Signals of change: improving gender diversity in telecoms

Given the lack of female representation in the sector, it’s unsurprising that all levels of the telecoms workforce are dominated by men. However, the gender gap is worryingly apparent at management and director levels, limiting women’s ability to progress within the sector.

Earlier this year, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), Ofcom and techUK hosted a round table to discuss ways of supporting women in telecoms. The group, made up of women from industry as well as academics and policymakers, advised on ways that telecoms could alter its image. These included sharing public profiles of women working in the sector and possible career paths, as well as highlighting the idea of telecoms being a priority technology for the country.

At MS3, we make a habit of spotlighting the successes of our female staff, whether that be through traditional media platforms or our long-running LinkedIn Q+A series where our followers can learn more about the people behind MS3.

We’re also keen to shine a light on the range of opportunities that are arising as a result of the full fibre rollout. For example, I recently took part in an all-female round table discussion to share insights into life at an altnet. The MS3 team has also attended several events held by local education providers such as Hull University to speak with students who may not have previously considered a telecoms career.

Given that the total number of fibre broadband connections across OECD countries has climbed by 73 per cent since the pandemic, women have the opportunity to step into a variety of exciting roles, some of which may not even exist yet.

However, the DSIT, UKTIN, techUK and Ofcom round table also touched on another key issue that’s just as important as attracting women to the industry — retention.

 

Getting in and getting on

While initiatives that challenge perceptions of the industry can help to boost the number of female applicants, unfortunately, many women face a less than inclusive environment once they start working in the field.

For example, some participants from the Ofcom discussion shared their experiences with sexism in the industry, which included the misconception that women couldn’t understand technical language. Across the UK workforce as a whole, 31 per cent of women who’d experienced negative bias when applying for jobs said it was related to their gender — almost double the rate of male respondents.

At MS3, we agree with the belief that a company’s culture can be measured by the worst behaviour that the leader is willing to tolerate. To see any meaningful increase in female representation in telecoms, discrimination towards women must be stamped out. So how can the industry do this?

 

A conversation for all

It’s essential that senior male leaders are part of the conversation. Although many view the sector’s lack of gender diversity as a problem only affecting women, this is far from the truth. The positive impact of equal representation on productivity, staff turnover and even profitability is well documented. Having a top-down approach to gender inclusion helps to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, which in turn can lead to increased retention.

Creating a truly inclusive atmosphere starts with the recruitment process. While many employers still hire candidates who match their culture, transitioning to a ‘culture add’ perspective means MS3 values the differences that colleagues bring and how this helps our culture grow. When employees can bring their full selves to work, this enables them to thrive and deliver excellent results.

Understanding how personal life and work can intertwine is also crucial to supporting female staff. At MS3, this understanding includes offering enhanced family leave, as well as period, menopause and perimenopause support through private medical insurance. According to a 2023 CIPD report, seven in ten women say their period has a negative impact on their work. Meanwhile, one in six women between the ages of 40 and 60 have considered leaving their workplace due to a lack of support for menopause symptoms. Offering these kinds of benefits makes business sense — when our employees feel supported, they are more likely to stay.

This belief is also reflected in MS3’s flexible working policies. Instead of mandating the number of days that our staff should come into the office, we encourage them to decide where and when they can get their best work done. For example, we recognise that a significant number of our female colleagues have caring responsibilities, so we allow our staff to fit their schedule around the school run. This flexibility is open to staff of all genders, meaning that employees can split their caring responsibilities in a way that works for them. By making use of these policies as a female member of the executive leadership team (ELT), I lead by example and ensure that my colleagues know these options are open to everyone.

 

Mentoring, coaching and training

Although truly flexible working practices are a key driver of MS3’s inclusive company culture, we also prioritise creating connections between colleagues, through informal meetups as well as more structured schemes.

For instance, we run a regular group for female staff, which first came about as an informal get-together of women talking about their experiences in the workplace. The meetups now occur monthly and are promoted regularly, encouraging new starters to take part.

Structured development programmes can also help to boost the number of women in senior leadership positions. Each member of the ELT takes on a mentoring or coaching role to help staff members who are looking to step up the ladder into leadership.

Currently, women make up 28 per cent of our executive leadership team and 50 per cent of colleagues who have received internal promotions within the last twelve months are female. As a company, we believe that implementing these initiatives can help retain experienced female staff and further boost representation. We also support formal training programmes, with a third of our employees currently enrolled in these schemes, in order to increase industry knowledge and prepare our staff for future leadership roles.

The growth of full fibre promises a host of exciting opportunities for the telecoms industry, but it’s important that those are opportunities for everyone. For women wanting to enter the sector, looking for an employer with an open, inclusive culture should be a priority. On the employer side, developing a strategy that successfully balances both attraction and retention will allow women not just to enter the profession, but to climb the ladder into senior positions.

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