How can you recruit more women and underrepresented minorities in tech?

Implementing a sourcing strategy to enhance diversity in tech involves four straightforward steps: 1. Managerial KRA Focus: ? Make diversity a Key Result Area (KRA) for managers, setting targets for hiring a minimum percentage of women and underrepresented minorities. 2. Internship Pathways: ? Recruit women and underrepresented minorities as interns, with a clear goal to transition a specific percentage into full-time roles. 3. Entry-Level Hiring: ? Focus on hiring women and underrepresented minorities at the entry level to build a diverse talent pipeline. 4. Talent Acquisition Team Targets: ? Establish KRAs for the talent acquisition team, requiring at least one-third or 50% of sourced profiles to be women or underrepresented minorities.

I have had many, many discussions with engineering, product management, and data leaders about how they can increase their representation (especially of women) in their teams, and nobody wants to hear the #1 answer. Do you know what it is? Hire entry level software engineers. Doing this will boost your chances more than everything else you're doing combined. I had a leader who was especially upset that we couldn't find a female engineering leader. I told him that if we were hiring entry level candidates, within a few years we'd be PROMOTING one of those female engineers, instead of struggling to find one externally.

Agree 100%. Hire interns -- convert the top talent to entry level hires, then train, develop, mobilize, and promote them over time. The interns that you invest time in will eventually become your trainers. Give it 2-3 years. Long game -- and a game changer if you can start and sustain the program.

It all starts with understanding your talent pool, where they are, and what their needs/expectations are. Does your employer represents the culture of diversity and flexibility - is there a match from a culture perspective? That will fuel the pitch you can share with this community. Ask women techies about different forums, associations, conferences, and communities where they hang out to network. Go where your target candidates are and speak the language they can connect with. You will see the inboundd talent applications.

In the ever-evolving realm of technology, diversity is not just a buzzword but a strategic imperative. To tap into the full potential of innovation, we must cast aside the narrow confines of traditional sourcing and embrace a more inclusive approach.

Mentioning benefits and culture in JDs which can attract women is the key. Work life balance, maternity leaves and transportation etc should be mentioned to know what they are getting. No discrimination culture should be encouraged in the office so more and more people without gender barrier can apply.

To refine our language, we turn to tools like Textio and Gender Decoder, these digital sentinels scanning our words for hidden biases. With their guidance, we polish our descriptions, ensuring they resonate with a diverse audience. In this endeavor, we must remember that words are not merely symbols but potent forces shaping perceptions and influencing decisions. By crafting inclusive job descriptions, we extend a warm invitation to women and underrepresented minorities, signaling our commitment to a diverse and equitable tech ecosystem. Let our words not only attract but also empower, paving the way for a future where innovation knows no boundaries.

Utilizing tools like Textio can help remove unconscious bias from job postings to make them more inclusive and appealing to those from underrepresented backgrounds. Also using targeted job boards like Women in Cloud can showcase your opportunities at a minimal cost directly to women.

Today, I am still impressed that not only I but also my female colleagues consistently find ourselves applying only to job descriptions where we meet 100% of the requirements. To address and change this trend, I believe those in positions responsible for creating job descriptions and those with the influence to drive change should actively work to: - Use Inclusive Language - Flexible Work Options - Encourage Diverse Backgrounds - Offer Training and Growth Opportunities - Use Inclusive Benefits Language - Provide a Diverse Panel of Interviewers.

It is proven that women won't apply for jobs that they don't meet 100% of the criteria for. With this in mind, adverts and job descriptions should scrap desirable criteria altogether, and focus on having a limited number of essential criteria (up to 5) to maximise their reach and encourage more applications.

I always talk about the importance of a diverse interview panel when building interview plans with hiring managers. Attracting diverse candidates is only the first step. Creating an interview process that incorporates a sense of belonging and ensuring diverse candidates actually see people who look like them (whether it's through gender or ethnicity) work at the company they're interviewing with, helps to build that. Additionally, structured interviews mitigate biases by creating a systematic approach to the entire process so candidates are assessed in a similar manner. I also use Textio when creating job descriptions to ensure inclusive language or remove non-inclusive language.

Remove systemic barriers. - Evaluate job descriptions for non-inclusive language - Be open to candidates with nontraditional backgrounds - Expand your candidate pool by building relationships with HBCUs & MSIs, partner with diverse IT organizations & nonprofits.

I think it's very important to recognise that if you want to hire more women and underrepresented minorities you have to ensure that you have people from these communities involved within the recruitment process. You may not have them currently working for your organisation and if this is the case you can ask for people from these underrepresented groups to sit on an interview panel to ensure both the candidate feels comfortable, but also to get an insight from those groups in terms of the recruitment process. Simply interviewing a diverse shortlist of candidates won't necessarily improve diverse hires unless inclusion as well as diversity is considered.

Just Do! Give the chance! Why it has to be complicated?! You wouldn’t regret it! ????♀?????♀?????????♀?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????♀?????♀?????????????????????????????????♀?????????♀???????????????????????????????♀???????

At application stage, if your ATS is asking candidates to fill in details that can be found on their CV, you're doing it wrong. It can act as a barrier to people from all walks of life, and one that can be easily removed.

Make sure the company is highlight aspect of the job that appeal to women or other overlooked demographics. As a working mom, I really appreciate a company with flexible accounts for daycare, breastmilk shipping, childcare stipends, flexible hours, additonal sick time to care for sick children or extra paid days off around the holidays. A robust benefit structure that prioritizes the work life balance and shows care for working moms is critical for retaining that type of talent.

As a first step, we must forge partnerships with organizations, events, and communities that champion diversity in tech. These unsung heroes, like Women Who Code, Black Girls Code, Latinx in Tech, and Out in Tech, provide direct access to a network of exceptional individuals often overlooked by traditional recruitment methods. Platforms like Jopwell, PowerToFly, Tech Ladies, and InHerSight serve as digital bridges, connecting diverse candidates with tech opportunities that might otherwise remain invisible. These specialized platforms act as curators, carefully matching talent with opportunities that align with their skills, aspirations, and backgrounds.

Building an employer brand that champions diversity and inclusivity is crucial to attracting underrepresented groups in the tech industry. Highlighting diversity initiatives through various media can effectively communicate your commitment. Leverage platforms like social media, blogs, and videos to spotlight employees' narratives and triumphs, showcasing the inclusive company culture and values. This content should accentuate the diversity initiatives undertaken, fostering an image of a supportive workplace.

Employer branding is a critical tool in recruiting more women and underrepresented minorities. By consciously crafting a positive and inclusive image, organizations can attract more women and underrepresented talent. This involves communicating a commitment to diversity through messaging, showcasing real employee experiences, and using inclusive imagery. Highlighting specific diversity programs, equal opportunity policies, and flexible work initiatives reinforces the organization's dedication to creating an inclusive workplace. Recognition for diversity efforts, community involvement, and a consistent message across all channels contribute to a strong employer brand that resonates with a diverse audience. It could be a game-changer

Show, don't tell. That is the advice we give all of our clients who are truly dedicated to DEIB. Remember - diversity is the result, inclusion is an action but belonging is a feeling. Unfortunately, there are too many companies who give lip service to diversity - but candidates who come from underrepresented groups can spot them quite easily. Anyone can have a DEI webpage - you need to showcase what you are doing to put the B in DEIB - otherwise your diverse hires won't stay, damaging your reputation, brand and profits.

The onboarding step is too often ignored when it comes to recruiting diverse candidates. You can recruit candidates of countless different types of backgrounds and demographics, but if they don't feel welcome when they join your company, your recruitment efforts were for naught. A robust onboarding experience that seeks out a candidate's unique feedback can show them that their voice actually matters at your company. Even further, you must demonstrate that commitment to new hires by actually acting on the feedback you solicit. If you take the time to recruit a diverse slate of candidates, you owe it to them to ensure that the environment they're joining actually values and appreciates their unique perspectives.

It’s important to both hire diverse employees and put processes/practices in place to help them thrive. This could be as simple as providing a mentor, an onboarding buddy, or even an ERG.

Flexibility, trust and commitment are probably the most important aspects when onboarding and retaining top diverse talent. Female candidates for example, they will usually arrange for child-care and other household activities to make meetings, it is important for firms to take this into consideration and commit to the process. More importantly, any candidate who is joining a business must feel welcomed, valued and have a sense of belonging. This can be achieved by including them in team-building events, having high-touch contact with the HM and making sure they have a very clear outline of what their 30, 60, 90 day looks like when they join the business.

Diversity hiring is an iterative process in that you will need to keep auditing, reviewing, tweaking, improving. Don't just assume that your processes work just because you've filled a position - ask, collate the data, liaise, check in. And please, do not leave all of this up to HR. DEIB is a company-wide responsibility, the value of which should be recognised and shared by all stakeholders from the top down.

In my experience hiring is not where the issues arrive for representation for women and underrepresented minorities in tech. It is inclusion and retention that is the biggest pain point currently. The only way we will see sustainable change in this area is if the C Suite on down has measurable goals for retention and promotion for these populations and their bonus is tied to performance on these indicators. The rest leaves a huge gap between rhetoric and reality for employees.

If you're only looking at how to "recruit more" of what is lacking in tech, you're missing the elephant in the room. It's a bucket with a ton of holes in the bottom. You can recruit as many as you like, but until you fix the leaks, more than 50% of women hired into technology will leave mid career - this is the current number, and it's double the number of men that exit. Why? because tech is grounded in the erroneous stereotype of what "good looks like", coined in the mid 60's. Until you fix the mindset and systems that are designed to favour the dominant archetype in tech, recruiting more women isn't going to fix the problem. But good luck with that!

-Craft job descriptions focusing on skills, using gender-neutral language to attract diverse candidates. Communicate a commitment to diversity and inclusion. -Expand recruitment beyond traditional channels, participating in events focused on diversity in tech. -Allow a flexible approach to work, endorsing options like remote work for a harmonious work-life balance. -Regularly review and adjust compensation for equity across demographics. Transparently communicate the commitment to fair pay practices. -Acknowledge career gaps, accommodating breaks for reasons like maternity, childcare, or eldercare. Introduce returnship programs as a bridge for re-entering the workforce, offering mentorship, training, and gradual reintegration.

One underrated decision that can help increase the availability of diverse candidates is to remove degree requirements, particularly for entry level talent. Be willing to accept candidates that have attended boot camps and/or that have robust portfolios that demonstrate the skills you're looking for as these often are more diverse and inclusive than four-year degree programs. Second to this, hire diverse talent as entry level tech talent. Grow the diverse leaders of tomorrow in your organization today. For reference, in the US 87.5 % of workers in engineering are male and 66.8% are white. If you want to change that then that means you need to make in roads at developing a diverse talent base from the ground up.

One of the biggest challenges and gaps with this effort is the mindset of ‘believing’ if we hire members of these communities into our organization as administrative support personnel, contractors, maintenance professionals, or in temporary roles… then we’ve now accomplished something and increased diversity. It starts with intentionality! Hire into roles that are supported, opportunities that provide value and impact to the individual(s) and business alike, and pipeline towards potential future growth. Welcome candidates to your organization where they can have a sense of belonging, ownership, and impact. Invest in events such as @RenderATL where the experience will help with creating greater and more diverse workspaces.

You can’t have the hiring of women and BIPOCs be an afterthought. It must be foundational — bring in quality talent from underrepresented communities from the very start. Crafting of founding teams in particular needs to be done with design and conscious intent.