A new report from Phys.org finds that women and men have equal mathematical skillsets, but unequal confidence levels when it comes to computing performance. The field study was done with mid-level business professionals who were assigned a range of tasks on different platforms (laptop, tablet or smartphone) in different positions (walking, standing or sitting). Men and women by and large performed very similarly on the tasks, though strangely, in one situation (sitting while using a tablet) men performed slightly better. However, despite their similar outcomes, men and women rated their performance differently. On a scale of one to five, female participants gave themselves a 3.5 score and male participants gave themselves a 3.88 score, showing that the confidence levels of women were slightly lower overall. While not exactly a surprise, it does give both employers and employees something to think about. (See WiCipedia: Fake it till you make it – the confidence edition.)

If you're a woman and looking for a tech job, you may want to consult AnitaB.org's latest list of top companies for female technologists. A press release states that the yearly list, which is divided by small and large companies, is the only "benchmarking tool" that rates companies specifically for tech employees. This year, ADP, the payroll and HR service that many employers use, takes the top ranking in the large company category. Aisha Thomas-Petit, chief diversity, inclusion and corporate social responsibility officer for ADP, said of the company's practices, "Representation is critical, especially in the world of technology where you're at the crux of innovation. As we design new technology to change the world of work, ADP remains steadfast in driving better representation of women." The company uses several different programs to ensure that girls and women are given every opportunity to succeed, and that female employees are treated equally to their male counterparts. (See AnitaB.org names ADP the top large company for women technologists.)

Getting women into jobs in tech is one thing; keeping them in the industry is another. VentureBeat summarized a joint report from Accenture and Girls Who Code about inclusivity in tech, which found that more than 50% of women over the age of 35 leave the tech industry. While the reasons for this are complex, overall, the reason that women leave tech jobs smack-dab in the middle of their careers is largely bound up with the feeling that they are not working in an inclusive environment. For example, the study found that only about half of women feel their company empowers women, and a measly 21% think that "it's easy for women to thrive in tech-related jobs." That number plummets to just 8% for women of color. Why would anyone want to stay in an industry that actively works against them if they have other options?

— Eryn Leavens, Special Features & Copy Editor, Light Reading. Follow us on Twitter @LR_WiC and contact Eryn directly at [email protected].