Hiring Women Isn't Enough: Retention Is the Real Battle

On Women's Equality Day, Indian women entrepreneurs and leaders, including Shreya Krishnan of AnitaB.org India, argue that simply hiring more women is insufficient for achieving gender parity in tech. They highlight persistent issues such as inadequate maternity support, unconscious bias, lack of flexible work models, and pay disparities that drive women out of the workforce, especially at senior levels. The article emphasizes the need for audited pay, transparent promotion criteria, active sponsorship, and return-to-work programs that treat career breaks as assets. It calls for shifting from input-based hiring targets to outcome-based indicators like retention, pay equity, and promotion rates to measure true impact. Key signal: Women entrepreneurs and AnitaB.org India argue that diversity hiring targets alone fail to address retention, pay equity, and leadership gaps, calling for outcome-based metrics. For hiring leaders, this matters because for CHROs and TA leaders, this signals that diversity hiring targets are no longer enough; the focus must shift to retention and advancement. Companies that fail to address systemic barriers like caregiving support and flexible work will continue to lose female talent, undermining their diversity efforts and leadership pipelines. The call for audited pay and transparent promotion criteria suggests a growing expectation for accountability. As the tech industry competes for skilled talent, creating an inclusive environment is not just ethical but strategic for long-term workforce stability and innovation. Teksands view: Stop patting yourself on the back for hitting a hiring quota. The real metric is whether women stay, get promoted, and lead. If your retention data shows a leaky pipeline, fix the culture, not the recruitment funnel. Audited pay, transparent promotions, and returnships aren't just nice-to-haves; they're the difference between performative diversity and actual competitive advantage.