92% of respondents report improved experiences and career opportunities due to hybrid work; AI skill-building
Ensono, a leading technology advisor, innovation partner, and managed service provider, released today the results of its fifth-annual Speak Up survey, revealing both progress and persistent challenges for women in the technology industry. While 92% of respondents report an improved workplace experience, inequities persist especially as they navigate return-to-office (RTO) mandates and explore career-accelerating technologies like generative AI.
A resounding 75% of respondents reported their organizations strengthened DEI initiatives in the last year highlighting the technology sector's leadership when it comes to improving workplace experiences for women. Notably this commitment is highest in India, where 85% of respondents reported strong DEI efforts, compared to 73% in the U.K. and just 67% in the U.S.
"While the experiences for many women in technology have improved, this should not distract tech leaders from understanding the inequities that impact the workplace and striving to meet all employees where they are," said Meredith Graham, Chief People Officer at Ensono. "Balancing equity across a diverse, distributed workforce is a complex mandate, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to understanding organizational needs. To scale successfully, companies must foster consistent experiences and opportunities regardless of location or role."
Beyond equity perception improvements, 89% of respondents identified new generative AI skills as career accelerators, with the percentage of respondents ranking their skills as "expert" doubling year-over-year. However, remote employees had vastly different perceptions, with many feeling they were being left behind on generative AI skill building. Only 6% of remote respondents ranked their generative AI skills and knowledge as "expert," compared to 31% of hybrid and 29% of in-person respondents.
These challenges also bleed into career management and leadership ambitions. 76% of women surveyed aspire to be people managers, led by a staggering 90% of Gen Z and 93% of millennial respondents, compared to 74% of Gen Xers and 64% of baby boomers. While 85% of women in tech want to advance into an executive leadership position during their careers, 15% shy away because they're either happy with their current responsibilities or don't want the stress and work-life balance compromise that would accompany an executive elevation.
Additional key findings from the 2025 Speak Up survey include:
- 1 in 4 women still feel unsafe due to microaggressions at work - only a 1% improvement from last year.
- 82% of women faced return-to-office (RTO) mandates in 2024. 49% struggle to balance caregiving with in-office expectations a repeat of last year's top challenge.
- 19% of women plan to leave their companies in 2025 in search of greater remote work flexibility, more inclusion in decision-making, and better work/life balance.
- For the second year, better pay and benefits dropped out of the top three reasons women seek new roles.
To read the full report, please visit, "Speak Up 2025: How Women in Tech Weigh RTOs and AI Alongside Their Leadership Ambitions."
About Ensono: Ensono is an expert technology advisor, innovation partner and managed service provider. As a relentless ally, we specialize in helping enterprise clients transform their organization, innovate new and disruptive technologies, and optimize their IT operations to achieve better business outcomes. Our dedicated team works across hybrid environments with services that span consulting, mainframe and application modernization, public cloud migration and cloud-native development. With certified experts in Azure and recognized as Microsoft Datacenter Transformation Partner of the Year, Ensono has over 3,500 associates globally and is headquartered in greater Chicago.
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Contacts:
Media Contact: Molly Leahy, PR Director; EnsonoPR@walkersands.com
