Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT
- Organizations have been trying to promote equality for many years. Diversity and inclusion strategies and a myriad of programs have been implemented in companies across the world. Despite the attempts, many organizations still struggle to ensure that their workforce is representative of the populations they support or want to support.
- IT brings another twist. Many IT companies and departments are based on the culture of white males, and underrepresented ethnic communities find it more of a challenge to fit in.
- This sometimes means that talented minorities are less incentivized to join or stay in technology.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Diversity and inclusion cannot be a one-time campaign or a one-off initiative.
- For real change to happen, every leader needs to internalize the value of creating and retaining diverse teams.
Impact and Result
- To stay competitive, IT leaders need to be more involved and commit to a plan to recruit and retain people of color in their departments and organizations. A diverse team is an answer to innovation that can differentiate your company.
- Treat recruiting and retaining a diverse team as a business challenge that requires full engagement. Info-Tech offers a targeted solution that will help IT leaders build a plan to attract, recruit, engage, and retain people of color.
Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should recruit and retain people of color in your IT department or organization, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the ways we can support you in this endeavor.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT – Phases 1-2
1. Recruit people of color in IT
Diverse teams are necessary to foster creativity and guide business strategies. Overcome limitations by recruiting people of color and creating a diverse workforce.
- Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT – Phase 1: Recruit People of Color in IT
- Support Plan
- IT Behavioral Interview Question Library
2. Retain people of color in IT
Underrepresented employees benefit from an expansive culture. Create an inclusive environment and retain people of color and promote value within your organization.
- Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT – Phase 2: Retain People of Color in IT
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Workshop: Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Setting the Stage
The Purpose
Introduce challenges and concerns around recruiting and retaining people of color.
Key Benefits Achieved
Gain a sense of direction.
Activities
1.1 Introduction to diversity conversations.
1.2 Assess areas to focus on and determine what is right, wrong, missing, and confusing.
1.3 Obtain feedback from your team about the benefits of working at your organization.
1.4 Establish your employee value proposition (EVP).
1.5 Discuss and establish your recruitment goals.
Outputs
Current State Analysis
Right, Wrong, Missing, Confusing Quadrant
Draft EVP
Recruitment Goals
2 Refine Your Recruitment Process
The Purpose
Identify areas in your current recruitment process that are preventing you from hiring people of color.
Establish a plan to make improvements.
Key Benefits Achieved
Optimized recruitment process
Activities
2.1 Brainstorm and research community partners.
2.2 Review current job descriptions and equity statement.
2.3 Update job description template and equity statement.
2.4 Set team structure for interview and assessment.
2.5 Identify decision-making structure.
Outputs
List of community partners
Updated job description template
Updated equity statement
Interview and assessment structure
Behavioral Question Library
3 Culture and Management
The Purpose
Create a plan for an inclusive culture where your managers are supported.
Key Benefits Achieved
Awareness of how to better support employees of color.
Activities
3.1 Discuss engagement and belonging.
3.2 Augment your onboarding materials.
3.3 Create an inclusive culture plan.
3.4 Determine how to support your management team.
Outputs
List of onboarding content
Inclusive culture plan
Management support plan
4 Close the Loop
The Purpose
Establish mechanisms to gain feedback from your employees and act on them.
Key Benefits Achieved
Finalize the plan to create your diverse and inclusive workforce.
Activities
4.1 Ask and listen: determine what to ask your employees.
4.2 Create your roadmap.
4.3 Wrap-up and next steps.
Outputs
List of survey questions
Roadmap
Completed support plan