The 580 participating companies include the likes of Spotify, Deliveroo, General Dynamics, Very Group and Marie Curie, all these roughly 2% are made up of telcos, 3% from the tech space and 25% from the Information Technology and Services space.
As well as provide data on inclusion, equity and diversity work, for the first time, all signatories also shared data on ethnic diversity in their tech roles.
“We’ve been heartened to see diversity remaining a priority for so many companies through the pandemic, which is reflected by our significant growth, but 2022 will be a pivotal year as new working patterns become more normalised. Inclusion must be baked in now, or the tech sector risks cementing inequalities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic," said Debbie Forster - MBA, CEO and co-founder of the Tech Talent Charter.
"Sharing valuable insights on winning D&I strategies means that companies across the sector can learn best practices and more quickly bring about change for the greater good of the sector and the wider UK population. We are grateful for the ongoing support of the DCMS and that of our Principal Partners who are truly going beyond thought leadership and driving real and long-lasting change across the industry.”
The report found that the top strategies for promoting DEI in tech are; investment in D&I data systems, setting up and measuring DEI targets, and gathering employee feedback. In doing so companies reported they are seeing tangible progress in their D&I strategies.
Other key findings from the report include the increase in the number of reported tech roles held by women, growing from 25% in 2020 to 27% in 2021. It also found that ethnic minority representation among participating organisations was 20%, higher than the 16% UK tech workforce average.
“With demand for tech talent at an al- time high, it is vital that our booming tech sector aims for a workforce powered by people from all walks of life," said Nadine Dorries, the UK's digital secretary.
"The charter shows the positive impact of tech companies collaborating to improve accessibility and we want more firms to come on board to make the industry truly reflect the diverse fabric of the UK."
Findings also highlight the important role small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) play in driving the future tech talent pipeline as these companies can more easily implement new D&I practices than larger, more complex multinationals.
In addition, signatories HP, Nominet, Global, Lloyds and PwC have confirmed they will be principal partners for 2022, with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to provide funding.
“We are delighted to deepen our existing relationship with the Tech Talent Charter and become one of their Principal Partners for 2022. We hold the same ambitions as the Tech Talent Charter at Lloyds Banking Group," added Nick Williams, group transformation director at Lloyds Banking Group.
"We have goals in place to continue to make our technology and digital businesses further reflective of the communities that we serve, and the inclusive society we want to be an active part of. As Principal Partners we look forward to working with the brilliant TTC team to help Britain prosper.”
