“The future of technology depends on who’s building it today.”

At Microtalk, we believe that the future must be built intentionally — with equitable access to opportunity at every stage, starting with the hiring process.

In today’s digital-first world, innovation is fueled by diversity. Yet, conversations around gender equality and inclusive hiring can no longer be treated as secondary. This is particularly urgent in technology, where women remain significantly underrepresented across leadership, engineering, and product roles.

It’s time to shift the narrative from “Why aren’t there more women in tech?” to “What are we doing to change that?”

At Microtalk, we’ve chosen action over awareness, and systemic change over slogans.

The Hard Truth: Women Are Still Missing from Tech

Despite years of progress and awareness campaigns, women comprise only 28% of the global tech workforce — and far fewer hold executive or senior technical positions.

In 2024, women made up just 11% of executive roles in the tech industry, with women and non-binary individuals occupying only 15% of C-suite positions, including CIOs and CTOs, across NASDAQ-100 tech companies. Between 8% and 9% of women identify as CIOs, CTOs, or IT managers and lead technical teams.

Even in entrepreneurship, the disparity is stark. In the first half of 2024, startups with all-women founding teams secured only 2.2% of all venture capital funding in the U.S., and only 15% of tech startup founders globally are women.

Yet, when women lead, their impact is clear. In 2024 alone, 13 female-founded companies reached unicorn status (valued at over $1 billion). Several companies in India exemplify what is possible when women are at the helm of technical innovation.

In India, while entry-level hiring of women in tech shows promise, career progression remains a challenge. Factors such as maternity breaks, lack of mentorship, systemic bias, and rigid work models often force capable women out of the pipeline.

Recognizing these challenges is only the first step. Redesigning systems — starting with hiring — is where real transformation begins.

Breaking Bias: It Starts Before the Interview

At Microtalk, inclusive hiring is not an initiative — it’s a core practice. We’ve built a process that actively removes barriers and makes space for diverse talent.

🔹 1. Writing Inclusive Job Descriptions

We avoid gendered or exclusionary language like “aggressive,” “ninja,” or “rockstar,” which can alienate potential candidates. Instead, we emphasize impact, purpose, and key outcomes.

🔹 2. Prioritizing Skills Over Stereotypes

We evaluate capability and potential, not just formal credentials or linear career paths. We actively consider career returners, women shifting fields, and individuals from underrepresented or non-traditional backgrounds.

🔹 3. Diverse Interview Panels

Representation in hiring teams ensures balanced evaluation. Our panels are designed to reflect the diversity we aim to build, reducing bias in decision-making.

🔹 4. Structured Interview Processes

We use consistent questions, scoring rubrics, and evaluation methods to minimize unconscious bias and reliance on subjective judgments.

🔹 5. Flexibility as a Default

Flexibility isn’t a perk — it’s a principle. Remote and hybrid work models are embedded in our culture to support caregivers and ensure accessibility for all.

Inclusion is Everyone’s Responsibility — Not Just HR’s

Hiring right is only the beginning. At Microtalk, inclusion is embedded in our day-to-day culture.

We host “Voice Circles” to create safe spaces for underrepresented team members to share their experiences. Our reverse mentoring programs allow senior leaders to learn directly from younger or diverse employees, encouraging continuous learning and awareness.

Our leadership team reflects diversity in gender, background, geography, and thought — a deliberate strategy to avoid echo chambers and foster inclusive decision-making.

Why Women in Tech Can’t Wait

As we navigate a future shaped by AI, automation, and constant digital disruption, the need for diverse voices in tech has never been more critical.

Research consistently shows that diverse teams:

• Innovate faster
• Solve problems more effectively
• Deliver more sustainable outcomes

But unless we act now, we risk baking today’s biases into tomorrow’s technologies. Algorithms, platforms, and products should represent the world we live in — and that requires women to have a seat, a voice, and real power at the table.

Inclusion Is Not a Checkbox — It’s a Mindset

When inclusion is treated as a campaign or compliance requirement, it loses authenticity. But when it’s embedded across hiring, onboarding, development, and leadership — it becomes transformative.

At Microtalk, we don’t just talk about breaking the bias. We build structures that make it impossible to rebuild the old ones because real change happens when inclusion becomes a habit — not just a headline.

So here’s to hiring right, to thinking long-term, and to building a world where every role is open to everyone — by design, not by exception.

Because inclusion isn’t just the future of work.
It’s the foundation of progress.