Moderated by CDO Yolánda Chase, the panel discussion involving DEI leaders and company founders Deena Pierott and Linda Jordon, Ph.D., authentically shared their own lived experiences, as well as their observations about the experiences of Black, Brown, and other diverse professionals in predominantly white workplaces. The panelists also offered a solutions-oriented inclusive, diverse, and equitable organizational culture that boldly addresses systemic inequities.

Watch the video recording here:

We want to be thinking innovatively about unorthodox practices that we can be doing to really move the dial towards more equitable organizations.

— Yolánda Chase

Purpose 

The panel discussion shared best practices and challenges about recruitment and hiring of diverse talent in tech, with a specific focus on attracting Black, indigenous, and Latino/x in tech organizations, particularly in STEM positions.

Questions

• • In your experience, what are the most persistent myths in diversity recruitment?

• • ​​In a market where competing for talent is a challenge, what forward-thinking strategies have you applied in your practice of building diverse teams?

• • What have you done to eliminate bias in hiring decisions?

Key Takeaways 

• • First and foremost, leadership should be completely on board with DEI. Diversity should be a top priority, and not an add-on or after-thought. 

• • Biases are ever-present in hiring and recruiting. Some issues include non-diverse recruiting staff and search firms; valuing degrees over experiences; and biased job descriptions.

• • In addressing biases, there’s an opportunity to reimagine candidates and their skill sets. For example, human resource and hiring managers must consider inclusive practices, like blind applications, using initials on resumes instead of full names, etc.

• • Transferable skills can continue to bring and add broader perspectives to an organization. Look at talent beyond their resumes.

• • Define talent differently: this reduces competition, allows for talent development, and creates a more sustainable pipeline. 

• • Why not provide interview questions to candidates ahead of time so they are better prepared? This also supports diverse communication styles across cultures and lived experiences. 

• • Interviewees must be willing to provide psychological safety throughout the recruitment process, which requires building authentic relationships. In turn, this will help create safe spaces for candidates.

• • Consider using more behavioral questions during the interview, in order to learn about how the candidate thinks and processes information, shared from their experiences.

• • Train those conducting interviews about DEI best practices, and create competencies for interviews in order to evaluate skill set.

Purpose

The panel discussion seeks to unveil challenges and opportunities in retaining and engaging diverse talent in tech. Panelists shared their experiences in developing and deploying advancement opportunities for Black, indigenous, and Latino/x professionals in technology companies.

Questions

• • What unique and forward-thinking strategies have you applied to ensure equitable processes for POC in employee engagement, retention, and succession planning?

• • How should companies think differently of their current approach to diversity talent management, in order to adapt to remote or hybrid work environments? 

Key Takeaways 

• • When you hire BIPOC, understand that they will be culturally taxed because of their identities. Understand that BIPOC are relational and relationships are critical. 

• • Consider compensating BIPOC staff for their contributions to advancing diversity in your organization. Black, indigenous, Latino/x, and other people are often asked to sit on diversity committees, hiring panels, and other efforts to support DEI and change management. Their contributions are important, and often above and beyond what they’re hired to do. 

• • There isn’t actually a pipeline problem: organizations need to see and nurture the pipeline that already exists within their org.

• • Recognize that your employees may leave, but they might return. They will bring their experiences and learning back with them.

• • Employees leaving is not always a failure; they can share their experience with their network.

• • Generally speaking, the HR function is not well-prepared and well-built to navigate around DEI. There’s an opportunity to establish trust with employees through vendor and network relationships. 

• • Working remotely allows employees to accomplish things in ways they weren’t able to do before in person. They are able to parent better and work better.

• • EEOC complaints went down dramatically during the pandemic. This allowed freedom from microaggressions and hostile work environments.

• • Highlight the importance of psychological safety.

• • There is a way to both interrogate the systems and figure out what needs to be created in that space. Focus on identifying the issue that needs to be faced head-on.

In the closing Q&A, Dr. Pamela Newkirk shared her perspective on advancing DEI in a meaningful and sustainable way. Fred Stewart, WSECU, and Maileen Hamto, WTIA, asked the questions.

Watch the video recording here: 

We’ve heard enough of the talk. Now is the time and inflection point where we want to see change.

— Dr. Pamela Newkirk

CEO Michael Schutzler and CDO Yolánda Chase affirmed the WTIA commitment to addressing systems of inequities in organizational development and talent management.  

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Many people are showing up with a sincere and genuine interest in doing something to fix racism in our industry. We have to collaborate, to work together in order to affect change.

— Michael Schutzler