Dive Brief:

• Around one-quarter of women who leave technology jobs cite a lack of career trajectory, poor management or slow salary growth as the biggest reasons they left, according to an Indeed study of 1,000 women in the field. 
• On the job, 45% of women said wage growth was their biggest concern, and one-third of women identified it as a concern down the line in their careers. Almost half of women in technology feel they cannot ask for a promotion or raise, and almost as many believe they are paid less than male peers. 
• There are avenues for companies to mitigate these problems, including improving salary transparency, creating clear avenues to change positions, and focusing on the most valued benefits, such as health insurance, flexibility and regular pay increases, according to Indeed. 

Dive Insight:

CIOs are becoming as important for setting company culture as chief human resource officers, and with that shift comes responsibility for a variety of factors that play in to culture, such as diversity, inclusivity, opportunity and protection for all workers.  

Tech's problem attracting women is no secret, and in many fields it's already "too late" to diversify the workforce. Building out the talent pipeline needs to come alongside efforts to retain and promote the women already in the field. 

Parental leave is frequently used to entice women to join and stay at a company, but inadequate parental leave was only identified by 2.3% of women as a reason for leaving their job, according to the Indeed study. Yet starting a family affects women in many ways outside of immediate leave. 

Around 28% of women with children or family responsibilities believe they were passed up for promotion because of these obligations, and almost half, 47%, said male peers have more career and senior leadership opportunities. 

In addition to risk-adverse tendencies and less salary negotiation, family and household obligations continue to act as an impediment on women's earning and leadership potential. There are many challenges for men and women looking to start a family while working, but studies show that domestic changes affect women more.

Women are 10 times more likely than men to leave the workforce after becoming a parent and, despite equal division of household and parenting duties, eight times more likely to manage their kids' schedules and take care of them while sick. Women are also more likely to quit their jobs for one offering more flexibility. Men are more likely to move to a new job with higher pay, benefits or more hours. 

Besides conveying support from the employer, phased return to work and programs that maintain a connection can help women transition back into the workforce. Offered and encouraged paid paternity leave can also help women's earnings and leadership positions.