Tech Toxicity - why half of young tech workers have had negative industry experiences
New data suggests that tech employers are struggling to build the inclusive work culture that young employees value, and this is damaging perceptions of what tech careers can and should be. Why are toxic work cultures lingering in tech?
Emerging talent and reskill training partner Wiley Edge releases its second annual 'Diversity in Tech' report this week. The survey gathered the views of 2000 18-24-year-olds to try and gauge perceptions of the technology industry and the opportunities it offers, as well as seeing how those already working in the industry feel about their careers so far. Senior business leaders in industries such as financial services, insurance and pharmaceuticals were also asked about their tech teams.
The survey contains some worrying findings. In particular, only 24% of UK tech workers aged 18-24 would describe their experience in the industry as far as ‘entirely positive', and another 26% as ‘mostly positive'. Around a third (30%) said they have had a mixture of positive and negative experiences, and 21% mostly negative or hadn't enjoyed their career at all.
Tom Seymour, Senior Director, HR, at Wiley Edge, commented: "While it's great that half of young tech workers have enjoyed their time in the industry so far, it's concerning that a significant proportion have encountered some challenges."
What is making some young tech workers unhappy?
It isn't the work itself. When asked what had made their experience positive, 28% said they have enjoyed the work, and another 28% have found the work interesting. Only one in 10 (10%) said that they have found the work uninteresting, while 13% said they have found the work difficult.
Tom Seymour commented: "Our findings seem to indicate that it's not the nature of the work itself that is an issue for most unhappy young tech employees. Instead, the research suggests that many businesses are still struggling to establish an inclusive, welcoming environment which is having a negative impact on the wellbeing of their tech teams."
Indeed, only 20% of those surveyed said that they like their company's culture.
What should also worry employers is that experiences were not equal across genders and ethnicities. Women were 22% less likely to say they have felt welcomed by their colleagues than men, and 22% less likely to say they like their company's culture. They were also 45% more likely to say they had not had enough personal support. Black African respondents were the most likely to say they do not feel welcomed by their colleagues (17% vs 11% average), and to say that they actively do not like their company's culture (22% vs 11% average).
Seymour says, "In our experience, many businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of an effective DE&I strategy. However, this research shows it's not necessarily a given that these values will filter down into every team. It's vital to ensure that a business's culture and values are consistently embodied by those in senior leadership and management positions, with any inappropriate behaviour dealt with quickly and decisively."
The problem seems to be that in more than a few cases, this just isn't happening.
Consequences of tech toxicity
The report goes on to list some of the consequences of failing to implement more positive, inclusive working cultures. 55% said that they struggle to recruit diverse entry level employees, compared with 28% for mid-level positions, and 17% for senior roles.
When tech employers can find the people they need, they struggle to retain them.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of businesses surveyed admitted to struggling to retain employees from underrepresented backgrounds, despite 65% stating that they work hard to foster an inclusive company culture. Furthermore, 18% admitted to receiving complaints about diversity and inclusion from current and former employees.
Tech employers struggle to fill vacancies because those who have the potential to fill them often still aren't aware of the benefits of a tech career - which typically Includes salaries well above average. In this survey, 26% of young people not working in tech roles said that they thought the sector offered excellent career opportunities - which left 74% who didn't. Only 29% thought it offered a wide range of career choices.
Tech has to do better
If UK tech is to even come close to reaching its potential, tech employers have to do better than this. Toxic workplace culture isn't the only hurdle that the sector has to overcome but it plays a part in actively discouraging young people from choosing tech as a place to forge a career. Why has this type of culture been so commonplace in tech? And why has it been so difficult to improve?
The fact is that quite a few tech employers still don't really think they have a problem. Perhaps the most telling finding of this piece of research is that when businesses were asked why they are conscious of the diversity of their workforce, the most widely cited response related to improving the business's reputation (36%). Far fewer (23%) said that it was simply the right thing to do.
Culture is set from the top. Some high-profile tech leaders and CEOs don't act as great ambassadors for the industry. CEOs are, by nature, likely to be charismatic and highly driven, but this can lead to others falling short of their expectations if they're reluctant to sacrifice any semblance of a family life in order to work round the clock. A reluctance to regularly work uncontracted (therefore unpaid) hours can be interpreted as a failure to understand a company vision or as a lack of commitment.
A message that "if you can't hack it, you should get out," often filters down through layers of management, leading to high attrition rates. People can be reluctant to speak to truth to power so bad behaviour in the form of bullying or harassment goes unnoticed by those with the power to stop it. If this sort of behaviour is reported, it is often minimised due to a culture of "disruption." Honesty and integrity aren't valued in this sort of environment. The VC model means that tech start-ups can be under immense pressure to show returns for backers, and that pressure is transferred downwards.
Social media websites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor and more general media messaging about macho tech culture (according to The Times, the latest status symbol for tech billionaires is biceps of steel - who knew?) means that this kind of culture can't stay hidden. As a consequence the tech sector suffers reputational damage in the eyes of those it needs the most.
Not every tech workplace is like this - far from it. There are many tech employers, including start ups who have a strong, healthy and inclusive culture at their core. Many voluntarily collate gender and gender and ethnicity pay gap data and encourage staff to speak to young people about tech opportunities in schools, colleges, and at events and tech festivals.
Women who have built stellar careers in technology such as those who will be speaking at the Women in Tech Festival in November, and those nominated for Women in Technology Excellence Awards, expend considerable energy trying to counteract the more damaging tech messaging and sell tech as a career to young people and to women in particular. Tech offers an abundance of opportunities and a high degree of future proofing along with the comparatively high remuneration.
These ambassadors are doing a fantastic job and the diversity dial is shifting, albeit slowly. Great role models show young people others who look like them and can inspire and educate. They're incredibly important. But the responsibility to attract more young adults into tech roles isn't theirs. The pace of change could be a lot quicker if tech employers took some responsibility for the toxicity in their ranks.
Computing and CRN are hosting the Women in Tech Festival live in London on 3 November and digitally on 9 November.
Join us to learn how the industry can keep championing diversity and make positive changes. Find your sense of belonging as we bring together the tech industry to collaborate, learn, and grow.
Find out more: Women in Tech Festival
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