Diversity in the Cloud: Widening the Net to Close the Skills Gap
Learn how the diversity problem in tech can be used to solve another key challenge – the growing skills gap.
Jon Flaherty, CEO of cloud talent creation experts, Revolent, explains how diversity is the magic bullet to driving innovation in tech. And how organizations should leverage diversity to shrink the growing cloud skills gap.
It has been clear now that tech has a diversity problem. The lack of representation in tech teams has resulted in numerous examples of end-products designed only with white men in mind, to the detriment of any users outside this group. From bias against people of color in facial recognition software to sexist credit card algorithms, these problems arise not because of any inherent malice but because of a development team lacking diverse experiences and perspectives.
Companies have struggled for many years to find talent that reflects our global society. And with digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic, this problem has only increased.
While the media spotlight tends to shine on automation and robots replacing humans, the truth is that – at present – the biggest risk is that there aren’t enough skilled workers to fill jobs across various industries.
Nearly 80% of IT decision-makers surveyed in last year’s Mason Frank Careers and Hiring Guide considered a lack of digital skills as their top challenge for meeting present and future business needs.
Something needs to be done to close the skills gap. And while diversity is one solution, it’s not as simple for companies as “hiring a more diverse group of people.” Structural barriers, combined with an unprecedented demand for talent, mean organizations don’t have the luxury of being picky when hiring tech talent. Instead, something needs to change.
Why Diversity Is Key to the Future of Tech
(and why it’s important to change things now)
The lack of representation in tech has been an incredibly complex challenge. And the more the skills gap widens, the less able companies are to focus on diversity as they try to keep up with increasing hiring demands.
But if organizations can move beyond the old-school mentality of what a tech professional looks like (and where they should come from) and widen the net in terms of finding talent, not only will they increase diversity within their teams, but they will also be able to find the vital talent they need.
As a sector, we need to start recognizing the value of diverse teams and that there are valid (and effective) alternate routes into tech.
Understanding that women, for example, are more likely to enter a tech career through cross-training later in life, or even unintendedly due to a tech-adjacent role in another organization, is the first step to improving the gender diversity of your workforce. With that one way of rethinking one part of your business, you can significantly reduce barriers to entry for women in tech.
But there are other underrepresented demographics, both in tech and beyond. By examining your organization, specifically looking at aspects of the business that could be a barrier to entry for certain groups and then strategically tweaking them, you can attract a wider range of people and start seeing the benefits of a more diverse team.
For example, consider sourcing talent through return-to-work schemes, graduate schemes, or talent creation programs instead of relying on traditional recruitment methods.
You can also offer people within your organization who may not come from a traditional “tech” background a chance to learn a new technology. If a certain team or group of people are trained in legacy skills (or soon will be), reskilling them into a new technology could be an option for them. By investing in your existing workforce in this way, you can avoid the loss of valuable business knowledge, significantly improve your retention, and redeploy your best talent into high-demand areas. All while generating net-new talent for that ecosystem.
Creating Net-new Diverse Talent to Solve the Skills Gap
Cross-training experienced professionals from a wide range of life experiences and backgrounds in cloud technologies before placing them is the best way to generate and access diverse talent. This gives people a chance to cross-train in an in-demand technology and start an exciting new career while providing organizations with the in-demand cloud talent they need.
And it’s working: our business model has allowed us to flexibly plug skills gaps for companies worldwide, as and when they need it. And that flexibility has come directly from our ability to tap into wider IT talent pools, including underrepresented groups in tech, and cross-train individuals into cloud technologies.
Research shows that now, more than ever, the most successful companies actively champion diversity. Especially in sectors where talent is in incredibly high demand, such as the cloud (or tech, more generally). And this bears out in our experience as a creator and providers of diverse cloud talent.
When it comes to cloud technologies, diversity is no longer just a moral imperative – the businesses that accept the need to be more inclusive to a broader range of people are outpacing the competition. Diversity is essential, both for individual organizations and our sector as a whole.
How can organizations fuel the cloud sector with diverse tech talent? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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