Learnings from Tech Inclusion

Last week, I attended and spoke on a panel at the UK's first ever Tech Inclusion conference, organised by the fabulous folks at Change Catalyst. An established event in North America, Tech Inclusion is dedicated to driving an inclusive future and, with attendees being asked to bring photo ID, empathy, openness and willingness to learn, it's safe to say it was quite different from other tech conferences.

We know all too well the challenges faced in the tech industry - the issues with attracting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds, the lack of visible role models and the desperate need for a new wave of inclusive leadership. So, rather than focus on the problems (and much like the ethos of Tech Inclusion) I'll focus on four key takeaways and solutions that will help us drive positive change for the future.

Diversity is bringing people with different backgrounds to the table. Inclusion is inviting them to speak & encouraging them to lead."

Culture is key

Creating and maintaining the right culture was a reoccurring theme throughout the day. In order to tackle inequality and underrepresentation in tech, we need a culture shift. We need to recognise that, with the right attitude and support in place, anyone has the potential to learn and grow. We need the shared, non-judgemental belief that everyones individual experiences are valuable and met with empathy and compassion. Organisations need to move from creating a sense of welcoming to belonging, building safe spaces in which people feel connected and proud to be a part of.

At ThoughtWorks, we've recently done just that by encouraging a broad range of people with different backgrounds & experiences to participate in the design process for our new Manchester workspace. We wanted to create a sense of belonging for all, catering to the needs of the communities we serve, ensuring our culture, diversity & inclusion was at the heart. You can find out more about our thinking and journey here.

Un-siloing diversity & inclusion

As individuals, we are made up of lots of different characteristics and we very rarely only identify in only one way. The overlapping nature of our traits and the complexity of our needs based on how we identify is where the theory of intersectionality comes in. We heard amazing talks from Arfah Farooq on her experience of being a Muslim woman in tech, Dr J Harrison shared insights into queer theory and gender identity and Viola Sommer talked about the great things that happen when physical & cognitive diversity meet.

Many organisations have internal networks for women, LGBTQ+ community members and/or BAME employees but what do you do if you fall into more than one of these categories? At ThoughtWorks, we decided to break down diversity silos as we recognise that our differences make us stronger. We have one internal group - Intertwined - that focusses on inclusion as a whole and has representation across all underrepresented groups. This community has been crucial in helping us to review our policies, identifying ways to make our events and workspaces more inclusive and supporting one another to be better allies and champions of the needs of others.

Gender isn't binary

Lots of people are talking about women in tech and long may this continue! But this is only the tip of the iceberg and we need to change the way we think and talk about gender as it isn't just about men and women. Dr J gave a quick-fire, practical lesson about gender identity which covered the importance of using pronouns (he/she/they etc) and gender neutral group nonus (peeps/folks/people/team/friends etc as opposed to guys/dudes/ladies & gentlemen etc) to make sure everyone feels included. You can also check out this interesting piece on why gender is important when building software, as well as useful insights into gender identity.

Dr J also gave tips on dealing with micro-aggressions and amplifying others to make sure their voices are heard, as well as providing guidance on not being a bystander, handling difficult situations and offering support to those in need. This content also forms part of ThoughtWorks induction process, helping set the scene for new ThoughtWorkers about the type of open, transparent and inclusive culture we have. We believe that offering practical, actionable tips and insight helps educate and empower people to play their part in maintaining and building an inclusive culture for the future.

The need for radical action

An audience comment that has stuck in my mind is around the need for radical action to push this agenda forward. Excuses like "we've always done it this way" or "we're too big to innovate" just wont do. We need to think differently and try new things to improve the future of tech.

At ThoughtWorks, we're transforming the way we work to remove barriers and provide opportunities for all. We've introduced flexible working to better help people balance their needs and we're looking at different ways of bringing people into tech. We piloted a scholarship programme in partnership with Makers Academy earlier this year, where we provided financial and pastoral support to 6 women whilst they completed a coding bootcamp. We're looking forward to building on what we have learnt and using this as a channel to help kickstart tech careers for more underrepresented groups in the future, as well as exploring returnships to support people re-entering the industry.

Our industry still has a long way to go. What are we doing to support the needs of people with disabilities? When will we see broader diversity in leadership? With an ageing population, how do we ensure we have representation in tech? Well, as long as the conversations continue, with the right people in the room (business leaders, non-D&I people, influencers, policy makers), I'm hopeful that change will come. As Dionne Condor-Farrell mentioned, we need to avoid echo-chambers and encourage others to engage in diversity and inclusion discussions to help drive positive change. Be an ally and help share the message. After all, inclusion is something that we're all responsible for so let's get everyone involved!

You can see more about the event on my Twitter feed, or watch the recording here. Shout out to some standout groups & people I met at Tech Inclusion who are all doing amazing stuff in the D&I space:

• Motunrayo Oyetunji & the Black Girls Rule network
• Deborah Okenla & Your Startup Your Story (YSYS)
• Mark Martin & UK Black Tech
• Ashleigh Ainsley of Colourintech.org
• Sarah Tan at Ada, the National College for Digital Skills
• Arfah Farooq of Muslamic Makers
• Tolulope Ogunremi of Coders of Colour
• Viola Sommer of Auticon
• Mariéme Jamme of IAMTHECODE
• Melinda Briana Epler & Wayne Sutton of Change Catalyst