Breaking barriers with AI: A path to workplace inclusivity for women
When I first began my career in IT, technology as a career wasn't commonly pursued by women. While I've had a very fulfilling career in tech and wouldn't want to work in any other industry, one unpleasant experience has stuck with me through the years. I was once offered a role, but the employer subsequently withdrew the offer when they found out I was pregnant with my daughter. It was an utterly heartbreaking experience at a time when I needed stability.
Challenges like these continue to persist for women in tech, though perhaps often more subtle. Despite notable progress, there still remains room for organisations to create a diverse and inclusive workplace environment.
When we speak about AI, for example, we often discuss its cost-optimisation and productivity benefits. What falls under the radar, though, is AI's power to drive inclusion and diversity at work.
Today, 27% of Australian employees use AI daily — a significant increase in just the last six months. While AI brings ample benefits for organisations, it may also create a divide among employees, with those equipped with AI skills able to thrive, and those without, left behind. Women, minorities and employees in lower-tier roles may have less access to AI upskilling opportunities, reinforcing workplace imbalances that are already in play.
To ensure equal opportunities for all, organisations must provide equal access to AI training and opportunities, ensuring no one is left behind in the age of AI.
AI levels the playing field
From unconscious bias to striking a balance between work and life, AI can help tackle commonly faced challenges when implemented thoughtfully. AI opens doors for women at work, with 34% of Australian employees crediting AI with helping them secure promotions or pay rises.
Across the hiring journey, AI has the potential to reduce bias and drive inclusive hiring. In Australia, 64% of women have taken a career break at least once in their career, struggling to find employment as organisations continue to hold stigma around the topic. By implementing AI across the talent management chain, organisations can help reduce human biases, prioritising skills and experience in hiring, promotions, pay rises and other talent management decisions.
Burnout and work-life balance challenges are also commonly faced by women at work, with 74% of women in Australia expressing stress in balancing their work and family commitments. Aussie employees spend an average of 3.2hrs per day on 'frustrating or boring' work. By integrating AI into workflows, repetitive tasks can be reduced and time freed up to focus on more strategic, creative work. 51% of Australian employees already using AI are using their extra time to learn new skills. Following suit will allow women to contribute more meaningfully and advance their careers.
To reap these benefits, women must first be equipped with the necessary skills to maximise AI's capabilities. Increased access to AI training opportunities and AI-powered learning platforms can help women progress in their careers. AI-driven platforms, for example, can create personalised learning paths for women depending on their career goals and career backgrounds. These platforms allow women to learn at their own pace, making it easier to upskill while balancing their personal commitments.
Inclusivity in the age of AI
Despite these benefits, only 32% of Australian employees have access to ongoing AI training and 48% feel AI adoption is occurring too slowly in their organisations, limiting its full potential to drive efficiency and innovation.
This may be due to a number of factors — lack of internal AI expertise, inadequate financial justification for increased investments into AI training or concerns about the risks often associated with AI. To ensure women have equal opportunities to succeed at work, it's important to close this gap and build AI into an organisation's culture and operations.
While AI adoption is on the rise, many employees continue to lack access to AI training and organisational politics to guide its use. To close the gap, organisations need to take the necessary steps to equip more employees with AI skills and training. Embedding AI upskilling and reskilling to internal training programmes can help ensure all employees can equally reap the benefits of AI in their day-to-day work. Organisations can also devise AI policies to guide AI use at work, ensuring they strike the right balance and synergy between AI and employees. Lastly, organisations can look to partner with tech experts who can help them navigate the ongoing change.
There remains massive potential for AI to drive inclusivity at work. By increasing support to help close the AI skills gap, more women will be able to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing tech landscape. Today, my daughter is an adult venturing into the workplace on her own. Having witnessed my trials of being a female leader in tech has shown her the real challenges and how to navigate them. Hopefully, AI will promote a more inclusive workplace for my daughter and all women.
