The Need for Diversity in IT
Ever notice that IT teams are kind of homogeneous? You're not the only one. An article in a technology publication states, “Over the past few years, the number of women and underrepresented minorities in IT has been dropping steadily.” The article suggests that employers:
• Adjust the language in your job description.
• Recruit at women's and minority-serving institutions.
• Reach out through professional groups and attend job fairs for minorities and women in IT.
• Promote work/life balance and a flexible workplace.
• Focus on service delivery and IT's role in the big picture.
• Make time for training and skills advancement during the workday.
• Set up mentoring programs, affinity groups, and communities for women and underrepresented minorities.
Lack of diversity is a very bad thing for your company. Technology is changing fast and product lifetimes are diminishing.
The only way for companies to survive in this kind of environment is to be relentlessly creative. Look high, low and under rocks for your new hires: hire partners, customers, high school kids, people from other races, religions, cultures and nationalities, and even Martians if you can find them. This is not needed just to succeed, but merely to survive. You just can't be that creative by yourself. Let’s face it: none of us are that smart and we never will be. We need the collective brain power, energy and creativity of others around us who are different than ourselves and bring a fresh perspective to the table. As the poet John Donne taught us: no man is an island.
Comcast has gone so far as to hire an Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Her responsibilities include directing, managing, and organizing Comcast’s diversity program strategy. Similarly, Cisco has deployed a number of educational projects focused on building “tomorrow’s workforce,” many of which target minority students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs.
Americans may find themselves at a disadvantage a decade from now as more diverse places like Europe accustom themselves to diving a little deeper into the ice cold water of globalization. It’s time to jump in with both feet.
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