Inclusivity in tech: A personal journey towards authenticity

A reflection on my experience of gender diversity in the IT sector, the intersectionality of gender and neurodiversity, and whether "fitting in" should really be our goal in the workplace.

When I was in school Computer Studies was a subject reserved for boys. This rule was unspoken but to enrol would have been social suicide, even for a naive "weird kid" like me.

When I dropped out of uni I got a job as a receptionist and admin assistant - that was a job for girls. The upper management team were exclusively white men.

But my first boss was a woman and she was all the things I wasn't - confident, authentic, influential, cool. She inspired me to see my future self in a position of influence and that opened up my worldview enormously. For the first time I really felt that women could achieve the same things as men, and I wanted to try.

A few years later I went back to uni with a solid grounding in business behind me, and this time I chose an IT degree.

I wasn't the only woman in my classes but I often felt close to it, and each year our numbers shrank further. My lecturers and tutors were all men. But I held on to the belief that I could do whatever they could.

In my first tech job I was hired for being top of my class but also because the job involved liaising with clients and "women are better communicators". I played that up, emphasising my time in admin support roles and my eagerness to please.

In my second tech job I finally worked with other female and non-binary devs, but we were very much in the minority. Everyone I knew in upper management was a man. My third job was similar. And throughout this time I tried hard to fit in and be "just one of the guys". To find acceptance. I was good at my job, and thanks to undiagnosed autism I was already used to being a bit of an outsider, so I stuck with it despite not seeing "people like me" in aspirational management roles.

According to a 2023 report from the Australian Computer Society (ACS) [1], women make up only 29% of the tech workforce. While already low, in upper management roles this percentage of representation drops dramatically [2].

When I moved on to my fourth tech job the landscape around me shifted. It's still a long way off gender parity in technical roles, but I can finally say I'm in a diverse workforce working alongside a number of strong female leaders. And particularly after a recent promotion to the role of Development Manager, I am proud to be one of them.

The ACS reports that "women in technology are 20% more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace than men"[1].

However gender is only part of the broader diversity conversation. Most people of a minority race, class, religion, gender expression, sexuality or neurotype will have experienced discrimination, and the barriers to inclusion are compounded if you belong to more than one diversity group.

The tech industry has a higher representation of cultural and linguistic diversity, diversity of sexual orientation and neurodiversity than the professional services industry as a whole [1], so the responsibility of supporting an inclusive workplace culture should be taken especially seriously by tech leaders.

For myself, as much as my gender has been a struggle at times it's also one of the least unique things about me (just ask 50% of the population). Neurodiversity has also had an enormous impact on my journey as a woman in the tech industry. My reduced ability to conform to social norms may have helped me stick with a career path in which I am a visible minority. I have an enormous capacity for focus, attention to detail and drawing big-picture connections. And I have developed a thick skin for experiencing discrimination and a passion for championing diversity and inclusion on behalf of others.

There are of course many diversity groups which I can't personally speak for and many forms of discrimination which I haven't experienced. But I know from my intersectional experience that the challenges of diversity and inclusion go far beyond gender. If you know me or work with me, I welcome you to reach out and start a conversation about how we can support each other in the broader journey for equity and inclusion.

A truly diverse workplace that brings people together from a variety of backgrounds can only be stronger for it - more able to think outside the box and solve problems faster with more innovative solutions[3].

Yet despite the power of celebrating diversity, every workplace I've been in has had a "norm" and I've repeatedly seen people go to massive lengths to fit in with that norm and be rewarded for it. There are thousands of resources available with corporate tips for women which boil down to "act more like a man". There is a strong social bias towards extroversion. People routinely hide or downplay their cultural values, religion, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, needs, interests and values as human beings, all with the goal of fitting in. We are rewarded for this with acceptance and career stability, but at the expense of diversity and authenticity.

We spend over half our lives at work. That's a long time to be pretending to be someone you're not.

I was recently asked "how do you inspire inclusion?".

I've given this a lot of thought and have realised that as a woman and as InfoTrack's first openly autistic manager, I hope to inspire inclusion through authenticity. Just as I looked up to my first manager and saw myself in her, I hope that others can look at me and think "that's what a strong leader and technical expert looks like". I also hope they can look at me and see neurodiversity as a strength and as a positive facet of diversity in the workplace. And most of all, I hope to use my leadership position to support others and be a champion for diversity in all its forms.

That said, I have a lot to learn and there's a limit to how much I can do alone. We need to work together and bring all our differences to the table if the struggle for equity and inclusion is to be successful, and creating a safe environment for authenticity is necessary for achieving this goal.

How do you inspire inclusion, and what does authenticity mean to you?

Hi, I'm Amber.

As an ex-full-stack-developer-turned-people-manager, I'm currently leading a team to deliver innovative and powerful software solutions in the legal tech space.

In addition to being technical leader, I have extensive business experience in both the legal and construction industries. This unique insight into business processes and user-driven software requirements helps me to exploit market opportunities and deliver genuinely usable software.

As an #actuallyautistic manager with lived experience of hidden disability, I am a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion within the workplace. I lead with empathy and I strive to ensure that all voices are heard and that everyone I work with has my support to be their best, most genuine selves.

Banner image by pikisuperstar on Freepik.

#diversityandinclusion #authenticity #inspireinclusion #intersectionality

[1] ACS. (2023) ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse: A new approach to building Australia's technology skills, Australian Computer Society Website, accessed 14 January 2024.

[2] Clicks IT Recruitment. (2022) Gender Diversity Data in 2022: Pandemic Leaves Female Leaders Behind, Clicks IT Recruitment Website, accessed 14 January 2024.

[3] Grow Right. (27 August 2023) The Imperative of Diversity in Tech Recruitment: An Australian Perspective, LinkedIn Article, accessed 14 January 2024.