Founder & CEO, RecruitGyan. Passionate about helping tech startups & other companies secure top talent with DE&I-centered strategies.
The tech industry has a diversity gap. Even more sobering, it’s one of the least diverse industries because it’s falling behind in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). For an industry that prides itself on being flashy and cutting-edge, statistics paint a dreary picture of a workforce that’s behind the times.
A study conducted from 2017 to 2019 found that men occupied 75% of computer positions and 85% of engineer and architecture roles. Fifty percent of women who take a tech role will drop it by the age of 35, compared to 20% in other types of jobs. White workers make up a majority of the tech industry. Pew Research Center found that although Hispanic workers make up 17% of total employment across all occupations, they comprise 8% of all STEM workers. And while 11% of all employed adults are black workers, they only make up 9% of those employed in STEM occupations and 5% of engineers and architects.
This reality is impossible to justify, given that a diverse workforce offers profound benefits to both the company and workers.
Companies with an inclusive culture are six times more likely to be innovative, anticipate change and respond effectively. They’re twice as likely to meet or surpass financial goals. They recognize and have the capacity to expand into new markets and attract a broader spectrum of customers.
Diverse teams are more engaged and make better decisions up to 87% of the time, according to a 2017 study. When team members come from different backgrounds, they’re able to apply unique experiences and a wider range of knowledge to generate groundbreaking ideas. They’re also able to catch mistakes that might alienate customers, harm the brand, or disrupt growth.
When team members know that they’re treated fairly regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or age, they’re 9.8 times more likely to look forward to going to work, 6.3 times more likely to have pride in their work and 5.4 times more likely to want to stay with the company for a long time.
Especially among Millennial and Gen-Z professionals, surveys reflect a shift in candidate’s values. Today, 76% of candidates believe that a diverse workforce is important when they evaluate companies and job offers. And 37% won’t even apply to a company that has negative satisfaction ratings among people of color. DE&I initiatives are a competitive advantage when attracting and retaining top talent.
It’s critical to intentionally integrate DE&I values into your hiring process because this is a strategic place for candidates to experience your company’s culture.
1. Craft a job description that identifies skill sets over a diploma.
Drop the degree requirement when it’s possible for a candidate to acquire hands-on experience through a coding boot camp or an industry-related vocational class.
Include your company’s employee value proposition (EVP) statement because applicants from traditionally underrepresented communities may carefully review these statements for clues about your company’s culture. Use inclusive language. Pay transparency in the job description can address concerns about gender and racial wage inequalities and cultivate trust in the company.
2. Set candidates up to succeed in the interview process.
Candidates want to know what they’re getting into. Reach out before the interview and let them know what questions are going to be asked. Offer suggestions on how they can best prepare. Be transparent—you’re not hiding anything, and you want them to have any information they need to walk away from the interview confident that they gave it their very best.
To help remove bias, ask the same set of questions and apply the same evaluation metrics across candidates. Keep the content of the questions related to the job and specific to the role. Model two-way communication—ask good questions during the interview process and listen to the responses.
Encourage candidates to ask as many questions as they want to gain a solid understanding of the company, the role they’re interviewing for, and the team they’ll be working on.
3. Broaden your pipeline.
Check out career fairs designed for underrepresented candidates. Be present at the career fairs of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs.) Post offerings with groups or colleges that focus on underrepresented talent (such as Latinas in Tech, National Black Nurses Association and Campus Pride). Initiate internal apprenticeship programs for people from underrepresented backgrounds.
4. Beware of unconscious bias!
Unconscious bias is a mental shortcut that occurs when we’re influenced by our instincts, which may-or-may-not be accurate, depending on our exposure to and experience with people with a different perspective. We need to be aware of the areas where unconscious bias may influence our hiring process.
We’re more comfortable when we have something in common with a candidate. If our companies thrive with diverse team members, this means that the wrong candidate may be the candidate that’s most like us.
Often, we inadvertently seek validation of our initial impressions. This may lead us to selectively absorb information that supports our preconceived judgments while discounting or minimizing those qualities that challenge them. Such selective perception can be misleading and may inadvertently lead to poor personnel fits. Our ability to adjust these early assumptions in light of new information can be surprisingly limited.
The solution to bridging the diversity gap within the tech industry lies in intentional action. By thoroughly integrating DE&I principles into the very fabric of the hiring process, you offer a transparent window into your company’s culture and ethos. In doing so, prospective candidates gain a clear understanding of what to expect and are thus more prepared and excited to fully engage in our shared mission.
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