Closing the Gender Gap: Initial Findings and Lessons Learned from a German Medium-Sized IT Services Company\u27s Efforts for Career Changers

Digital transformation is driving demand for information technology (IT) professionals. Addressing the underrepresentation of women in IT is a promising way to expand the pool of potential candidates. This research aims to determine how women without IT-specific knowledge can potentially contribute to reducing the gender gap in the German IT sector, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. A case study with qualitative interviews within a medium-sized IT service company was conducted to answer the research question. The results reveal that targeted job advertisements can successfully introduce women from other sectors to the possibility of a career change in the IT environment. In this way, new female employees can be recruited, reducing the gender gap