Statistics show the number of women in the tech industry has dropped to the same level it as in 1975. ADMA 's Jodie Sangster looks at bias in the industry, and makes suggestions on how companies should tackle diversity.
Despite being a hot topic in the past few years, diversity in the technology industry remains a major issue. With the increased capabilities of new technologies, the industry must confront the negative consequences that having only affluent white men in the driver’s seat will spur.
In a recent article by Cyrus Radfar, “[Algorithmic] systems learn from human behaviours at their most unfiltered”, he says although Google isn’t prejudiced, “the people it is learning from surely have some biases”. Furthermore, Margaret Mitchell from Microsoft believes the world of tech is currently controlled by a “sea of dudes”.
But the issue goes far beyond gender, especially when meeting gender quotas usually means hiring white women. Diversity of age and race should also be an integral part of the industry.
An example of where this could have serious consequences is in the developments of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is humans who teach computers, by feeding in data sets. If these are too narrow, we risk creating AIs with built-in biases. Another technology on the rise is voice recognition. If the software that manages this involves, for example, only the American English accent it will not be particularly effective in recognising a Scottish, or Vietnamese accent.
Digital companies need diverse skills and perspectives to gain a holistic view of the world and the people that they claim to represent. An increasingly visual digital world doesn’t translate well for the vision impaired. Ageism is possibly getting worse, driven by the pace of change. Children from less affluent areas might fall behind their private school counterparts because the latest tech and software is out of their reach. As Radfar says, “We have created a system where those who are able to keep up with the latest technological advances are at an immediate advantage.”
Across all industries, there are many ways for organisations to tackle the lack of diversity. Here are four tips on getting started.
Workplace initiatives
To make sure an organisation takes diversity seriously, changes need to first happen internally. All employees need to be aware of and be on board with the organisation’s values and efforts in diversity. Educating staff on the importance of diversity and keeping them abreast of changes is key. Make sure your policies are clear and easy to understand and celebrate the differences in your teams.
Recruitment
Partner with a job platform or recruitment company that shares your organisation’s values. Preferably one with an understanding of not only your industry, but others that might generate transferable skills.
Transferable skills
Diversity doesn’t end at gender or ethnicity. Businesses also need to look beyond industry experience and be open to skills that are transferable from one industry or sector to another.
Internal capabilities
Don’t overlook your existing workforce. Their skills, experience and inside knowledge already in your business are extremely valuable to the organisation. Enable existing staff to develop its knowledge and skills in other areas and they might become the new gun you never knew you had.
