Championing Women in Tech across the South

Ceres Jenkins –  Founder of Better Days Recruitment and Women in Tech Brighton and Hove Group championing Women in tech and digital across the South.

I’ve worked in tech and digital recruitment for over 10 years and throughout that time one thing has consistently stood out, it’s hard to build truly diverse shortlists when women are still so underrepresented in these industries. I firmly believe diverse teams build better businesses. They’re more innovative, more balanced and ultimately more successful.

In 2023, during our annual placement review at Better Days Recruitment, we were genuinely shocked by how few women had applied for the roles we’d advertised and even fewer had actually secured them. Naturally, we questioned ourselves. Were we doing enough? Was our process inclusive? But after reviewing everything, it became clear the issue wasn’t the recruitment process, it was the pipeline. There simply weren’t enough women applying for tech and digital roles in the first place.

When I looked deeper into the wider statistics, it really hit home. Women make up just 25% of the UK STEM workforce, despite 9.4 million people working in the sector. After more than a decade in this space, I was surprised and disappointed at how little progress had actually been made.

I wanted to do something practical to help. I started looking for local Women in Tech events where I could connect with others and talk about these challenges. This was a struggle as there weren’t any locally focused specifically on women in tech and digital. So I decided to create one.

That’s how the first Women in Tech Brighton and Hove event was born. I’ll be honest it was quite out of my comfort zone from recruitment to events and a huge learning curve. I had no idea if anyone would show up! But the first event, Empowering Tomorrow’s Tech Leaders, sold out. That was the moment I realised how much this space was needed and that these events could help make a real difference.

Since then, we’ve run regular events covering topics like diversity in the workplace, supporting women through menopause, building confidence, and why the world needs more women in AI. We’ve been lucky to host some incredible speakers, including Avril Chester (named one of the most influential women in UK tech by Computer Weekly) and Kat Mitchell, Co-Founder and CTO at MPB.

I’ve intentionally kept the events small and informal. They’re not about someone talking to you, they’re about real conversations. I want women to feel comfortable sharing experiences, asking questions and walking away with practical advice they can actually use in their careers.

It’s been amazing to see familiar faces returning each time, as well as welcoming new ones. What has amazed me is the powerful stories that attendees share with one another, meaningful connections made, and peer to peer insights that are shared which are useful not just in the workplace but also outside too.

To keep the momentum going, we’ve also launched a Women in Tech Brighton and Hove LinkedIn community where people can continue conversations, share advice, post opportunities and support one another. We also share insights and tips from our events online so that even those who can’t attend can still benefit. It’s still early days but I’m hopeful that this will grow and become an extension to the events.

For me, this isn’t just about events, it’s about creating long-term change. Through the work that Better Days Recruitment does on an ongoing basis and through building this community, I want to help make tech and digital more inclusive, more representative and a space where women truly feel they belong.

At Better Days Recruitment our aim is to support businesses to attract diverse talent in technology, digital and business change roles ensuring that both the company and candidates continue to grow and thrive.

We are always looking for inspiring women to speak at our events. So if you would interested in speaking at one of our future events then please get in touch or if you would like to attend future events then please visit  connect on linkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/ceresjenkins/ or you can join the Women In Tech Brighton and Hove community group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/15642041/.

If you would like to find out more about how Better Days Recruitment can help you attract more diverse talent please visit https://www.betterdaysrecruitment.com