Study Confirms Women Excel In Localization

A recent memo by Google employee James Damore claimed that women are not as suited to jobs in tech industries as men. The memo caused a huge controversy for Google, leading to the firing of Damore and an apology from Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Even though the memo was largely offensive, it also opened up a larger discussion about the roles of women in tech and the challenges they still have to overcome. Many women working in tech face pay gaps and a lack of advancement opportunities in the field. However, research collected by the Common Sense Advisory Board (CSA) shows that among the various tech industries, women excel in the field of localization.

Women Leaders Create Strong Localization Companies

The survey data found that in localization companies with women leadership is significantly more productive. In fact, localization companies with female CEOs tend to bring in an average of 37 percent more revenue than companies with male leadership. The study also found the root of their success is that these women tended to have operational backgrounds. Men on the other hand, tended to have business backgrounds. So these companies are doing so well as a direct result of women’s technical skills. The study included both large and small companies and found no matter what the size, if a woman was in leadership, the company was more productive.

Women Dominate the Localization Industry

Two-thirds of language professionals are women, while 52 percent of all individuals in localization positions are women.

Beyond the success of women leaders in localization, women also tend to make up the majority of localization experts. Two-thirds of language professionals are women, while 52 percent of all individuals in localization positions are women. Localization is the language industry’s most technically-focused field requiring a high level of engineering skills. This shows that women not only can excel in technical roles but can combine two high level and very different skill sets. As a whole, women outperform men in localization careers.

An Excellent Career Choice for Women

Overall, despite Damore’s misguided opinions, women truly succeed in localization. There are still some challenges they face in the industry, such as pay gaps. However, localization is an field where women can showcase their talents and professional skills. The research is clear: women excel in localization careers, at all levels, making it a great career field. Localization combines communication skills, sociological and cultural understanding, and a variety of technical skills. There are many areas of focus for localization experts and a variety of needed skills.

Trust Your Localization Projects to ITC

ITC Translations combines talent and technology to provide translation and localization for a variety of industries across the globe. Our experts have a mix of skill sets that can help adapt your web presence to different international markets, so you can expand your brand presence. If you want to see how our translation and localization experts can help your business, contact us today.