By now we’ve all heard about the importance of gender equality in the workplace. But believe it or not, many tech companies are still waking up to the idea that there’s a problem, even though in the last 20 years, the number of females working in technology has actually decreased.

Perhaps there’s a misunderstanding because leaders aren’t taking the time to understand the why behind the issue, and how if we have more gender diverse organisations, we’ll create better businesses overall.

It’s for this reason that diversity thought leader Debbie Forster is now leading the Tech Talent Charter, a UK initiative bringing together organizations to drive diversity and address gender imbalance in technology roles.

She claims that taking your organization on the journey of the “why” behind diversity, instead of simply telling your teams it’s going to happen, is more important to gaining the understanding of how every person really can benefit.

When it comes to recruitment, company culture, innovation and leadership, making gender diversity a priority could rapidly improve organizations.

Use of the term culture ‘fit’

Culture ‘fit’ is a common phrase heard around the tech world, as it’s become a priority for both job seekers and hiring managers. Forster feels strongly that we should stop using this term.

“The rich opportunity is in culture,” she says, “But too often, as soon as we say ‘fit’ – consciously or unconsciously – we are starting to say ‘people like me’.”

This doesn’t create a culture of diversity.

Who are your company perks attracting?

You’ve likely heard the argument that the one who gets the job should be the one who’s most qualified – not based on if they’re male or female.

While this is true, if you aren’t getting any women applying for the jobs you post, perhaps it’s the way you’re going about recruiting. And that starts with the job listing. What if the way you’re advertising a job means females aren’t interested?

Consider what types of perks you’re offering. For instance, if you’re hiring for a senior position and hoping to get women applying, perks like Friday drinks at the pub, free beer in the office, or a corner to play video games aren’t going to interest those with different priorities.

Senior talent is likely looking for health insurance packages, commute subsidising, or flexibility to work at home one day a week. The types of individuals your company attracts will depend on the perks you offer.

Your company communications and structures are your culture

Besides perks, what are the values more inclusive companies have? Regularly talking to employees, getting them to talk about how things are going. What they like, don’t like, how things are done, the internal atmosphere. What are they encountering when going out and working with clients?

Making sure every person, no matter what level, feels part of what makes the company successful. Forster firmly believes that “There are no office minions. Everyone wants to know how they fit into the picture.  If help them see that, we’ll get a better picture overall.”