Resources for employers — Summer of Tech

What are things that employers can do?

How can we make real change? Julie offers a rich list of resources, training and policies that employers and individuals could adopt to make the tech industry more welcoming and supportive for women. 

1) Measure and be accountable

“One thing is track everything and be accountable with measures. Get a quota, report to the board. Be accountable to your board on leadership in people and women in tech, and your diversity and inclusion metrics, and what your population makeup is of your company. Work hard to meet your quotas. When you’ve got a number to go for, and you go like, ‘Wow! We are really low in Pacifika and Māori people,’ then you will take different actions to go find Pacifika and Māori candidates.”

2) Understand Bias

Julie Reddish highlights the importance of understanding inherent biases in people. She explains, “Bias is part of that brilliance in your brain that it’s just got some unintended consequences to surface.” Julie emphasises that bias is a natural aspect of being human, stating, “Well, I’m always struck by the inherent bias that is present in people, and having that not be wrong.” She encourages self-compassion and continuous effort to address injustices, adding, “Allowing yourself to give yourself a break and give people the opportunity to keep seeking out where injustice is.” Julie urges us to embrace our biases and use them as opportunities for growth and fairness.

Resources:

https://diversityworksnz.org.nz/events-learning/corporate-training/understanding-unconscious-bias/

3) Training for humans on inclusive practices

Julie underscores the necessity of comprehensive training programs to support women in the tech industry. She states, “To support women we need to have ally skills training, male allies trained. Have emotional intelligence training, unconscious bias training for all!” Julie advocates for ongoing education, emphasising the importance of manager training: “Take manager training seriously, provide ongoing training for managers with being better at their craft of managing humans.” She suggests using resources like “Project Include” for guidance on recruitment, and training. “It was created by some of the best tech minds, for guidance on recruitment questions, writing inclusive job descriptions, working conditions, eliminating bias in resumes, and diverse interview panels.” 

Resources: