DEI & Bias. What Can You Do?

"You don't sound like a Kavi." I hear it all the time.

If you've ever expected someone different: you're biased.

The question is — how do we reduce bias? ??

I interviewed a candidate this week, who's managing a team of 50+ people.

She has a blended background on the technical, functional, and strategy/leadership side.

She’s managed P&Ls for large, global companies.

But she is being overlooked for a promotion in this “old, white man” company.

“Maybe she’s just not good enough.”

Yeah, that would be the easy answer.

But all too often, it’s because: “this is how it’s always been”.

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We Need To Increase DEI In The Workplace

It's easier said than done...

You may have seen me share this in October —

Did you see the woman on TikTok accepted to a job interview after she changed her name and race?

She'd previously applied using her first name and “Black / African American”, but was rejected...

Then she used her (western-sounding) middle name and changed her race to “Mixed Race” —

She got a job interview. Madness...

The question is:

• was she rejected by a human?
• was she rejected by technology?

I don't know which is worse.

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Cambridge Uni did a great paper on bias, and they found

Using AI for recruitment is increasing bias.

As a British-Indian recruiting in a STEM industry where DEI is a big topic, I find this fascinating.

If humans can't be trusted not to be biased, and technology is not advanced enough, then:

How Do We Reduce Bias?

It's a tough one, and there are multiple routes.

It’s not something that should be exclusively owned by the Board / Management.

All employees can make a difference.

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Here's What Works for DEI Initiatives

According to McKinsey —

From the same paper —

How You Can Contribute To DEI Progress

Actions for all employees to take:

• Be curious: Seek out perspectives different from your own
• Own your learning process: Reflect on your own identity, perspectives, biases and privilege. Educate yourself on the experiences of others.
• Ask for feedback: Tell your teammates that you care about inclusion and ask for their feedback.
• Listen actively: Ask open-ended questions to help you understand before making a judgement.
• Use inclusive language: Do not assume specifics about someone’s identity, background or viewpoints.
• Check in regularly: Try to better understand others’ feelings, challenges and priorities, and ask how best to support them.
• Address non-inclusive team dynamics: Proactively ask for certain team members’ input.

The Pandemic changed a lot of things.

But it also made many people focus on their priorities.

In order to attract or retain people to your company —

More Money Isn't Always The Answer

According to BCG.

Well, not to more senior women in the workforce, at least...

(Come on guys, I thought we were better than this).

We need a blend of promoting DEI in the current workforce, while introducing attractive initiatives to make external DEI candidates look in your direction.

You're focusing on reshaping your business.

How are you promoting your initiatives to external candidates?

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. If you’re an Employer:

→?Read our Free Guides:?10 Step Guide To Hiring A Security Specialist?and?7 Steps To Fix Your Recruitment Process.

→?Download our Free eBook,?“13 free tips you can use right now to hire security talent”. This is our ultimate 27-page guide to building your security team.

→?Or speak to me directly here:?Book a Security Hiring Strategy Session.?

2. If you’re a Candidate:

→?Read our Free Guide:?How To Negotiate Salary.

→?We place security specialists across Europe.?Get in touch?if you are looking for another opportunity.

→?Or use our?CV Rewriting Service to Fix Your CV.

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If you liked this, you may also be interested in our last Newsletter,?Make A Great Impression.

Thanks for reading.