As Generation Z joins the workforce what does this mean for women in tech?

In recent years the tech industry has been concerned with the role of Millennials in the workplace, but that's about to change.

2019 marks the first year that members of Generation Z (those born from 1997 onward) will start to enter the jobs market in large numbers. New research from recruiting platform HackerRank surveyed over 12,000 women developers from around the world to get their views on jobs and employers.

"Gen Z, particularly Gen Z women, will transform the tech industry, bringing in fresh ideas, skills and perspectives. Our future is in good hands," says Maria Chung, VP of people at HackerRank. "These talented developers will build our most important products and services for decades to come. To get there, businesses must understand what motivates them and what they're seeking in jobs, and adjust the recruiting process accordingly."

The study shows that 14 percent of Gen Z women think it's important for their future employer to have a prestigious company brand, while only seven percent of older women feel the same way. Because they're digital natives -- 25 percent had smartphones before the age of 10 -- they have spent most of their lives surrounded by, and engaging with, many prestigious tech companies like Apple, Snap and Twitter through their devices. To compete with this, hiring managers must aim to create a strong employer brand and then market it to Gen Z candidates throughout the recruiting process.

In addition Gen Z women are familiar with two of the top three coding languages hiring managers look for in candidates: Java and Python. Like Gen Z men, only about half of them are proficient in JavaScript, but 35 percent of Gen Z women who don't know it plan to learn the language this year. They are also proactively addressing hiring managers' demand for C# and Go skills, with 42 percent and 34 percent of Gen Z women respectively aiming to learn them in 2019.

Gen Z women are less sure of Silicon Valley’s ability to remain the leading global tech hub too. The decrease in confidence is sharpest in EMEA, where only 27 percent of Gen Z women surveyed believe Silicon Valley will stay the center of tech innovation, compared to almost 39 percent of older women. Notably, Shanghai consistently emerged as a strong contender for leadership across women surveyed in all regions.

You can find out more in the full survey available from the HackerRank site.

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