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Attracting high-potential women into early-career tech roles is no longer the hardest part of recruitment. It's retaining them and helping them thrive that seems to be a conundrum for many tech firms.
In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, women still make up only around 27 % of the global tech workforce, with half leaving their roles before age 35. It's a pattern seen in many regions, showing that keeping talented women in tech really is a challenge.
Ensuring diversity is essential, not just for equity, but also for innovation, decision-making and the future of technologies like AI that are increasingly shaping our society.
Early in my own career, what kept me engaged wasn't relentless pressure for its own sake. It was clarity, support and knowing how I was making a difference, along with a clear line of sight between the challenge and the impact of my work.
Ambiguity holds back talent
Ambiguity rarely helps anyone perform at their best, and for many women in early-career tech roles, it also compounds existing barriers around visibility, confidence and access to support.
But early-career tech environments are often full of it: unclear expectations, vague definitions of success, opaque promotion criteria and roles that expand without explanation. Graduates and junior hires are encouraged to "be proactive" or given stretch opportunities with little context, coaching or feedback. The intention may be positive, but the outcome often isn't.
Pressure can be motivating when it's intentional, well-explained and paired with the right support. But when expectations are implicit rather than explicit, it becomes harder to judge whether you're progressing, falling short or simply missing information others take for granted.
I've seen talented women quietly disengage, not because they lacked ability or ambition, but because they were left guessing how to succeed. The result? Companies lose capable people, along with the institutional knowledge and diverse perspectives that could give them the competitive edge.
Clear expectations and support
Clarity and structure can unlock real potential. And it is not complicated to get there, but it does require action.
First, clearly define success. Transparent expectations, measurable success metrics and explicit promotion criteria remove guesswork and level the playing field. People perform better when they understand what good actually looks like.
Second, stop confusing stretch opportunities with development. Stretch without support is not growth - it's pressure. Structured learning paths, coupled with coaching and mentoring, allow early-career talent to build confidence and capability over time. Just as importantly, they signal that learning is valued, not incidental.
Third, create real space for skill-building. Early careers should be for deliberate practice, not just delivery. Development stalls when learning time is squeezed out by constant urgency and changing priorities. Instead, offer early-career professionals the chance to work on meaningful problems where impact is tangible.
Encourage your talent to stay
When success is judged purely on results, early-career professionals who lack confidence, context or informal support can be unfairly penalised. A clearer link between effort and outcome creates fairness and motivation, rewarding curiosity, resilience and improvement.
Regular coaching and clear feedback help people understand how their work contributes and how they can grow. Over time, this builds confidence, improves performance and makes it far more likely that talented people will stay.
This approach is especially powerful in the areas I work in: AI, data and governance. These fields shape real-world decisions and systems, but that impact isn't always obvious early on. When women can clearly see how their work makes a difference, roles become more meaningful - and more appealing.
Redesigning early careers
To build diverse, resilient teams, accessibility isn't enough on its own. Clarity, support and meaningful work are what help people to thrive - and to stay.
On International Women's Day, it's worth remembering that investment in early-career talent brings long-term benefits, and that the environments we create today will shape the technologies of tomorrow.