Women in Technology, Verve Interview

Getting Women in Tech

Something we have identified as a leading tech recruitment agency is the lack of, and subsequent desire for, female talent within senior teams of technology companies. Working alongside Accenture, PWC and other global brands – we have been able to advise and support innovative solutions and initiatives to drive women in tech including our own.

Change is Needed

What Next Ventures have acknowledged through our work as enterprise technology recruiters is that, while the opportunities available to women in the tech sector (and the desire to attract them) are abundant, the number of women going up for these roles is sparse. See also our Women in the Technology Industry report from last year.

It is therefore clear that in order for the gender ratio in male-dominated industries to shift, companies need to step up and consciously implement change to obtain and retain more female talent.

Helping to Close the Gender Gap in Technology – Verve

It was a real pleasure to sit down and discuss this very issue with Kelly Rained and Yasemin Karakurt; two inspirational women who, alongside their full-time jobs, have founded Verve – an organisation set up to support, coach and teach women how to leverage their skills to get into and become successful in the tech industry.

While neither Kelly nor Yas began their career in technology, their journey into the industry has been a great success, with both women already achieving so much in their respective roles – from working with amazing clients and projects to leading teams and earning numerous awards and certificates. Kelly and Yas now use their own experience to help aspiring professional women in the tech industry to “channel their verve” to achieve their goals by providing career advice through their blog, and offering coaching and consulting services to their community.

Their goal is simple and admirable: “to close the gender gap in the tech industry by helping women to land the career of their dreams, overcome hurdles in their way and achieve success in their lives”.

Our Conversation with Verve

In the conversation below we discuss some of the potential reasons, there is such a significant lack of females in the tech industry, and what companies and leaders can be doing to combat this issue. Kelly and Yas also kindly share their advice to young women considering a career in the technology industry – based on their own experience as professionals in their respective roles, and as women working in a male-dominated industry.