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Reinventing the Leadership Journey for Women in Tech - rectangle

Related Expertise: Technology Industry, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications, Gender Equality

Reinventing the Leadership Journey for Women in Tech

By Neveen Awad, Matt Krentz, Andrea Gallego, and Beth Viner

The pandemic had a major—and in some cases, surprising—impact on women leaders in tech. Tech talent became increasingly mobile during the crisis, and work-from-home and hybrid work models became the norm. But those shifts affected women and men differently, according to a BCG survey of 1,200 tech executives. Among the findings:
  • A greater share of women than men reported that certain managerial tasks became easier during the pandemic. And the difference was even more pronounced for midlevel women versus midlevel men.
  • Minority women, however, reported challenges in the new work reality, including increased difficulty connecting with mentors and sponsors.
  • Women faced greater caregiving responsibilities than men, with 44% of women caregivers spending more than 20 hours per week on these duties versus 33% of men caregivers.
Companies can take action to help women advance and thrive in the new work reality. Read about five steps that companies can take here.

How did the pandemic impact women tech leaders? It’s complicated. The past two years brought significant challenges, but they also created new opportunities—particularly for midlevel women.

The authors thank Amy Ma, Stella Su, and Lucy Xiao-Vance for research and analysis support.

Authors

awad-neveen-tcm9-222936.jpg
Neveen Awad

Managing Director & Partner

Detroit

Headshot of BCG expert Mat Krentz
Matt Krentz

Senior Advisor, Sr. Partner Emeritus

Chicago

Headshot of BCG expert Andrea Gallego
Andrea Gallego

Alumna

Beth-Viner-headshot.jpg
Beth Viner

Managing Director & Partner, BCG X

New York

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