Challenges and Opportunities in Indian Tech Careers for Young Talent: Insights from Wiley Survey

Via Syndicated Feed

Wiley Edge, a global talent development solution, recently conducted a comprehensive survey focusing on 200 senior IT decision-makers and approximately 1,000 young professionals aged 21 to 25 who work in Indian tech enterprises. The survey aimed to examine the state of diversity within tech workforces in mid and large-size enterprises in India. It explored various challenges and opportunities in the sector, focusing on Gen Z professionals and entry-level roles in the tech industry.

Education Gap: Limited Awareness Hinders Pursuit of Tech Careers

The survey findings highlight a lack of awareness as a primary reason for the shortage of candidates in India's tech industry. Around 46% of young professionals reported that tech careers needed to be adequately promoted to them, with the figure rising to 50% for women. Moreover, 52% stated they didn't receive sufficient encouragement during college. Approximately 8% of young professionals, including 10% of women, reported needing more information about tech careers and relied on independent research instead.

Motivations for Joining the Tech Industry

Despite limited education and encouragement in school or college, 39% of respondents mentioned that their independent research on various industries led them to believe that tech offered the most significant opportunities. Additionally, prominent figures or media inspired 35%, 23% received encouragement from friends, 23% had a natural affinity for science and mathematics, and their parents influenced 21%.

Promoting Careers in Tech: Opportunities & Challenges

The survey revealed mixed sentiments among young talent in the tech sector. Around 30% of Gen Z professionals considered tech careers as future-proof. However, concerns arose, with 36% perceiving the industry as male-dominated, 20% feeling unwelcome, and 20% lacking awareness of job opportunities (22% among women). Overall, 45% of respondents reported positive experiences in the tech industry, with 30% describing them as mostly positive. Nevertheless, women highlighted specific challenges they face.
Among women surveyed, 25% felt uncomfortable in their current roles, and 34% expressed a desire to leave their positions due to feeling unwelcome or uncomfortable. These challenges were attributed to factors such as organizational culture/leadership (30%), lack of support/resources (33%), lack of appreciation/rewards (33%), lack of growth opportunities (40%), and unequal treatment/gender pay gaps (30%). Additionally, 32% of women stated they faced discrimination in the tech recruitment market.

The Recruitment Struggle: Difficulty Attracting Women at All Levels

Businesses in the tech industry continue to face challenges in attracting women for various roles. A significant 45% of companies encountered difficulties in attracting women for entry-level tech positions, 28% for mid-level roles, and 20% for senior-level openings. For 13% of organizations, the struggle extends across all levels, while 20% of businesses found it relatively easy to recruit women for tech roles.

Awareness versus Action: Addressing Gender Diversity

Although many businesses acknowledge the pressing issue of gender diversity, awareness doesn't always translate into effective action. A substantial 69% of surveyed companies actively recognized and attempted to address the lack of gender diversity within their organizations. However, 8% were aware of the problem but struggled with the approach. Additionally, 3% had come to accept the lack of diversity as a norm in the tech field.
Furthermore, 37% of businesses admitted to having a gender pay gap problem, and among them, 74% struggled to close the gap. Moreover, 54% of companies found it challenging to retain female tech talent. Over 10% of businesses lacked a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy.

Supporting Women in Tech: Steps Towards Inclusivity

Despite the prevailing challenges, businesses are taking steps to support and empower women in the tech industry. An impressive 81% of companies offer mentorship programs tailored to women employees, providing invaluable guidance for their professional and personal development. Furthermore, 63% of organizations prioritize internal development, aiming to cultivate women leaders from within. Only 16% reported hiring women externally for senior-level openings. Recognizing the needs of women in the workforce, 70% of businesses have updated their benefits packages, while 39% have implemented flexible working policies to attract and retain more women.

Expanding the Talent Pipeline: Improving Diversity

To enhance gender diversity, businesses must widen their junior talent pipeline. However, despite the lack of diversity at top universities, 85% of companies exclusively hire graduates from these institutions. Additionally, 28% of organizations display a preference for graduates from prestigious universities.

Diversifying the Hiring Process: Attracting and Nurturing Diverse Talent

While progress has been made to diversify tech workforces, there is still room for improvement. Implementing anti-bias hiring practices has yielded positive results, with 98% of businesses noticing improvement and 73% experiencing a significant positive impact. However, 48% of companies lack gender equity targets, 57% do not utilize neutral job descriptions, and 75% fail to request gender-diverse shortlists from recruiters or adopt blind CV reviews. Furthermore, almost 10% of businesses lack a system to identify and support diverse graduates who may require additional assistance.

Conclusion

Bridging the education gap and promoting diversity are crucial for unlocking the potential in the tech industry. Wiley Edge's latest Diversity in Tech report in India emphasizes the need for greater awareness and encouragement, especially for young women professionals. While businesses recognize the importance of gender diversity, translating awareness into action remains a challenge. Organizations must widen the talent pipeline and diversify the hiring process to achieve true equality.

IndraStra Global is now available on
Apple News, Google News, Flipboard, RSS, and Telegram

COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html