This is part 1 in a 4 part series of my thoughts on diversity in tech.
My background is in branding.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that diversity initiatives could benefit from a re-branding; too often it seems like something the company feels they “must” do to avoid suffering scrutiny, not something that they desperately want to do.
Anything that is done out of obligation instead of out of desire will be difficult to maintain and prioritize. Investment in acquiring and retaining diverse perspectives on a startup team should be as essential to the startup formula as investing in marketing, technology or sales initiatives.
Why? A diverse team is one that can see the opportunities that other companies will miss.
It is a privilege and a competitive advantage to have a diverse team; not just defined by race and gender, but also by experience level, educational background, economic background, and more.
To earn that competitive advantage, companies need to put in the work...just like any other competitive advantage of their business.
It is not about "lowering the bar"; it's about "stopping the buck"
Once a candidate is in the pipeline, I believe firmly the process from there forward must be 100% equal for all candidates (and totally transparently so), lest we breed any questions about someone's deservedness for the role. (See: The infamous Google Memo).
I can only speak for myself, but as a woman, I would want to be hired for my own merit...not just the metric I would improve. My womanhood is a part of my identity and has shaped my experience. However, my unique experience is the value-add to my company, not my gender alone.
It's a subtle difference, but I think it changes the intentions diversity initiatives immensely. This approach focuses on appreciating the individual's merit and experiences, not just what demographic they fit most comfortably into by Gestalt principles.
In today’s workforce, women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities who have achieved great success in their careers are the definition of builders. They’ve carved their careers out despite systemic challenges that might have stood in their way. That is one hell of an asset for any startup team.
When our own startup faces adversity, I know that I personally want people at my side who have seen challenges and triumphed in the face of nearly impossible odds in their own lives.
I’ve heard a lot of opposition talk against diversity initiatives center around an argument that a company “shouldn’t lower the bar” to promote diversity.
But I think that if the words “we can’t lower the bar just to increase diversity" are ever uttered under an organization’s roof...this is evidence not that some proverbial “bar” needs to be lowered, but that the company likely hasn’t put in the legwork to earn a diverse pipeline.
We must be mindful of confusing a “bar” of minimum requirements, with a “box” that only certain people can fit within.
Read Part 2: Industries Where Diversity is an Ethical Necessity
