Why does MotherBoard matter to you? – feat. Ghyston

We caught up with Ghyston, who blend established practices with cutting-edge technologies to deliver high-quality bespoke software projects for ambitious companies.

MotherBoard is a community, meetup series & charter that has been created to drive positive change throughout the UK Technology and Data sectors, all about creating environments that support the inclusion of working mothers.

Why did you become a signatory of the MotherBoard Charter?

The goals of the MotherBoard charter are very close to our hearts. Different viewpoints, experiences and perspectives are vital to success and for the tech industry to thrive we need to make it more inclusive to ensure all voices are heard.  Here at Ghyston we are trying to play our part and actively encourage women to apply for roles with us – but we struggle with gender in balance on the team.

As a part-time working Mum, our CEO Emily Hill has always championed flexibilty and support for parents, especially in senior roles but we know there is more to learn and look forward to sharing ideas with other charter members. Tackle this together is key to our success.

As a business, what challenges have you faced when hiring women into your tech team?

We have traditionally recruited graduates from STEM subjects which naturally limits the diversity of our recruitment pool. In recent years we have widened the pool significantly but still struggle to get sufficient women to apply for our roles. Those women that do apply tend to do better than their male counterparts, implying that women provide a higher bar to entry for themselves to even apply!

Work needs to be done to show women the many and varied rewarding careers there are to be had in tech, and that they have an essential part to play in this industry.

What would you like to see change in the tech industry for mums in the next few years?

It can be difficult for any mum returning to work after having a baby – you’re often tired and your brain has gone into survival mode. In the tech industry you are working on complex problems and perhaps with few people around you who have gone through the same thing.

We need to better understand how to support returning mothers and to exercise the flexibilty that there can be in tech to provide hybrid and part time working models. Mostly, we need to work with mums to keep improving things for future generations.