How can we make Tech more diverse?

Diversity is the characteristics, experiences, and other distinctions that make one person different from another. Most people can understand diversity on a surface level - that is, characteristics that are easy to see. Diversity does mean people of different races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations, but it’s more than that. The term represents a broad range of experiences, including socioeconomic background, upbringing, religion, marital status, education, neurodiversity, (dis)ability, and life experience.

What is Diversity in Tech?

Diversity in tech is concerned with bringing more perspectives to a traditionally homogeneous and very often non inclusive industry.

Today, women and people of colour lack representation in the tech sector. As an example, 3 years ago, Google reported that only 5.5% of its new hires were black – with little changing in the intervening years. Whilst rates of diversity have been increasing in the tech sector, the change is not happening fast enough.

Why is Diversity in Tech important?

While there are moral reasons for increasing diversity in tech, such as increased equality, there are also important business reasons for promoting diversity in the workplace.

When a company has a diverse workforce, they can understand their customers better. Consumers today have higher expectations of products and services that meet their specific, and diverse, needs and preferences. At the same time, employees have higher expectations for workplaces that are inclusive of their needs and value the diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences they bring to the table.

How can we increase Diversity in the Tech Industry?

Promoting diversity in the tech industry is not only a matter of social justice but also a way to foster innovation and ensure that technology benefits a wider range of people. Below are some of the strategies that can be adopted to make tech more diverse:

Education & Outreach:

• Stem Education: Improve access to quality STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities, starting at an early age.

• Outreach Programmes: Create and support outreach programmes that expose young people from diverse backgrounds to tech and encourage their interest in the field.

Mentorship & Role Models:

• Mentorship Programmes: Establish mentorship programs to connect individuals from underrepresented groups with experienced professionals in the tech industry.
• Promote Role Models: Highlight successful individuals from diverse backgrounds in tech as role models and encourage them to share their stories.

Inclusive Hiring:

• Anonymised Recruitment: Implement anonymised recruitment processes that remove personal information, such as names and genders, from resumes to reduce biases. Rather than focusing on the individual, take a skills first approach. Abodoo’s Digital Skills Passport (DSP) allows for anonymised matching for candidates who wish to be discovered. You can find out more about the DSP here.
• Diverse Interview Panels: Ensure diverse interview panels to minimize bias during the hiring process.
• Unbiased Job Descriptions: Use inclusive language in job descriptions to attract a more diverse pool of candidates.

Diversity & Inclusion Training:

• Provide training to employees to create awareness of biases and foster an inclusive workplace culture.

Diversity Goals & Metrics:

• Set specific diversity goals and track progress using measurable metrics to hold companies accountable for diversity and inclusion efforts.

Supportive Workplace Culture:

• Create a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture where employees feel valued and have equal opportunities for growth and advancement.

Employee Resource Groups:

• Establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) focused on different underrepresented groups to support their professional development and provide a sense of community.

Flexibility & Work Life Balance:

• Offer flexible work arrangements and promote work-life balance to accommodate the needs of diverse employees.

Equal Pay:

• Ensure equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender, race, or other factors.

Networking & Community Building:

• Support and encourage networking events and organizations that are inclusive and help individuals from underrepresented groups connect with industry professionals.

Invest in Underrepresented Entrepreneurs:

• Provide funding and support to start-ups and businesses founded by underrepresented individuals.

Tech Education Bootcamps:

• Support programmes that offer affordable tech education and coding bootcamps for people from diverse backgrounds.

Partnerships & Collaborations:

• Collaborate with schools, universities, and organizations that are committed to diversity and inclusion in tech.

Policy & Advocacy:

• Advocate for policies and regulations that promote diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

Transparency:

• Encourage transparency in reporting diversity and inclusion data, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions and hold companies accountable.

Continuous Improvement:

• Continuously assess and improve diversity and inclusion initiatives based on feedback and evolving best practices.

An article in Forbes earlier this year identified that whilst the tech industry has made significant steps in creating greater levels of diversity, there is more work to be done. They identify that, in addition to the strategies outlined above, one further step forward could be taken by breaking the silos which are often created by unconsciously or consciously focusing on race, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation and other characteristics. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that recognising the silos in a first step for a tech leader to work to develop a culture of full representation.

Successfully incorporating Diversity in Tech therefore requires work on a variety of fronts, including education, hiring, team participation and recognition together with an acknowledgement of our innate biases.

In Summary

• Diversity in tech is essential for businesses that want to stay relevant to their customers, and competitive in the talent market.
• An inclusive work environment offers opportunity for growth and achievement to a broader range of works.
• Promoting diversity in the tech industry is an ongoing effort that requires commitment from individuals, organisations, and the broader tech community.
• It's not just about meeting quotas but about creating an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive and contribute to the field.