Do diversity better: Four steps from tech leaders that got it right

Diversity makes a difference to your bottom line. Multiple studies have now proven unequivocally that diverse teams perform better, with varied perspectives naturally cultivating greater innovation, creativity and empathy, as well as bringing a strong ethical compass in the development of technologies. If you lack representation in your team, you will have blind spots.

Those working in the IT sector know that hiring a diverse technology team is a significant challenge, particularly one that is gender diverse. Many companies fail at it, citing skills shortages and issues in attracting people — females especially — through technology degrees. 

Eliiza’s data science team is currently 40% women, well above industry standard, and this has not happened by accident or luck. While there is no denying systemic and cultural problems exist that make it difficult, hiring a diverse team within a technology company (or any company) is entirely possible if approached with intention.

Consider the following tips to help encourage greater diversity within your ranks.

Build pipelines, don’t just fill roles

A project lands on your desk and you need to fill a team — fast.

The speed at which technology projects are turned around these days does not make hiring a diverse team any easier. But, if the industry is serious about improving diversity in technology, companies need to go out of their way to create diverse candidate pools, rather than plugging short-term gaps with people from within their existing networks, as is often the default. 

Recruitment teams must actively build hiring pipelines from different backgrounds, experience levels and industries. While this involves an upfront time investment, having these robust pipelines means there is greater choice when teams need to be filled quickly.

Eliiza’s tech team. Source: Supplied

Train on the job

While some in the industry might like to think so, software engineering is not a dark art, and it is time to stop allowing this perception of technology jobs to persist. 

Hiring a diverse team where everyone has the perfect CV is virtually impossible. What more companies need to do is hire good people and teach them skills that are entirely teachable.

Eliiza offers associate roles that allow women who may be lacking experience to train across a skills rotation over six months to bring them up to the level required for a machine learning or data engineer, data scientist or similar. In fact, our longest serving data scientist arrived through this pathway.

Internships are also a key part of any long-term hiring strategy. Our internship program is targeted at girls with no technology experience to undertake training in collaboration with Code Like a Girl.

If there are no pathways bridging the gaps between formal education and job description, you are limiting your choices significantly and missing an opportunity to help many more talented people into the field in the process.

Put people before projects

Most companies secure work and hire accordingly. On paper it’s the only method that makes financial sense. 

In our experience, it is much more beneficial to do this in reverse. Investing in a diverse team takes time, but by employing someone upfront before you have even won the work allows you to put your best foot forward to customers. They know you are offering them a holistic service. It also means you are not left scrambling; projects can be approached with care and consistency from the outset.

Hire right and put your best team forward, then the work will flow in.

Create a ‘safe space’

Reputation is everything when it comes to hiring, and technology companies in the past have not excelled on this front. The perception of tech jobs as ‘geeks’ or a ‘boys club’ is not helped by work cultures that allow these stereotypes to fester.

Hiring for diversity starts with building an inclusive workplace culture backed by progressive policies that support all employees to grow and enjoy their jobs, no matter their background or family or life circumstance. Tech companies should be a ‘safe space’, (you’d be surprised even today how many women don’t feel they can trust their employer in this regard), supported by strong organisational principles where diversity is celebrated and understood through mandatory education.