When it comes to diversity and inclusion in our tech workforces, many organizations have room to grow including tech professionals from underrepresented communities on their teams. It seems, historically, however, that when we plan for diversity, we might be stopping short when looking at all areas of diversity to capture the best talent. Here are some additional areas to focus on as you plan for diverse staffing in your organization.
Searching Beyond Race, Ethnicity, and Gender for Diverse Staffing
We often consider gender and race as the top points of reference when looking at diverse teams. It’s not a mistake and, of course, should still factor in when determining the diverse make-up of your team. But , as communities evolve, organizations can tap into such a rich tapestry of diverse thinking, experiences, and perspectives that can open up avenues to new talent, customers, business sectors and so much more.
Age Diversity
Age discrimination is something to be mindful of; however, age-related, or more specifically, experience-related considerations can have a positive impact on your team. If you are seeing a specific demographic getting ready for retirement, it is imperative that you have a succession plan in place to hire talent to fill leadership roles and other open positions that are needed to maintain business continuity and productivity. You can also consider experience level as you create mentorship and knowledge-sharing pairings. An older generation workforce may have legacy knowledge to impart as younger generations become the majority groups in the workforce of the future.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity, as defined, “is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labeled with dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, autism spectrum, Tourette syndrome, and others.”
Beyond the definition, however, is a community of untapped talented professionals where very often exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and pattern-deducing abilities abound, skills that are advantageous in technical roles as well. Trade association dedicated to IT and Engineering staffing firms, TechServe Alliance, shared a series on how diversity and inclusion can be amplified by recognizing neurodiverse candidates as the answer to talent shortages the tech industry continues to face. In fact, according to research cited in their series, enterprise-level companies that embraced neurodiversity as part of their overall DEI efforts saw productivity increases of 30%, in addition to increases in profitability and customer loyalty.
LGBTQ+ Community
According to Enterprise Apps Today, “research indicates that LGBTQ+ individuals are underrepresented in tech, with only 2.3% of tech workers identifying as LGBTQ+.” This underrepresentation presents a tremendous opportunity to create outreach to the LGBTQ+ community to increase diverse staffing. For this community, however, it is important to understand how company culture and dialogue affect their inclusion into an organization. Creating an unassuming, accepting workplace environment where safety is a factor for all workers is a top priority to attracting candidates and building a diverse team.
External Factors That Support Diverse Staffing
While many diversity factors are based on immutable characteristics, the workforce can be comprised of people from many different lifestyles, educational backgrounds, localities, and more.
By expanding your reach to all levels of education, you can find great candidates who may have prioritized self-learning and skills development versus formalized education. When you invite professionals into your organizations who live in vastly different geographic locations, like city vs. rural, cold vs. hot climates, they can view how technology can be applied differently depending on where you live, bringing fresh ideas to the table and opening the company up to potential new markets.
Harnessing these different perspectives will positively impact diverse staffing, making an organization more robust, adaptable, and relatable to tech-job-seeking talent.
Steps To Create a Plan for Diverse Staffing
Lead by example
Consider the diversity at leadership levels and how that affects the recruiting process. At Prosum, for example, 64% of our supervisory roles are held by women. We are also a certified minority-owned staffing provider. These factors help shape the way we recruit and staff for clients, as DEI is an internal priority as well.
Infuse DEI into the every-day process
How you write your job descriptions, where you source candidates, how you address unconscious bias, and how you maintain a consistent interview process are all common activities in the staffing industry that can be seen through a DEI lens.
Normalize DEI training and conversations in the company
Ensure your company knows there are resources for discussing diversity and inclusion concerns and ideas. Engage in Employee Resource Group (ERG) activity and celebrate diversity and culture. Create an atmosphere of inclusion through team-building exercises and impart that information during the recruiting process so that candidates understand that diverse staffing is valued.
Share your culture
Your company branding should reflect your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Through websites, blogs, social media, and marketing materials, you can share your vision and mission so that candidates can relate to your place of work. As a staffing firm rooted in diversity, Prosum helps clients build programs that reflect those priorities so that they are evident during the sourcing, recruiting, and hiring process.
Prosum focuses strongly on DEI initiatives because we know a diverse tech team is more innovative—and it’s simply the right thing to do. We help employers create a ripple of change across their organizations as they further their DEI mission. Contact Prosum today to get started.
