Is fintech lagging behind on diversity?

Recruitment firm Astbury Marsden has released new research, which shows that fintechs appear to value diversity in the workplace less than their colleagues in the wider financial industry.

Is this a sign of major problems for the fledgling sector?

The survey of 900 people in the City of London found that 43% of fintech employees felt gender diversity at work has a positive impact on performance. In investment banking this figure rises to 53%, and in private banking it’s an impressive 71%.

Fintech is currently very male dominated. In fact, 69% of boards are male only, going against the current trend towards gender-balanced management.

Some companies are already starting to address this imbalance, placing diversity high on their list when thinking about future expansion.

But for others it still isn’t seen as a priority, which may well impact on their long-term growth as the sector matures.