Diversity and inclusive culture is something I have been passionate about for ages. I admit that for a while there I was one of those privileged white males that had moved through the system unaware and ignorant that anything was out of place.
Some time ago, a former colleague and good friend started posting content on this thing called diversity. At first I was unsure what it was all about. I spent many weeks researching the topic and the deeper I dug the more grim I realised this space was.
The problem was I just wasn’t sure where to start. Last year I attended a meetup in Brisbane (Australia), at CTO School, where I arrived to be greeted by a small group of enlightened and intelligent people discussing the topic, a fairly even spread gender wise.
Honestly, I felt out of place, uncomfortable, I wasn’t sure I could contribute and perhaps I had been part of this systematic problem having been in the dark for so long. I was tentative and tempered in my responses and comments as I was on unfamiliar ground, usually confident of my stance and opinion in other domains.
As the night progressed, this feeling of being uncomfortable and uneasy subsided, but not completely. I stayed back afterwards and talked to the presenter and some of the other participants, trying to ascertain how to begin … I left a little wanting.
Fast forward 6 months, more reading, research and watching discussions wherever I could (still too unsure to participate), twitter, facebook and linkedin etc.
I was then lucky enough to attend the YOW CTO Summit in Sydney (Australia) where there were many great talks, one in particular was from the CTO of Gumtree on diversity and team structures [1]. It was during this presentation that, as she continued to talk, a way forward started to form and I experienced one of those “aha” moments [2].
This talk helped lay out some great strategies for not only diversity in hiring but working towards building a much more inclusive culture. It also talked about team structures and the different dynamics you can create?. One of the main messages I got from this was there is no good or bad teams, it is more about building teams around the intent. So simply making teams 50% diverse was not necessarily the answer, as with all things that involve people, there are complex interactions both personality and culture wise.
Once again I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to discuss this topic one on one with Gumtrees’s CTO.
Here are some of the main points that I took away:
- Hiring for diversity is not just about picking the diverse candidate, it is about having proactive strategies to help draw in talent regardless of their origins. The hiring exercise does not change, the desired outcome is still to pick the best candidate for the role.
- Be cognisant of language use in communication and advertising for roles eg using comfortably and empathetic rather than maintaining control. [3]
- Build a brand which is known for its consideration of diversity and that has a culture of inclusiveness.
- Diversity must be embraced by the whole organisation, just doing it in pockets is not enough, although it is better than nothing.
Another aspect that often isn’t considered is the interview process, which can be sabotaged inadvertently by a diverse candidate. “Whiteboard interviews” can often lead to high stress which often can result in people doubting or undermining themselves, therefore hurting their chances of being the successful candidate. Issuing “tech tests” may be a better option to give the candidate a better environment in which to show their talent and the value they bring to the organisation. [4]
As an individual in an influential technical leadership position, I see it as my duty to help guide and influence organisations in the right direction.
So in summary, to help drive a diverse and inclusive culture within a team, organisation or industry, below are some simple where/how to get started ideas:
- Find out what your current diversity posture is in the organisation.
- Do an audit of your organisational diversity broken down into roles. In a data driven era, to be able to show how far the needle has moved is critical.
- Proactively engage community groups and build your organisation’s brand and credibility as a diverse employer.
- Be conscious of language in job ads and candidate communications.
- Ensure the interviewing process is designed to promote a safe environment to show off the candidates’ talents.
- Be conscious of team structures and build teams that are inclusive, which means monitoring and addressing any toxic or unsafe behaviours.
- Train leadership (people and technical) to advocate for and support diverse members, to ensure they are safe and feel as though they can contribute and add value to the team.
- When advertising or posting, include imagery which supports the tone of your diverse organisation.
As a side note, there are some incredible services + platforms available that are changing the face of recruitment, especially for women. I recently discovered a service called Work180 [5] which is an amazing initiative — it’s a job board exclusively for women, whereby employers that meet strict criteria such as equal pay, paid parental leave and flexible work options, can post jobs. All companies are vetted to ensure they meet a strict set of criteria before being given access to post jobs.
So, unlike me, you now have some insights on how to begin. Whether you are in a position of influence or not, everyone can help with improving both diversity and inclusion.
I challenge you to begin your journey today and help make a difference.
References
[1] https://youtu.be/9xWLJe-TtnE — Roisin Parks, “What Working with Diverse Teams Really Means”
[2] Covey, Stephen (YYYY) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. City, State: Publisher
[3] https://textio.ai/1000-different-people-the-same-words-6149b5a1f351 — some good examples of gender specific wording
[4] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/04/how-slack-got-ahead-in-diversity/558806/ — “How Slack Got Ahead in Diversity”
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