Diversity in tech teams

Why it's a good idea and what you should do to build a diverse team

By Sharon Vaz

12 Feb 2021

4 min read

Look around at your tech team.  Notice anything?  If it’s like most tech teams you will notice everyone looks similar - most probably male & white.  While you may think that’s just the way it is - you can change this by taking control of how you build your team and being more inclusive - I agree it may not be easy but it is worth it.

Why?  Because diverse teams are more creative and drive better business results as well as increasing your company's perception in the tech community.  You can’t just change your company logo to a rainbow for pride month and say you are now inclusive.

So what should you do?

Be transparent about your goals and the current state of D&I in your company

Making a public statement about your goals will motivate your teams toward continuous improvement.

Share your company’s commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

You need to make sure that your team knows you care about this and that it’s not just a box you are ticking.

Remember retention is just as important as recruitment

Ask your current employees how they feel.  Do they feel connected?  Do they feel their work is valued?  Are there opportunities for training & growth?  Is there an employee resource group that employees can participate in? This is especially important for minority groups as they sometimes don’t feel that they can speak out.

Find out why people are leaving your organization

Minority groups are the most likely to leave tech teams.  The reason - unfairness.  If this happens in your organization can you implement training to stop this? Do you have a procedure in place to create a fair and inclusive work environment?  Ideally, this should be done regularly so that you find out any concerns before a member of your team decides to leave.

Build your team based on skills, not CV’s

T4G can help you build a team based on verified skills - not what you see on a CV.  This helps you overcome any unconscious bias you may have.    We can do this for both internal teams and when you are looking for new recruits.  This gives you access to qualified talent you would have previously ignored.  When used internally it allows you to find any skill gaps you have and to implement training to encourage growth within your team.

Celebrate Diversity-related milestones

Encourage your team to celebrate diversity - celebrate contributions showing these wins and encourage your team to suggest new ways to grow this commitment.