Pathways to Opportunity: Actions Tech Leaders Can Take Now

When leaders with a growth mindset see core competencies and aptitude in a person and then create pathways to hard skills training, continuous upskilling, and open doors to rewarding careers, hope is elevated and lives are changed. Tech leaders hold the power to give hope and change lives, particularly for those who need it the most - those who are underrepresented in the tech workforce - women of all races and people of color. CompTIA reported 220,000 open tech jobs in May, even in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, yet over 30 million workers are un- or under-employed. Tech leaders are in an incredible position to create pathways for those most impacted and deepen their talent, simultaneously.

Thirty-three years ago this month, I started a career that almost didn’t happen. I am forever grateful to Ed Dressman and Mark Streicher for taking a chance on a young mother who had earned a B.S. in Mathematics while working up to three jobs at once, yet had an uncertain career path. They looked beyond my lack of formal computing education and honed in on my grit, hard work, results, and problem solving skills, and offered me the opportunity to become a software engineer. That launched a tech career that transformed my life and my children’s, and indirectly, many other lives. Yet, a woman math major with little coding experience being granted the opportunity to learn to code on the job is a modern day rarity. Furthermore, a tech career is far more likely for a white woman than for African-American and Hispanic women, who make up only 5% of tech workers, while women overall make up 26%.

Ten years ago, I had another opportunity that transformed me personally and professionally - moving from the Midwest to Virginia to become the Commercial Bank CIO at Capital One. This week, I left Capital One. I had been planning this for some time, to pursue my commitment to tech’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenges on a larger scale. I thought when this moment came, in hopes of inspiring other underrepresented technologists to stay in tech, I would reflect on my experiences as a woman in tech, give my take on three decades of tech transformation, and share insights gained as a six-year executive sponsor of D&I. That story will be written another day. Today, we are all hurting. The pain and impacts of racism are real, and that is where we must focus.

As a tech leader, are you contemplating what you can do in this moment of disruption to make a meaningful difference? Organizations such as Paradigm Strategies are offering ways leaders can address racial injustice. Accept the challenge to find the unique ways in which you can respond now, right at the center of your talent strategy and unfilled jobs. Despite years of large investments in D&I, the tech workforce demographics are not changing. Despite tremendous efforts from many organizations supporting change in the workforce, it isn’t enough. Barriers remain and cultures continue to foster a tech industry that blocks opportunity at entry level and in advancement for people of color. Scaled solutions must come directly from tech leaders, who must demand increased diversity, and then work with government, education, and for- and non-profit organizations to dramatically diversify the supply side of tech talent. 

Technology executives can take immediate action to change opportunities for those who have been locked out of one of the fastest growing and most highly compensated careers. Here are a few to consider.

1. Redefine recruiting practices. Assess job qualifications viewed as required, as one qualification, such as a 4-year CS degree, can filter out great talent. Other majors are more diverse and prepare individuals with relevant skills, and adjacent careers offer relevant experiences; a small investment in coding skills will significantly widen the diversity of your talent pool. Actively source for diverse talent, vs. relying on “like me” referrals from majority group associates. Evaluate assessment processes, such as testing, to ensure risk of bias is mitigated, the approach mimics the actual work, and all demographics have a fair chance of success. Require diverse slates with two or more underrepresented candidates for all roles, and ensure the interview panel is diverse. 
2. Support internships, apprenticeships, and skills building. Organizations, such as Year Up, Per Scholas, Pursuit, Opportunity@Work, Rewriting the Code, Women Who Code, Creating IT Futures, treehouse, onramp.io and many more, are preparing a diverse pool of talented, motivated people with tech skills. These organizations thrive when companies offer internships or apprenticeships, break down unnecessary barriers to full-time hiring, and then commit to on-going support to ensure these individuals grow, thrive and stay in tech. 
3. Openly root out barriers. Know your numbers by demographic, such as representation, hiring and retention rates, employee engagement scores, development program participation, and promotion rates. Ensure you look beyond the top line data; understand the data by level, leader, job family and intersectionality. But don’t stop there. Like any business problem, find root causes for inequity and make changes in processes, policies, programs and principles. Be cautious of an exclusive focus on (white) women at the expense of people of color. Don’t hold up the industry numbers as a barrier for action; be part of changing them.

Tech Leaders can open doors of hope and break down the systemic barriers that have been locking women of all races and men of color out of tech for years.

In return for investments in tangible change, organizations will also deepen the talent pool for open roles, and create teams that are more innovative, better at problem solving, and are more representative of the customers you serve. 

Start today. Pull together your tech leadership team, put your talent strategy at the top of your objectives, and open up a candid, vulnerable conversation with your associates on what has been preventing your team from diversifying. Continue learning how systemic racism and sexism in our society impacts the tech workforce. You have an opportunity to make a difference right in front of you, right now.