We think we can make the tech industry better by infusing it diversity, equity, and inclusion. Software developers and other tech talents from traditionally underrepresented groups can count on us to create a market that helps everyone’s talents shine! Diversity in the tech industry is better for everyone involved. Let’s make it happen together.
When we talk about diversity in the tech industry we mean creating a workforce that embraces people of different ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds, and education levels. We make the case that hiring more diversely makes teams stronger and more productive. It’s a win-win situation that helps everyone’s professional growth.
Diversity In The Tech Industry Boosts Team’s Creativity and Innovation
Author of The Way of the Innovation Master, Jeffrey Baumgartner says solving problems and “thinking outside the box” are linked to having different perspectives to play with. “Let’s look at what creativity is. It is a mental process in which two or more bits of information come together in your mind to create a new and useful idea”, he wrote in a recent article, “If you are looking to generate more creative ideas to solve a problem, the best thing you can do is to diversify your thinking”.
A diverse workforce allows for this kind of enriched way of thinking. “Team leaders should strive for diversification. Bring in women and men from various educational backgrounds and with different cultural backgrounds. Such a team will provide a wider range of knowledge from which to extract information and build upon ideas”.
First Hand Account of The Benefits Of Diverse Tech Teams
VanHacks’ community got an interesting first hand account of the benefits of diversity in the tech workforce. For VanHackCON 2022, Victor Murga, Sales Manager at Clipboard Health, and Sean Chi, Growth Manager at VanHack, got together to discuss remote work. Diverse teams came up and they were pretty enthusiastic about it.
Having worked with international teams, they understand the value workers from different backgrounds bring to the table. And they mean it from the companies perspective but also the co workers point of view. Victor cheerfully discussed how much he has learned from working remotely with a diverse team. “Working in a culturally diverse environment forces you to be curious and to learn how to navigate cultural differences. And when you are learning, it increases your levels of engagement and attention. I can’t even explain how much I’ve personally grown”
Diverse Tech Companies Attract More Candidates
According to Forbes magazine, companies that embrace ideas and practices from different perspectives create an inclusive culture where the employees become ambassadors for the company. Internal company advocacy attracts talented, ambitious, and diverse professionals. “Roughly 64% of candidates research a company online before applying for an opening. An integral part of this research is what makes the company an attractive place to work.. And 1 in 3 will not apply for a position at a company that lacks diversity“.
Diversity is Better…Better Decision-Making!
The magazine also notes that research indicates diverse teams being better at decision making. “Diverse teams offer broader perspectives and bring more information to the table. Teams outperform individuals when making decisions and that improves as diversity increases. Our hardwired biases are mitigated by voices from diverse teams. Diversity in decision-making equates to profitability in the global economy as evidenced by a 70% likelihood of capturing new markets by companies with a diverse workforce. Companies with diverse teams are better able to meet the needs of a diverse customer base”.
Better Teams Make For Better Results
We believe workers’ input and talent are invaluable. But if the market needs to put a number on it a study conducted by consulting firm McKinsey & Co has it covered. Their research shows that not only is diversity crucial for creativity and social justice, but also good for the bottom line. Companies with a diverse workforce are 35% more likely to experience greater financial returns than their respective non-diverse counterparts.
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