Building Gender Diverse Tech Teams in Financial Services

~ 5min read

Industry: Investment Banking
Challenge: Lack of gender diversity in tech roles, high attrition rates, and competitive talent markets in Texas and Florida locations
Solution: Expanded STEM sourcing strategy, university partnerships targeting women in tech networks, and tailored software development training programme
Results: 40 female Software Development Alumni deployed within 8 weeks, improved retention through enhanced onboarding, and additional skills development opportunities via online learning platform

> The background

A Tier 1 Investment Bank recognised the critical need to address gender diversity within their technology workforce whilst simultaneously tackling high attrition rates that were preventing the establishment of stable, loyal teams. The organisation required a comprehensive approach to building sustainable gender-diverse tech teams in competitive US markets, particularly in their Plano, Texas and Tampa, Florida locations.

The client sought to implement a strategic solution that would not only increase female representation in software development roles but also create sustainable retention practices to ensure long-term team stability and reduced recruitment costs.

> The challenges

1. Lack of Gender Diversity

The client's organisational imperative was to increase the number of women in tech roles in order to enhance gender diversity at the bank. However, internal HR hiring teams were unable to successfully reach and engage female graduates into their hiring process, significantly limiting their ability to achieve meaningful representation in technology positions.

2. High Attrition Rates

The organisation faced persistently high levels of attrition, which prevented them from creating sustainable, loyal teams. This pattern not only increased recruitment costs but also disrupted project continuity and team cohesion, undermining overall productivity and morale within technology departments.

3. Competitive Market Locations

Finding and retaining junior talent in highly competitive locations such as Plano, Texas and Tampa, Florida presented significant challenges. The concentration of technology companies and financial services firms in these markets created intense competition for qualified candidates, particularly those meeting diversity criteria.

> The solution

Drawing upon our expertise, we established a comprehensive programme to source, train, and deploy talent that would address both low diversity and high attrition within their graduate workforce. The solution focused on expanding sourcing strategies and creating robust retention mechanisms through enhanced training and ongoing development opportunities.

Key Programme Elements

Enhanced Talent Sourcing Strategy

We widened our talent sourcing to include other STEM subjects, such as Electrical Engineering, Physics, and other technical degrees. This approach provided access to a larger pool of candidates who possessed the required analytical and technical skills necessary for software development roles.

Strategic University Partnerships

Our University Partnerships team established relationships with top schools that assist in reaching Women in Tech university networks. This targeted approach enabled identification of female graduates who were passionate about careers in software development and provided direct access to engaged, motivated candidates.

Tailored Technical Training

After sourcing and assessing over 90 candidates, we trained two classes of 20 graduates each. Training was provided by subject matter experts from one of our Academies, with content tailored to the client's specific needs and covering C++, Python, and KDB technologies essential for their software development requirements.

Alumni Delivery Model Implementation

1. Discover and Define Phase

Our academy and sourcing teams collaborated with hiring managers to identify specific software development skills requirements, technical competencies, and diversity targets. We established a customised curriculum focusing on the client's core technology stack whilst prioritising female representation.

2. Enhanced Sourcing and Screening

We implemented an expanded sourcing strategy that looked beyond traditional Computer Science graduates to include candidates from Electrical Engineering, Physics, and other STEM disciplines. This broader approach, combined with targeted university partnerships, enabled access to a more diverse candidate pool whilst maintaining technical standards.

3. Intensive Training Programme

Both training class projects required a total of 8 weeks from client requirement to deployment, including 3 weeks to source graduates and 5 weeks of intensive training. The programme covered essential technologies including C++, Python, and KDB, ensuring graduates arrived with immediately applicable skills.

4. Retention-Focused Onboarding and Development

To address attrition challenges, we designed a smooth onboarding process and provided additional opportunities for Alumni to develop technical skills via an online learning platform. This comprehensive support system aimed to create engagement and loyalty from the outset of their employment.

0

female Alumni

0

week turnaround

Complete Programme Delivery

We successfully deployed all 40 female Software Development Alumni to the bank within 8 weeks, demonstrating exceptional programme efficiency and 100% delivery against diversity objectives whilst maintaining rapid deployment timelines.

Enhanced Retention Strategy

To help the client reduce attrition and create loyal teams, we designed a smooth onboarding process that addressed common early-career challenges. The structured approach aimed to improve job satisfaction and reduce the likelihood of early departure.

Ongoing Skills Development

Additional opportunities for Alumni to develop technical skills were provided via an online learning platform, ensuring continued growth and engagement beyond initial deployment. This approach supported both individual career progression and organisational retention objectives.

Rapid Market Response

Despite competitive markets in Plano, Texas and Tampa, Florida, the programme successfully identified, trained, and deployed quality female candidates within tight timelines, validating the effectiveness of the expanded sourcing strategy.

Scalable Diversity Framework

The programme established proven methodologies for achieving gender diversity in software development recruitment that can be replicated across the organisation's other technology hiring initiatives and geographical locations.

> The Conclusion

This case study demonstrates how strategic expansion of sourcing criteria, combined with targeted university partnerships, can effectively address gender diversity challenges whilst simultaneously improving retention outcomes. The successful deployment of 40 female software development professionals within 8 weeks validates that comprehensive sourcing strategies and tailored training can deliver exceptional results in competitive markets.

The programme's focus on retention through enhanced onboarding and ongoing development opportunities addresses one of the most critical challenges in technology recruitment, ensuring that diversity gains translate into long-term organisational benefits rather than short-term improvements.

The expansion of sourcing beyond traditional Computer Science graduates to include broader STEM disciplines demonstrates the effectiveness of looking beyond conventional talent pools to achieve diversity objectives whilst maintaining technical excellence. This approach provides a scalable model for other organisations facing similar challenges in building gender-diverse technology teams.

The integration of online learning platforms for continued skills development ensures that initial training investments continue to deliver value throughout employees' careers, supporting both individual growth and organisational retention objectives.

Get in touch

Need Help Building Gender Diverse Tech Teams?

If your organisation is looking to increase gender diversity in technology roles whilst addressing retention challenges in competitive markets, mthree can help. Our proven approach combines expanded STEM sourcing, strategic university partnerships, tailored technical training, and comprehensive retention strategies to deliver exceptional results.

Get in touch with our team today to learn more.

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> Saffron Wildbore

Saffron is the Marketing Manager at mthree, with over five years of experience creating content that connects. She works across both B2B and B2C marketing, focusing on everything from career tips for graduates to real stories from our alumni. Saffron’s articles are all about sharing practical advice, industry insights, and inspiration to help readers take the next step with confidence.

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