Addressing Diversity in Tech Hiring Practices

As Stanley Black & Decker sought to enhance the diversity of its candidate pool, the company partnered with Talenya, an Israeli startup specializing in talent acquisition solutions.

The Catalyst for Change

This move reflects a broader trend within the tech industry. Following widespread social justice movements sparked by events in 2020, numerous companies initiated a critical review of their hiring practices and their role in addressing systemic inequalities.

The assessment revealed that existing recruiting tools often failed to identify the full spectrum of qualified applicants, hindering efforts to build a truly representative workforce.

Recognizing the Root of the Problem

Bo Young Lee, Uber’s Chief Diversity Officer, emphasized that the issue isn’t necessarily a lack of qualified candidates, but rather shortcomings in the recruiting process itself. “If we want to claim that it’s a pipeline issue, we would first have to claim that we’ve hired what is available in the pipeline,” she stated.

The Rise of Diversity-Focused Startups

This realization has fueled the growth of startups dedicated to improving diversity and inclusion in tech hiring. Companies like Talenya, Textio, TalVista, WayUp, Handshake, The Mom Project, Flockjay, Kanarys, JumpStart and SeekOut have collectively secured over $200 million in funding.

These firms aim to provide innovative solutions to address the challenges of building a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce.

Leveraging AI for Inclusive Recruitment

Xerox, another company utilizing Talenya’s software, has seen positive results. Suzan Morno-Wade, EVP and chief human resources officer at Xerox, explained that Talenya’s AI software helps expand the candidate pool, particularly among women and people of color.

Research conducted by Talenya indicates that individuals from underrepresented groups often use fewer keywords and exhibit less self-promotion in their profiles and applications.

Refining Screening Processes

Startups like Talenya and Textio are focused on refining the screening process. They advocate for broader language in job descriptions (Textio) and more inclusive filters for candidate selection (Talenya).

“Keyword search is highly discriminatory to everyone,” noted Gal Almog, chief executive and co-founder of Talenya. “Minorities and women tend to put 20% to 30% less skills on their profiles. We added an algorithm that can predict and add missing skills.”

Expanding Talent Discovery

SeekOut, a recruiting startup that recently raised $65 million, offers similar functionalities, focusing on finding talent and providing blind hiring features. Anoop Gupta, SeekOut’s chief executive, highlighted the increased adoption driven by their diversity-focused approach.

Analyzing the Funnel for Bias

WayUp is tackling diversity challenges by providing insights into how applicant pools narrow during the screening process. Their new tool assesses the diversity of applicant pools at each stage, revealing potential biases in testing and assessment procedures.

Liz Wessel, WayUp’s co-founder and chief executive, pointed out that technical assessments often correlate with socioeconomic status, potentially disadvantaging certain candidates.

Targeted Recruitment Initiatives

Beyond process improvements, some companies are focusing on diversifying specific roles or targeting underrepresented talent pools. Flockjay and The Mom Project exemplify this approach.

Creating On-Ramps to Tech

Flockjay offers a tech sales training curriculum designed to open doors for individuals who may not have traditionally considered a career in tech. Shaan Hathiramani, Flockjay’s founder and chief executive, believes this program can provide an on-ramp for workers with transferable skills.

The program aims to help individuals leverage their existing soft skills to transition into higher-paying tech roles.

Addressing Pandemic-Related Disparities

The Mom Project focuses on connecting women, including parents, with companies actively seeking to employ them. Allison Robinson, Mom Project’s chief executive, highlighted the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women’s employment.

“Sixty percent of the job losses in the pandemic have been women, and the statistics have been even worse for women of color,” she stated.

The Importance of Inclusive Culture

Sarah Smith, managing director at Bain Capital Ventures, emphasized the importance of building an inclusive culture from the outset. “No matter what, it’s important that from day one you have an eye on how to build an inclusive culture,” she said.

Smith suggested that achieving gender or racial diversity within the first six hires is crucial to avoid entrenching homogeneity.