Tackling the issue of gender equality in tech, Mobilize Financial Services have launched a global Women In Tech programme. Achieving a 50:50 gender split in management, the company has been listed among the UK Great Place to Work’s Best Workplaces for Women in the last 3 years, with Business Analyst Kate Croucher achieving a Highly Commended award in the Business Analyst of the Year category at BCS’ UK IT Industry Awards 2022.
The gender equity gap in technology is higher than in any other sector, with women holding just 17% of technology roles in the UK. Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the issue in a BBC interview in September 2022, stating that: ‘there are not enough women at the table at the world’s tech firms... technology will not achieve nearly what it could achieve without a more diverse workforce.’
With the ever-increasing reliance on technology and innovation, Mobilize Financial Services believe that addressing this equity gap is fundamental to business growth and market success. Bob Compton, North Region CIO at Mobilize, explains: ‘We want to be the most innovative captive finance company and I really believe that diversity is key to that. We need a fully inclusive workforce to drive the variety of ideas, skills and experiences that will help us to continue to achieve this ambition.’
Addressing gender inequality in the next generation
Mobilize Financial Services’ global diversity and inclusion (D&I) project, We Mobilize, includes multiple squads focusing on key D&I actions. UK head of Organisation & Projects, Julia Young, leads the Women In Tech Squad and explains: ‘Our ambition is to address the gender equity gap in technology and establish Mobilize Financial Services as a leader for Women in Tech. We aim to inspire more women to join our workforce, providing opportunity, training, mentorship and support as well as ensuring an inclusive environment where all voices are heard.’
According to a PWC report on Women in Technology, the gender gap in the tech industry starts at an early age: just 27% of female school and university students surveyed would consider a role in technology, compared to 62% male, and only 3% would consider it as their first choice.
The Women in Tech squad especially aims to inspire the next generation of women through school partnerships, work experience, internships and graduate programmes. Interactive careers sessions with local high schools allow girls to check out some of Mobilize Financial Service’s recent projects, such as using virtual reality to visit a Renault showroom, asking Alexa to value their car (showcasing Natural Linguistic Programming), and taking an AI-powered vehicle recommendation quiz. As well as being introduced to opportunities at Mobile Financial Services themselves, the girls were also provided with practical advice on how to get into a career in tech more generally.
Providing opportunities for growth
Mobilize Financial Services is also currently reviewing all corporate internal and external communications to identify ways to publicise the Women In Tech programme further, and they are looking to build on their company’s reputation as one of the Best Workplaces for Women by working towards recognition as a leading organisation for Women in Technology.
Additionally, recruitment initiatives such as ensuring that D&I messaging is included on all job advertisements and that quotas for women on interview shortlists are implemented help work towards the company’s mission to advocate for women in technology.
On top of the outreach work performed by their Women In Tech programme, Mobilize Financial Services also support existing female employees who are interested in technology. As well as breaking down barriers by demystifying jargon and creating spaces to discuss new ideas, events such as GO4TRANSFO Let’s Talk Tech provide female employees with opportunities to improve their understanding of new technologies such as AI, blockchain and the Metaverse.
Championing the female workforce
Another key issue for women in the technology industry is the lack of role models. Held for International Women’s Day and publicised on social media to increase visibility, Mobilize Financial Services’ online Women In Tech event served to address this, featuring female guest speakers in senior IS positions from both inside and outside the organisation.
Sam Ramachandra, CTO at Le Parisien, Mariem Gargouri PhD, Head of Data at L’Oreal, and Mobilize Financial Services’ own Julia Young all spoke of their experiences in the industry and how they have overcome the challenges caused by underrepresentation of women in the workplace.
At the UK IT Industry Awards 2022, Kate Croucher obtained a Highly Commended in the Business Analyst of the Year category. She has gone on to become Data Lead and is an active member of the Women in Data community.
‘I have been with Mobilize Financial Services for many years in mainly male dominated areas such as finance and IS’, she says. ‘Throughout this time Mobilize Financial Services have supported me in my development with both professional and non-professional qualifications and fantastic opportunities to progress my career.
‘Being nominated for Business Analyst of the Year in the UK IT Industry Awards not only demonstrates great recognition and the amazing support at Mobilize Financial Services but also that women can be successful in the IT Industry. Women are key to the future of technology; increasing diversity provides different experience and insights leading to more creativity and better innovation.’
Allyship and flexibility
The majority of roles in the IT industry are held by men, including 95% of leadership roles – but with male support and advocacy, Mobilize Financial Services is closing the gender gap, achieving a 50:50 gender split in the management team and a 40% female IS team.
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The organisation’s commitment to equality is reflected in their positive attitude to attaining work/life balance, which they support with clear flexible and remote working policies. Though positive for the workforce as a whole, such policies are especially beneficial to women, who still take on the majority of care and domestic responsibilities. This can make the traditional 9-5 schedule impossible, and flexible hours and home-working options which afford female employees greater control over their schedules enable them to participate fully in the workforce without being compromised by other responsibilities.
Mobilize Financial Services have also been among the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing in the large organisations category for several years, and flexible working policies are also complemented by stress-reduction initiatives such as meeting-free-Friday, introduced in 2023 following a successful pilot, which gives staff time to focus on tasks that provide additional value or to complete the work that is generated from the meetings they have during the rest of the week.
Looking to the future
Gender equality is important in every workplace, but in the ever growing tech sector it is perhaps even more so. Working to close the gap from school age upwards and focusing on recruiting and supporting female staff, Mobilize Financial Services’ support for women is reflected everywhere from their outreach projects to their HR policies. Gender equity in the tech sector may be a work in progress, but it is a goal this organisation demonstrates is within reach as they establish themselves as a leader for Women in Tech.
