Due to its increasing importance to workforce strategy, digital transformation, and social responsibility, this imperative has begun to draw board and C-suite attention.
When a company's product and engineering teams are made up of people from various backgrounds, such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, or educational attainment, the company's products and services are more relatable to a wider spectrum of customers.
For example, women are likely to account for roughly half of the intended audience for mass-market consumer technology such as a music app or social media site.
Companies that don't have gender balance on their product and engineering teams are more likely to miss out on half of their potential client base.
Tech professionals, particularly the younger ones, are increasingly expressing a desire to be part of diverse teams. Diversification has labour market benefits in addition to consumer market ones.
In addition, there is a moral imperative. Technology jobs offer a high level of salary and stability that few other professions can match. The homogeneous condition of Silicon Valley and technological leadership today is due to the fact that people have historically needed prestigious degrees or access to pricey equipment to enter this industry. Leading businesses have a responsibility to be at the forefront of innovation in order to provide new pathways into the future.
Get with the times when it comes to remote employment
At this point, being open to remote work, hiring from a variety of locales, and keeping compensation the same for those doing the same task regardless of location is simply solid recruiting strategy. All of this is especially true now that COVID-19 has ushered in a sea change in the adoption of remote employment, making the labour market even more competitive.
This is especially true for underrepresented or diverse talent. Working from home can help people focus on their jobs rather than the hurdles to success they face in a traditional office setting for a variety of reasons. Whether it's because of social anxiety, vision or hearing loss, or the existence of a mental illness, it helps them progress irrespectively better than an office environment.
Create a favourable environment
This last piece of advice is undoubtedly the most complicated, as it can have different implications for different businesses. However, given employees' growing desire for purpose and meaning at work, as well as possibilities for personal development, all firms should consider refining the employee value proposition for working on their tech teams.
