#MES19

Investing in

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

In SET IndustriesMichelle McGibbney Vlahoulis, Ed.D.

Mako Fitts Ward, Ph.D.

School of Social Transformation

Arizona State University

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Presentation Objectives

• Understand challenges to diversity in tech industries

• Examine obstacles in diverse hiring and retention

• Provide introductory strategies for investing in inclusive hiring, retention and overall corporate culture practices

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DIVERSITY IN THE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM

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Gender Disparity in Corporate Leadership

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Rates of Attrition for Women in Tech

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Why Women Are Leaving Tech

• Workplace Experiences

• Lack of Access to Creative Technical Roles

• Difficulty Advancing to Leadership Roles

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Percentage of Computing Occupations Held by Women, 1985-2015

Source: NCWIT, Bureau of Labor 2016

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Source: NCWIT, Bureau of Labor 2016

#MES19Source: NCWIT, Bureau of Labor 2016

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Glass Ceiling

The Glass Ceiling is the

unseen yet impenetrable

barrier that keeps

marginalized people from

rising to the upper rungs of

an organization regardless

of their qualifications or

achievements.

● Women in IT report gender inequality at

a higher rate than the overall average of

women in the workplace

● 60% of women in tech report unwanted

sexual advances in the workplace

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Top Tech Positions

FEMALE

1. Project Manager

2. Business Analyst

3. Other IT

4. Quality Assurance Tester

5. Technical Recruiter

MALE

1. Software Engineer

2. Systems Administrator

3. Project Manager

4. IT Management

5. Applications Developer

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1 in 3 CIOs do not believe that women are underrepresented in tech

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What do we mean bydiversity, equity and inclusion?

Diversity is the representation of varied identities and

differences (race, ethnicity, disability, sexual expression,

gender identity, nationality, tribe, caste, socio-economic

status, thinking and communication styles, etc.)

collectively as individuals.

The goal is to actively engage, understand, and draw

on a variety of perspectives.

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What do we mean bydiversity, equity and inclusion?

Equity seeks to ensure fair treatment, equality of

opportunity, and fairness in access to information and

resources for all. This is only possible in an environment

built on respect and dignity.

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What do we mean bydiversity, equity and inclusion?

Inclusion builds a culture of belonging by actively inviting

the contribution and participation of all people. Every

person’s voice adds value, and organizations should

strive to create balance in the face of power differences.

No one person can or should be called upon to represent

an entire community.

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What are ‘conscious’ and ‘unconscious’ bias?

Individual Conscious: Individual conscious behavior is one person acting on

purpose for whatever reason and for whatever consequences might occur as a

result.

Individual Unconscious: Individual unconscious behavior is one person acting

without awareness of the action’s purpose or consequence.

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What are ‘conscious’ and ‘unconscious’ bias?

Systemic Conscious: Systemic conscious behaviors are intentional actions or

policies enacted by a group or organization with the purpose of affecting many

people.

Systemic Unconscious: Systemic unconscious behaviors are actions or policies

taken by a group or organization without awareness of the widespread

consequences to many people.

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Source: Starbucks Global Academy

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Institutional Barriers to Gender Equity

• Job Recruitment (job ads, interview and selection process, physical office environment)

• Pipelines of Employment

• Opportunities for Career Progression

• Managerial Relationships

• Board Investment

• Isolation

• Performance Evaluations

• Macro (SET industries) and micro (organizations) level climate

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Percentage of Computing Occupations Held by Women, 1985-2015

Source: NCWIT

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STRATEGIES

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Expanding Networks

• Where are we advertising our current jobs ads?

• Are we outreaching to organizations that advocate on behalf of women and people of color in our industry?

• Does our employee pool reflect the communities in which we live?

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Develop Sponsoring Relationships with Diverse Staff

Sponsors…

• provide public and private endorsements & advocacy• enable career advancement and positive visibility with senior leaders• exist at senior levels of the organization

Mentors…

• provides tips, strategies and networking advices• enables increased confidence, competence, reduces isolation and

stress and helps navigating unwritten rules• exists at any level of the organization

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Creating an Inclusive Work Culture

Investment in processes to change your work culture, including

• Institutional investment in diversity assessments

• Setting diversity goals and including inclusion in all strategic planning processes (setting goals give example)

• Shifting job recruitment process

• Expanding diversity of company leadership

• Involving more people in decision-making processes at every level

• Focus on recruitment AND retention

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Creating an Inclusive Work Culture

Staff-Facing Strategies

• Providing diversity and sensitivity training• Surveying staff • Providing feedback opportunities to all staff

External Recruitment Strategies

• Identifying technologies to help diversify the workplace (gammification, bias language proofing, web crawler software)

• Shifting job recruitment process• Target hiring through diverse network (women’s network, POC organizations in tech -

find names of some of these; target orgs that advocate for underrepresented groups in tech)

• Include language of “equality opportunity employers”

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Greater Diversity in Workforce Greater Profitability & Value Creation

Top 10 Companies for Embodying Inclusive WorkplacesAccenture PLC

Novartis AG

Medtronic PLC

Diageo PLC

Gap Inc

Telecom Italia SpA

Kering SA

Natura Cosmeticos SA

L’Oreal SA

Acciona SASource: Reuters 2018 D&I Index

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