’m seeing more focus on culture within businesses and things like flexible working, enhanced parental leave and hybrid working can have such a positive impact on enabling women to balance work and motherhood, instead of having to choose. Quite often the progress in recruitment can be hidden by non-technical roles, such as marketing, accounts, project management etc, and I do believe there are still too few women in technical roles. For me, this needs to start early within schools and education to make courses more inclusive and inspiring to young girls. While recruitment and retention has improved, I do think that there has not been much headway into the promotion aspect and there are still too few women in leadership and business decision making roles.
What’s your top piece of advice for women following in your footsteps?
My top pieces of advice are:
- Push for training and development and fight for your promotion – we need more female leaders and this does mean stepping outside of comfort zones to go for these positions
- Know your salary aim, do your research and present your case – if you get push-back then ask for a time frame and clear requirements so that you do get the promotion you deserve
- Be aware and mindful of imposter syndrome but understand how to spot the signs and overcome it
- Get yourself a sponsor, a mentor or even a trusted colleague to speak openly with – a good support network is really beneficial
“The lack of gender diversity in the IT sector limits our potential for innovation and creativity”. Ingentive CEO Andrea Bright shares her views on next page…
