Diversity in Tech Hiring: A Common Ground Approach

A resurgence of the pandemic is currently occurring across the United States. Based on recent experiences, this will likely impact everyone, but communities of color will unfortunately continue to experience a disproportionate share of the negative consequences.

Individuals from Black and brown communities are expected to represent a larger percentage of those becoming ill and succumbing to the virus, and their businesses and workers will likely face greater financial hardship.

Fortunately, there is a growing desire to identify areas of agreement and implement effective solutions, suggesting potential pathways forward.

It’s important to assess the current situation: the longer the pandemic persists, the more it could accelerate existing trends. Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, advancements in automation and computing were reshaping the job market and impacting employment, and projections indicate that by 2030, these technologies will adversely affect hundreds of thousands of existing positions.

The challenges are particularly acute for communities of color. Due to their greater representation in sectors vulnerable to automation, a McKinsey report estimates that over two decades, approximately 23.1% of African Americans and 25.1% of Hispanic Americans could see their jobs eliminated or significantly altered. The employment landscape was already challenging for these groups before the pandemic began.

One might hope that this transition will generate new, advanced technology jobs, or that affected workers can receive training and acquire skills for employment in the evolving economy.

However, this is often not a straightforward process. In 2019, the average cost of an online coding bootcamp was $14,623 per individual. Even with financial assistance options like loans or installment plans, this amount remains inaccessible to many individuals whose jobs are at risk.

The pandemic is exacerbating these difficulties. Almost 80% of low-income households lack sufficient savings to cover three months of expenses, and one-third of Americans are currently struggling to meet their monthly bills.

A positive development is that America’s largest and most successful companies are encountering difficulties in attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. These companies recognize this issue and understand that they cannot remain competitive without the contributions of talent from underrepresented communities, and they acknowledge their current shortcomings in this area.

Companies often spend around $20,000 on recruitment fees for a single IT professional, but securing a candidate from a diverse background can cost three times as much, and retaining these employees presents a significant challenge. Since 2016, the retention rate for Black and Latinx employees in the technology sector has decreased from 7% to 5%, resulting in a constant turnover of diverse talent.

Essentially, there is a substantial pool of skilled and innovative individuals seeking opportunities in high-tech fields, while numerous powerful and forward-thinking companies are actively seeking to recruit and retain such talent.

This convergence of needs creates an opportunity for collaboration. The Dream Corps TECH Town Hall this month exemplified this, bringing together activists and educators from underrepresented communities with industry leaders. Rather than engaging in conflict, both groups engaged in constructive dialogue about the challenges they face and potential avenues for cooperation.

For example, industry and education leaders could dedicate resources to scholarship and training programs that guarantee employment. Activists and CEOs can jointly advocate for universal broadband access, particularly given the pandemic’s disruption to educational opportunities, ensuring that future generations of coders have the chance to succeed.

Leveraging the untapped potential within underrepresented communities can help companies mitigate algorithmic bias and thrive in a diverse global marketplace, while companies can empower individuals to prosper as the economy evolves.

This collaborative approach is founded on the understanding that mutual success requires the contributions of all parties involved. It can serve as a model for addressing other complex issues and generating essential solutions. While the pandemic is once again intensifying, so too is the desire for common ground. We have a choice in how we respond.