GCS Sponsors Women in IT Award for 3rd year - November 2008

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

For the third consecutive year IT recruitment firm GCS are proud sponsors of the prestigious “Women in IT” award at the annual ceremony of the British Computer Society (BCS). GCS Chairman Chris Bartlett states “Given the substantial drop in the number of UK-based female IT professionals, it has become increasingly vital to raise the profile of women in IT and allay any fears that the industry is an inflexible, male-oriented environment”. A recent BCS report estimates that there are now almost 40,000 fewer women working in the IT industry than there were as recently as 2001. “In the early part of the decade, the UK had close to a quarter of a million females working in IT” Bartlett observes. “To put it in perspective, this figure represented 23% of the British IT workforce – yet that figure has now dropped to just 17%.” When questioned as to why he feels that the number is declining he replies; “We fear women in general are finding themselves less motivated to work for companies who show greater rigidity in their business practices.” With regards to the benefit of maintaining a healthier gender balance in the office, GCS Operations Manager Grahame Winman offers “the presence of a solid quotient of women in the workplace gives the company a professional viewpoint with the benefit of perspective from both genders. Any company that maintains a high percentage of female staff will benefit from the diversity that this creates”. He continues “In order to get the numbers back up, clients need to make a job in the IT industry a more appealing option to women.” Despite the recent concern of rising unemployment across the UK, GCS has found that the IT industry is crying out for talented individuals. “In a study carried out recently by GCS,” Winman states “61% of managers questioned felt that there is currently a shortage of sufficiently skilled applicants for vacant jobs. The majority of these managers believe that encouraging more women to pursue work in the IT field is a great solution”. Mr. Winman, who is on the panel of judges for the BCS awards, believes that the key to enticing women to consider work in IT is flexibility. “The companies that have been nominated for this award share an incredibly good attitude as it pertains to being flexible with their staff. Whether it be allowing workers to take extended vacation to coincide with the school holidays, trusting employees to manage their own workload around extra-curricular activities, or simply ensuring that on-site crèche facilities are top notch, the 10 shortlisted companies all enjoy an outstanding level of female staff recruitment and retention.” “By shining the spotlight on these companies and the achievements of their female staff, we intend to show women countrywide that a career in IT can be exceptionally rewarding.” He concludes “If we can help companies across the UK come to understand the benefit of maintaining a diverse workforce, we are confident that they will make a concerted effort to implement changes that will enable the IT industry to regain the female touch.” The 2008 BCS Awards will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on the 4th December 2008.

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