Mentoring and empowering the next generation of women in tech

An IT professional’s journey to support women in IT

Ask any IT leader to rank their biggest headaches these days and chances are talent acquisition will be at the top of the list. But despite a dramatic jump in the number of IT positions needing to be filled, the percentage of women in IT has progressed disproportionately, with a mere 25% of IT jobs being held by women. Closer investigation reveals a lack of strategy on the part of organizations to recruit, retain, and promote women in IT. In other words, companies need to do more, and Kristine Peluso agrees.

Peluso is Section Chief for Strategic Management & Communications within the Market Technology Integration Office (MTIO), aligned under the Defense Health Agency (DHA) CIO, which facilitates communication between the DHA and IT leaders across the military health system. An experienced IT professional who began her career in technology straight out of college, Peluso is fighting to change the odds against women in IT.

Navigating gender-based hurdles in IT

Peluso knew what she was up against when she joined the profession, but technology is a family tradition. Both her father and her older sister have had long careers in IT and were role models for Peluso. She explained, “With a family background in IT and a father who was a CIO, I understand that the field is primarily male driven.”

Though tech may be in her DNA, Peluso has still experienced firsthand the challenges that women commonly encounter: “Women in IT are often pigeon-holed into lower-level administrative roles because they tend to have strong organizational skills.” She added, “On several occasions, I have had the experience of putting an idea forward, only for a man to propose the same idea in the same way a few hours later and have it immediately accepted.”

Throughout her career, Peluso has pursued opportunities for personal and professional growth. This journey recently led her to Info-Tech’s Women in Tech leadership program, designed to help women in IT overcome the challenges commonly faced in this traditionally male-dominated profession. “By attending the Info-Tech Women in Tech course, I was hoping to learn about different strategies that I could apply to not only myself but also my team,” explained Peluso.

“Women in IT are often pigeon-holed into lower-level administrative roles because they tend to have strong organizational skills.”
– Kristine Peluso, Defense Health Agency

Paying it forward with trusted mentorship

Taking advantage of opportunities to coach and mentor her team is important to Peluso, as she has herself leaned on the advice of mentors in her own career, including managers, coworkers, and, of course, her family. After attending the Info-Tech course, Peluso shared the experience with her team. The topics and advice struck a chord with members of her staff, inspiring Peluso to launch her own internal Women in Tech program for her MTIO colleagues.

Peluso returned to the Info-Tech training program a second time, accompanied by several interested colleagues, including Nicole Mendoza, Project Manager, Market Operations Branch: “The Women in Tech leadership course gave me a deeper understanding of what I’ve gone through as a woman in IT, including imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence. I felt better knowing that many women in the IT field felt the same way as me and had the same experiences I did.”

As Peluso began developing a program that would meet the needs of MTIO staff, she leaned on Info-Tech’s help to create the curriculum and roll out the training. Peluso and her team regularly leverage Info-Tech’s research and advisory services to accelerate key IT initiatives. She noted, “The Info-Tech team, during every interaction, has truly been amazing. They work to help MTIO achieve its goals and aim for ultimate success.”

Changing the game with proven strategies

Peluso launched a pilot of her new program to MTIO staff last fall and plans to hold additional sessions for audiences within MTIO and beyond, including a presentation at the Defense Health Information Technology Symposium this year. The sessions have been met with enthusiasm from participants who benefited from proven techniques to overcome challenges in communication, confidence, and career advancement.

She highlighted an example of the feedback she's received: "I had one participant explain that the sessions on Imposter Syndrome and Words With Impact, which discussed the idea of self-sabotaging habits, were especially valuable. She said the techniques she learned would help her avoid behaviors that could be considered 'weaker' and establish a stronger position among peers in communication, strategy, and value.”

“I had one participant explain that the sessions on Imposter Syndrome and Words With Impact, which discussed the idea of self-sabotaging habits, were especially valuable. She felt the techniques she learned would help her avoid behaviors that could be considered 'weaker' and establish a stronger position among peers in communication, strategy, and value.”
– Kristine Peluso, Defense Health Agency

Transforming the future for women in tech

Looking to the future, Peluso and her colleagues acknowledge that there is much work to be done to promote the growth of women in technology. Holly Melear, MTIO Contractor Support, observed, “We need to be addressing the human dynamics in the organization, as fast as IT is moving forward. We are behind if we are still working on diversity in the workplace.”

As for Peluso, she remains committed to doing her part, despite the catch-22 nature of the problem – women aspiring to senior IT roles need trailblazers who can act as role models, but given the lack of advancement opportunities, those role models are scarce. Adding to the paradox, research shows that though most women are inspired to hear other women talk about their success, a similar majority prefer to minimize their own accomplishments.

Nevertheless, Peluso is optimistic that education and mentorship can truly empower the next generation: “Young women have the potential to make a big impact if they’re empowered and trained. Women entering the workforce need to know that they have the ability to grow and elicit change.”

“Young women have the potential to make a big impact if they’re empowered and trained. Women entering the workforce need to know that they have the ability to grow and elicit change.”
– Kristine Peluso, Defense Health Agency