Growing tech sector faces workforce challenges

The region’s technology workforce is satisfied – but it’s also looking for new opportunities.

These were some of the more confounding findings of the second annual Tech Workplace Survey Report, commissioned by the Springfield Women in Technology and the Springfield Tech Council and unveiled in November.

Paige Oxendine, director of consulting services at Habitat Communication and Culture, broke down the results of the latest survey at the STC Squared Tech Conference & Expo, held March 26 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Springfield.

The event had more than 700 attendees – a record for the event that was established in 2022, according to STC Executive Director Emily Reed.

Oxendine’s presentation revealed job satisfaction is trending upward in the region’s tech industry, according to the survey. In the new survey, 81% of women and 79% of men reported overall satisfaction with their job – up from 69% and 71%, respectively, in 2023.

Yet not all of these respondents intend to stay in tech.

The survey showed only 66% of women employed in technology intend to remain in the field for the long haul. Of the others, 14% said they plan to work in tech “for a while, but not forever,” while 20% said they would stay in tech “for a bit” but were open to leaving.

Men, too, are open to a career change, the report found, with three-quarters, or 74%, saying they planned to remain in tech for the remainder of their career. Another 17% said they planned to work in tech “for a while, but not forever,” with 9% either open to leaving or actively looking to exit the industry.

The survey’s focus is on issues facing women in tech in the region, according to the executive summary. There were more than 300 survey responses, and Oxendine noted 52% of respondents identified as men, offering a basis for comparison of experiences among genders.

Oxendine cited TechRepublic data that said nationally, women in tech earn approximately 84 cents on the dollar compared to male counterparts.

The report found many women expressed discomfort negotiating their pay, with only 57% saying they have engaged in salary negotiations during their time in tech, compared to 72% of men.

Oxendine said conversations in the study’s focus groups drilled down on the reason for reluctance to talk about salary.

There were three primary reasons for that, she said. One was the idea that the topic is taboo in their organization, and that a conversation about salary would not go well.

A second reason was feeling underinformed, Oxendine said.

“There were a lot of women who said, ‘You know, I think I would probably be willing to do it if I felt like I had a better sense of what the numbers should be,’” she said.

These women did not feel that they were armed with enough information or data to hold an informed conversation.

The third reason offered, she said, was a fear of a negative consequence.

“They said, ‘If I push too hard, is it going to mean something negative for me, either in this moment or down the road in my career?’” she said.

In fact, one respondent said she did negotiate for a higher salary and was later laid off, and she always wondered if her bid for a higher salary was a factor.

“Men are much more likely to advocate for themselves and ask for more money,” she said.

The report also highlighted a higher level of reported discrimination for tech workers in southwest Missouri compared to U.S. figures.

Among respondents, 61% of women and 27% of men said they have experienced discrimination at work, the report summary states, compared to 48% and 15% respectively for workers across the U.S.

While the survey question did not define discrimination for respondents, Oxendine cited outside research that said U.S. tech workers reported having witnessed discrimination in the promotional opportunities (37% of women, 20% of men); project opportunities (26% of women, 12% of men); leadership opportunities (39% of women, 21% of men); and day-to-day microaggressions (38% of women, 21% of men).

The complete Tech Workplace Survey Report is located at TeamHabitat.com/WITReport2024.

Demand for tech workers
Research firm Deloitte projects demand for tech jobs in the United States will grow from 6 million in 2023 to 7.1 million in 2034. More immediately, International Data Corp. research released last year reported nine out of 10 organizations will be impacted by an information technology skills shortage, with a projected $5.5 trillion cost of delays, quality issues and revenue loss.

Yet the Springfield metro area and the state is poised, reportedly, for a technology boom.

The most recent edition of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Technology2030 report, using 2022 data, found tech represented 10% of the state’s total economic output at $38 billion in gross state product. There was a 2.5% increase in net tech jobs from 2021 to 2022, a trend state officials said they anticipate will continue moving upward. Reporting from SBJ in February found local experts saying Springfield could miss the tech train if it doesn’t continue developing talent and attracting companies to hire those employees.

“The average technology person is facing a career shift or a riskier career than ever before. You used to be able to hang out in an industry until you retired,” said Jonathan Hodges, vice president of technology for e-commerce agency Classy Llama Studios LLC. “There is a real divergence in tech as we have this massive gold rush toward particular areas. … If you don’t adapt, you will be left behind.”

Upskilling and mentorship
One key to meeting surging demand is keeping pace with technological changes – something that requires reskilling and upskilling of the current workforce.

Mentorship is also key. Oxendine said having mentorship opportunities was a higher priority for women than men in the 2023 survey, a trend that held up in 2024.

The top desires among female survey respondents for development opportunities were technical training, management training and certifications relevant to their role. Asked what was available to them currently, only 58% said they have access to the technical training they are interested in with their employer, Oxendine said.

She added that only 53% had access to management training, and 57% said they have access to relevant certificate programs.

“Women have said these are the three things I’m most interested in, and just a little over half tell us, ‘And I do have access to that today,’” she said. “There is a gap as it relates to developmental opportunities in the workplace for women in tech in southwest Missouri.”

In another presentation at the conference, Simoriah Stogner, senior manager of technology services with Jack Henry & Associates Inc., addressed the need for mentorship and changing in the industry.

Stogner noted more and more tech workers are retiring daily in an industry that already falls short of filling job openings.

“The importance here is that we’re preparing the next generation,” she said. “We have to rethink how we’re bringing in the next generation and upskilling them into our business and into our industry.”

Stogner said it costs less to upskill or reskill employees than to hire new ones, and as a bonus, trained employees stick around longer and feel more loyalty to a company’s mission.

The investment also pays off in improved performance and customer service, she said.

Stogner said a job’s minimum qualifications – like the requirement of a college degree – could be costing companies.

“It is real-world experience that turns knowledge into know-how,” she said.

And businesses benefit when they nurture their existing employees, according to Stogner.

“When people don’t feel like they’re growing with you, they’re going to leave,” she said. “Finding someone new can cost maybe double or triple the salary of the person who just left. It’s like buying the same d--- thing three times over again. It doesn’t make much sense.”