UK Businesses Pave The Way For Tech Industry Diversity Revolution, Reveals Diversity In Tech 2023 Report

UK businesses are seeking to rewrite tech’s historically poor reputation for diversity, Wiley Edge’s Diversity in Tech 2023 report found.

The technology sector continues to be a driving force behind the global economy, with forecasts indicating that it is set only for further growth.

However, the sector has yet to fully address an ongoing problem – the lack of workforce diversity.

According to the report, as levels of income inequality reach new highs, the tech sector’s diversity dilemma puts it under added pressure to discover new ways of introducing more Gen Z professionals.

Women and people from ethnic minorities are the most significant.

To gain a deeper insight into how the tech sector is confronting these diversity challenges, this year, Wiley Edge conducted a survey of senior IT decision-makers and 21-25 year olds.

Diversity in Tech 2023 Report

The report found that by embracing diversity and creating inclusive workplaces, businesses can improve commercial performance and play their part in creating a more just and equitable society.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a massive shift to remote and hybrid working models across multiple sectors worldwide, including the tech industry.

The report found that 92% of businesses claimed that this strategy helped increase the diversity of candidates.

Half of the businesses (50%) said the increasing number of remote roles led to greater ethnic diversity in their teams.

However, external factors threaten this arrangement amidst an uncertain economic landscape, 60% of businesses said that the current economic environment is slowing DEI initiatives.

From a diversity perspective, remote working has been a net positive for the tech sector, but the macroeconomic uncertainties led businesses to offload diversity initiatives as cost-cutting exercises.

A Representative Pool Of Applicants

Pressure is mounting on the tech sector to find ways of nurturing a more representative pool of applicants.

Of the businesses surveyed, 41% accepted they lacked ethnic diversity, and 13% claimed to have no diversity issues.

A minority of the firms (21%) claimed to be aware of the lack of diversity but did not attempt to address it.

Some knew they lacked diversity (13%) but didn’t know how to address it; only 3% had never considered the issue.

However, most (42%) of businesses knew they lacked diversity and actively sought to achieve greater balance. 

In comparison, 11% claimed to have already resolved their lack of diversity, and 10% claimed to have always been diverse.

Hiring Strategies

Overall, businesses aim to embrace anti-bias hiring strategies to rewrite diversity in tech.

Anti-bias training for interviewers, used by 43% of businesses, and blind CV reviews, used by 31%, are rising – up from 41% to 25% in last year’s report.

Those taking proactive steps are reaping the benefits and setting a positive example for other businesses grappling with workforce diversity challenges.

The report found that a significant 96% of businesses using a strategy have noticed a positive impact on their workforce diversity.

“It’s encouraging to see the beginnings of a success story start to emerge as employers of tech talent take action and introduce strategies to help improve workforce diversity,” said Khadijah Pandor, Head of Partnerships at Wiley Edge.

“However, there is still more to be done to encourage talent from diverse backgrounds to consider and feel equipped to pursue a career in tech.”