WUNRN
Why Are Women Leaving Science,
Engineering, & Tech Jobs?
Women working in STEM fields are 45% more likely than men to leave within
the year, and it's not for lack of enthusiasm.
By Jane Porter –
October 15, 2014
Recent research from the Center for Talent
Innovation shows U.S. women working in science, engineering, and tech
fields are 45% more likely than their male peers to leave the industry within
the year.
It's not for lack of enthusiasm or passion. Of those women surveyed, 80%
say they love their work, yet many still report barriers to getting to the top.
"Women entering STEM fields have a much shorter runway for career
takeoff than women entering other industries," according to the report. "To
begin with, they’re starting later because of the time it took to get a Ph.D.
That intensifies the ticking of their biological clock, which in turn pressures
them to step up the pace of their research progress."
Companies like Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer have
been putting programs in place to help balance out this pipeline of leadership.
But a number of factors need to be addressed before the issue can be resolved.
As predominantly male fields, it's no surprise a lingering old boys' club
attitude in the science, engineering, and tech industries isolates women.
Surveyed women describe these as the "lab-coat culture" in science
that encourages long unforgiving hours, the "hard-hat culture" of
engineering, and the frat-like "geek workplace culture" of tech.
These environments tend to make women working feel out of place as a
result. It’s that sense of isolation that may tend to prevent women from climbing
up the ranks.
Women surveyed also felt their performance reviews were biased, with 72% of
U.S. women sensing gender bias at work in their evaluations. It's a claim that
has been well-documented elsewhere.
A study of performance reviews in Fortune
from 28 companies in the tech space found that nearly 88% of women received
critical feedback versus 59% of men. The word "abrasive" appeared on
women's reviews frequently, while that word was totally absent from men's
reviews.
One of the most important paths to career growth is having a sponsor who can advocate on your behalf and help
open doors for you.
The Center for Talent Innovation study found that 86% of women
in the U.S. don't have sponsors--a factor significantly holding women back from
progressing to more senior level positions. What's more, while 70% of women
resist confronting their boss about a pay raise, 38% of women with a sponsor
advising them would make the request.
One of the challenges the report found is women in high-ranking positions
are less inclined to help women advance in their careers. This lack of senior
women role models is one significant factor contributing to the lack of women
at the executive level, says Jocelyn Goldfein, a director of engineering at
Facebook. “The reason there aren’t more women computer scientists is because
there aren’t more women computer scientists,” Goldfein adds.
Some companies are working to overcome such disparities. At Pfizer, for
example, pilot program Leadership
Investment for Tomorrow targets high-potential women and minorities at the
middle-manager level by providing assessments, education opportunities, and
mentoring. This program focuses specifically on managers at the mid-level, as
this is the time they're most likely considering leaving the company.
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