Almost one month after its release, a survey of women’s experiences working in tech in Omaha is about one-third of the way to its goal of 600 responses.
Project 18 released the survey in the middle of May. As of June 11, it has logged around 200 responses, according to organizer Rebecca Stavick.
“I’m enthusiastic about our results so far, but we’ll need quite a few more surveys if we want this data to represent the tech industry in Omaha,” said Stavick.
The confidential survey asks a range of questions about workplace culture, advancement opportunities, benefits, and work-life balance. It is designed to be completed in about 10 minutes, and participation isn’t limited to women.
“It’s important to note this survey is for people of all genders working in tech or tech-adjacent roles,” said Stavick.
There’s a wide array of national information on gender disparities in the tech industry, but much less information locally.
The Project 18 survey seeks to fill that gap.
“We’ve established 600 completed surveys as our goal because we’ve estimated that about 600 is a representative sample of all tech workers in Omaha, which according to the [Omaha Chamber of Commerce], total over 15,000,” said Stavick.
Stavick has said the goal of the survey is to see what kind of policies Omaha employers have in place and to hear how women feel about working conditions.
From there, Project 18 plans to focus on specific ways to make Omaha a better place to retain and recruit women in tech.
According to the Omaha Chamber, the economic impact of tech jobs is significant. Tech jobs represent the largest economic development opportunity in the region, and the addition of 4,000 tech workers in the next few years could have a $1 billion impact on the local economy.
Stavick is asking people in Omaha to share the survey as widely as possible.
“Don’t just tweet it out — ask specific people you know to take and share the survey,” said Stavick. “Who are the ‘influencers’ that you know that can distribute this to their broader network? What companies need to know about the survey?”
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To take or share the Project 18 survey, click here.
For more information about Project 18, click here.