Women continue to be under-represented in the STEM professions.  According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics the percent of women employed in the STEM professions in 2014:

• Scientists 44%
• Technology 22%
• Engineering 12%
• Math 25%

Research completed by the Society of Women Engineers shows that women leave STEM professions at twice the rate of men and that only 1 in 3 will continue in the field 15 years post-degree.

Recruiting, retaining and advancing women has well documented benefits including improved financial performance and greater innovation.

However most technology-driven organizations struggle to retain women. Our research on the factors impacting women’s ability to persist in the STEM professions uncovers the complexity in retention.

Besides the job itself, the complexity lies in the individual characteristics of the women; the relationship with her manager and others in the organization; policies and procedures  within the organization; and cultural factors including  2nd generation gender bias. Many organizations struggle to appropriately address these complex factors (especially unconscious bias) with the result being undesired retention issues.