IWD 2025: I don’t want to be ‘resilient’. I want a workplace that doesn’t break me

Resilience has become somewhat of a buzzword in tech. It's something we highlight in interviews, leadership talks, and performance reviews. And while resilience is an incredible trait, when it's a daily requirement just to exist in an industry, we have to ask: Are we celebrating strength, or just normalising struggle?

Before I go further, I want to acknowledge something I hear from many men in leadership: 'I want to help, but I don't always know how.' If that resonates with you, you're not alone. Many genuinely care about fostering an inclusive workplace but feel uncertain about what meaningful action looks like. I get it. These conversations can be uncomfortable. No one wants to be told they're part of a broken system. But the reality is, you probably have worked in one. The good news? There are concrete ways to make a difference without needing to have all the answers right away.

Tech thrives on innovation. Yet for too long, women in leadership have been asked to persist through outdated workplace cultures instead of being given the support to succeed within them. We admire the women who have pushed through obstacles, fought burnout, and navigated industries that weren't built with them in mind. But instead of celebrating survival, shouldn't we be creating workplaces where survival isn't the baseline?

Resilience isn't currently being used as a growth tool. It's become a basic survival skill. And women in tech, particularly those in leadership, shouldn't have to use it every single day just to exist in the industry.

But let's talk about what really happens when we glorify resilience over fixing broken systems. Women don't just "bounce back." They burn out. They leave. And in some cases, they never come back.

Women leave tech roles at nearly twice the rate of men. A study by Accenture and Girls Who Code found that half of women in tech roles drop out by the age of 35. They're not leaving because they weren't resilient enough. They're leaving because they were exhausted from constantly proving their worth.

This "just push through it" culture is expensive. Companies lose diverse talent, fresh perspectives, and the very people they claim to want more of. Instead of asking why women don't stick around, maybe it's time we ask: What if the problem isn't them, but the environment they're trying to survive in?

At Quickli, we've seen firsthand that when you remove unnecessary barriers, talent flourishes. And we're not alone. Across tech, leading companies are embracing key shifts that are proving to be game-changers for retention, innovation, and culture. Consider whether you could make these work in your workplace:

• Flexible work policies that actually work in practice and not just something leaders pay lip service to.
  Example: A leadership team sets clear core collaboration hours (e.g., 10 AM - 3 PM), allowing employees to adjust their schedules without guilt or career penalties.

• Genuine leadership support, where asking for help isn't seen as a weakness. We're working on advocating for our people instead of asking them to tough it out.
  Example: Managers proactively check in with employees on workload and well-being, adjusting priorities instead of expecting them to "push through."

• Recognition of contribution over endurance. We are rewarding and celebrating impact, not exhaustion.
  Example: Instead of praising late-night work, leaders publicly celebrate team members who solve problems efficiently and deliver high-impact results.

And guess what? When you build a workplace like that, you don't need to teach people to be resilient. Because the truth is they already are. They just finally have the space to do great work and unlock their full potential.

As Jen Roche, our Head of Partnerships said, "Joining Quickli has been an incredibly refreshing experience. I'm inspired to be part of a culture where flexibility is real, leadership support is genuine and readily available, and impact is what truly matters. It's amazing to work with a team that doesn't just talk about these values but truly lives them every day".

Tech moves fast. The companies that will thrive in the next decade aren't the ones that demand endless resilience, they're the ones that foster it in a way that doesn't push people, especially women, to the brink. Because too often, resilience has meant enduring unsustainable workloads and invisible labour. The future worth building is one where resilience is a strength, not a survival mechanism.