Only 19% of tech workers in the U.K are female but what is the gender ratio like at Ampersand? 

44% of employees at Ampersand are female or non-binary and 42% of the senior management team are female, compared with the U.K average of 22%. Ampersand also boasts a 50/50 split of international and British employees, which further demonstrates Ampersand’s awareness and support of Diversity within the tech industry.

Gender equality has always been at the forefront of both my personal and professional life. I am biologically female but have identified as non-binary for around three years. I attended an all girls grammar school, then went on to work for nine years as cabin crew in a predominantly female environment. I trained to become a developer through a coding bootcamp and while “Diversity & Inclusion” was firmly asserted in their communications, it wasn’t so clearly visible in the classroom, where the majority of students were male.

The quit rate in the tech industry for women is 47%, which is twice as high as the male equivalent, meaning that potentially half of the women who pursue a career in technology will sadly leave. I believe this is due to the lack of female role models and mentors. A recent survey also showed that 63% of women in the industry feel that ‘they aren’t taken seriously, they’re being overlooked in meetings and have their ideas dismissed by their male colleagues’. These are all feelings that in previous companies I have experienced first hand but I am always quick to remind myself (and others) that the first ever credited programmer, Ada Lovelace, was in fact a woman!

As a gender minority in tech, I can personally vouch for Ampersand when I say that they are leading the way for inclusion. Even the smallest things can make a big difference. When I joined the company, all of my accounts were set up using my preferred name “Mand”, no questions asked. In previous roles I’ve been challenged on this and made to feel uncomfortable. Even working as cabin crew, an industry renowned for its ties to the LGBQT+ community, it took six years of denied requests before they would allow me to have my preferred name on my uniform name badge!

The variety of talent from different backgrounds at Ampersand is what makes it such a great place to work. Each individual has different viewpoints, ideas and insights, which results in better problem-solving and increased business performance. Everyone in the company promotes a safe environment to be innovative, seize new opportunities and challenge stereotypes, without being judged. It’s also evident that having a gender diverse business has attracted a wider customer base which helps the company to continue to grow.

Gender diversity is an ongoing issue for the tech industry and I would argue that most businesses fail to recognise the positive impact a gender diverse workforce has on an organisation as a whole. At Ampersand, we complete an annual ‘Best Companies’ survey to monitor workplace engagement and ensure employees are being listened to. For me, Ampersand is getting everything right and I am sure that the company will continue to question the way that diversity in tech is viewed for the next generation.

If you want to join Mand at Ampersand, check out all of our vacancies on our careers page.