Efforts to foster diverse and inclusive workspaces are slowly but steadily gaining traction and making tangible impact in many fields, but the technology industry remains to be a male-dominated space. A 2022 study by Deloitte Global reveals that women make up only 38% of the workforce in large global tech firms, leading many leaders to ask what we can do to break this barrier in gender equality.

In this exclusive interview with People Matters, Heidi Badgery, Managing Director at analytics automation specialist Alteryx, talks about how education can help accelerate efforts to bring more women into the rapidly evolving tech industry. She believes that more women will be interested in pursuing a career in the tech space if roles in this line of work are more visible to them at an early age.

Badgery also talks from experience about the things in the industry that usually intimidate women, the changes she saw overtime, and the importance of investing in infrastructure to make workplaces more inclusive for women. She believes there are many strong women that have groundbreaking contributions in the tech space.

What are the fundamental issues that prevent more women from entering the tech industry?  

The tech field can be intimidating for women. When I first entered the industry, it was not uncommon for me to be the only woman in meetings. I am confident this is changing but it takes a conscious and consistent effort at every level of education and in the industry to ensure this change takes root and is equitable. We want all women, from all backgrounds, to know that a career in technology is possible. We all have a responsibility to make a difference in this space.

One of the reasons I joined Alteryx was because their ‘data for all’ mantra really resonated with me. Accessing and understanding data is very powerful, no matter your role. Alteryx does an excellent job of supporting that mantra through its no-cost SparkED analytics education program. SpakED is now offered in more than 800 educational institutions around the world. In addition, Alteryx learning programs have been integrated into Return-to-Work programs globally, with the software provided for free. It is about education, it is about role models and it is about persistence for women entering the tech industry. 

Do you see trends such as sexism/chauvinism growing more rampant? Or are we seeing positive change?

I do think we are seeing positive change. I also think in Australia, the labour market coming out of Covid is also helping to support the change. Organisations are much more aware of the environment they are providing to employees. For example, they are much more supportive of flexible work and hybrid home and office environments. All these changes help more women return to and stay in the workforce.

What are misconceptions we need to address when it comes to breaking down systemic barriers and shattering biases against women who want to pursue a meaningful career in tech?

I think the challenge starts for girls in school. Often roles in tech are ‘invisible’ to teenage girls. We have to do a better job of making tech roles visible so that more girls and women realise they are an option. As the Managing Director for Alteryx, and a mother of three girls, I am very conscious of my role to demonstrate the different types of roles available in technology.

The amazing thing about technology is that it is fast paced,  creative, and can be life changing. Careers in technology can be humanitarian,  analytical,  visual, and daring. Careers in technology can serve so many different functions and are available for so many different skill sets. 

We need to do a better job of representing the diversity of roles in technology. We have so many strong women in technology in Australia in different roles – from leaders to coders, to designers – in different industries, Every time we celebrate these women and their different career paths, we show all women what is possible.

What should companies start doing (and stop doing) to welcome more women into the field?

Organisations need to be intentional about their hiring and how they support their employees. If you want to foster a diverse environment, then you need to ensure that you have the infrastructure and the mechanisms in place to support that environment.

We have an active Women and Allies Employee Resource Group within Alteryx to help ensure that we are bringing the entire organisation on the journey with us. We also have specific programs in functional areas, such as SOAR, a mentorship program for women in sales.

We also extend our commitment to diversity to the industry. At Alteryx we developed a workflow that allowed us to assess pay equity. We have made this workflow freely available and now it is one of our most downloaded workflows through Alteryx Designer.

It has been shown in the past that those companies that speak publicly about wanting to welcome more women to their industry are the ones that have the most success attracting them. And even companies who start with something simple such as revamping job ads and rephrasing the language to speak to all genders.

All of these things contribute to a diverse and supportive environment. Organisations need to continue to assess and evolve what they are doing. 

How has your own journey been like as a woman working in tech?

I have worked in the technology industry for almost my entire career. What drew me to the industry was the constant amount of change. The demands of customers are constantly evolving, and the capabilities of technology are constantly evolving. Technology continually tests and challenges and resets the art of what is possible. When you work in the technology industry you get to be at the cusp of that change and help customers transform and realise their own ambitions.

Being in technology requires agility of mindset and an openness to change. In that way technology can be a great equaliser. Women and men are not more or less suited to careers in technology. For most of my career I have found technology to be a very equal and open industry. I think the real challenge facing us, is to draw women into the industry to start with. To show them just what is possible. Once we get women in the door, I am confident they will see and experience the wealth of opportunities ahead of them.