Your Company's DEI
Through the Eyes
Of a Job Candidate
Business owners may be
committed to DEI, but what do
job seekers see?
By Diversio
My story is just one voice
that reflects many diverse faces
of the world around us.
This is my story told with
many different faces.
I set down my coffee and reread the company mission statement. I have to admit, it sounded
pretty good.
It's three months and nine days until college graduation, and I have been looking for workplaces where I can put my education to good use as a project manager. I know I’m ready.
There’s just one problem. At both software companies where I interned, I was often the only woman in the room, and at one I was the only non-white person in the whole company.
No one ever said or did anything overtly inappropriate or racially charged, but now that internships are behind me, I want things to be different. I want to work at a place where I can grow, make a difference, and be accepted just the way I am.
I don't want a workplace where I have to deal with microaggressions, or even outright hostility, that distracts me from making a difference.
I Know It Will Be Hard.
Tech doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for inclusiveness. According to a recent study, 73% of tech companies polled had no Black leaders in executive positions.
Between 2014 and 2019, the percentage of Black or Hispanic technical workers at the biggest tech companies rose by less than one percent — and that was after companies like Microsoft and Google committed to making massive changes.
There Are Other
Job Candidates Like Me
It’s not just a problem because it means people like me might not get heard, and it’s not just a problem because customers may not always see themselves in companies that don’t reflect the world around them. Lack of diversity is holding companies back, preventing them from reaching their full potential.
Already, companies have been called out for creating tech that only serves some of the population.
For example, the face recognition software tested on white men — software that didn’t easily read the faces of people of color because the product hadn’t been designed with them in mind.
I’ve done the research. I know women are more underrepresented in tech jobs now than they were in 1990, even though they make up 53% of working Americans, and they’re leaving because of the culture at tech companies and in the industry in general.
There's an opportunity for change
There are dozens of qualified candidates like me looking at your company website, social media, and online presence. We’re coming in to talk to you, we're looking at your office, and we're learning from others who have worked for you. We’re passionate, bright, and ready to bring our skills, experiences, and work ethics to the table.
If we looked at your company,
what would we see?
Doing My Research
I want to be part of the change, having narrowed down my list of companies I want to work at two. EmpApps builds employee apps for small businesses.
YourSaaSAccountant is a SaaS company that promises to be a virtual accountant.
I dig into EmpApps first.
As I browse, I’m taking notes. The DEI statement sounds terrific, but I want to see what the company itself looks like. Why are they using photos that don’t reflect diversity? I love that they’re taking action and supporting a woman’s shelter, but I'm still hung up on the phrase “digital native, with native English language skills.” It makes me wonder if they’re picturing someone young. Someone who isn’t an immigrant.
My coffee is getting cold. I quickly glance at YourSaaSAccountant.
I grin. I'm happy that they’re taking part in Pride and the job ad wording sounds more inclusive — like they might be open to anyone of any background and physical ability. On the other hand, I scroll and scroll, but I don’t see a specific DEI statement or commitment.
Hmmm. I start browsing other pages, including any websites where these companies may appear and the news sites. I learn that EmpApps hired someone of Korean descent to work as a VP and YourSaaSAccountant works with a woman-led supplier to hire contractors. So far, both seem like promising opportunities.
Two weeks later, I’m getting ready for an interview with EmpApps. I check in with my family and tuck my daughter’s LEGO minifigure into my jacket pocket when she offers it to me for “good luck, mommy.” I kiss my wife goodbye and head out.
EmpApps is headquartered in a tall building downtown. The shiny glass and steel make me blink as the elevator pings its way to the 14th floor. Halen Smith, the company founder, greets me with a handshake and a warm smile when I step into the office.
I notice that the doors are wide enough for a wheelchair but that the front desk would be too high for a wheelchair user to see the receptionist.
I glance around as I follow Halen through the office. I see three women in the main open-concept office, but so far everyone looks white. Everyone has their head down, buried in their work. I’m relieved to see a tiny rainbow flag on one desk.
“We’re so glad you could come in to speak with us. Can I offer you a coffee or water before we head into the conference room?”
I gratefully accept the bottled water.
When I walk into the room, both men inside stand and extend their hands. James McNeil is the VP of People and Mike Simpson is the HR Director. Both are athletic, with dark suits. James smiles at me and says “welcome,” but I notice that Mike frowns and gives my hand an extra hard shake.
“Your academic record speaks for itself," Halen says. "Tell us about the projects you worked on at your internships.”
As I answer her questions, I notice Mike scribbling madly in his planner. He doesn’t once look up, but when I stop speaking, he asks one question.
“Here, our project manager will need to manage many KPIs and functionalities, reporting to multiple teams and handling complex projects across all our verticals," he quickly says. "Can you please explain what experience you can bring to the table in this environment, specifically?”
I take a deep breath and smile at the other two men as I go into detail about the projects I have handled across time zones and demanding projects. Even though I hate to use jargon, I can easily speak the language. Part of me wonders if Mike assumes I’m not familiar with the terms, but I brush the thought aside.
At the end of the interview, I feel pretty good about my chances, even though my palms are a little clammy. After a week, some of that nervousness was still lingering, but it was time for an interview with YourSaaSAccountant.
YourSaaSAccountant is headquartered in a downtown building where I see team members chatting and having casual meetings. Robert — who asked me to call him Rob — Mullins shows me through the space, which includes a “quiet room” for anyone who needs it, open desks where anyone can pull up, and large windows looking out over the street.
As we pass by groups of workers, several look up and smile.
We settle down in one of the conference rooms. I’m happy to see that what looks to be a hand-hewn conference table is low enough for wheelchair users. After a few questions about my internships, Rob asks me if I have any questions.
“Yes,” I tell him. “I noticed in your company Twitter bio that you’re working towards a Diversio Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion certification. I would love to hear more about your efforts.”
Rob looks down at the table, takes a deep breath, and then looks me in the eye. “I’m going to level with you. We’re still working on our DEI mission statement," he says. "Our last one felt too generic. We have a commitment to change, and things are changing, but to be honest it's moving slower than I'd like it to.”
I lean forward, eager to learn more.
“It hasn’t all been smooth, but what I can say is that we’re working with a third-party, woman-owned business who can help us identify our blind spots and help us train our people, measure our progress, establish a code of conduct, and provide us with resources," Rob says.
He continues: "We’re even working towards certification — they call it a Diversio Certification — to show our commitment to everyone we work with, but that will take time. So far, we have ERPs, mentorships, town halls, and open-door policies. In the next month, we’re creating a DEI department, which will include me as well as others in the company. Everyone will be paid for their time contributing to this department, so we’re showing we value the work they do.”
“That sounds good,” I tell him. He nods and smiles, growing more animated as he talks.
“Diversio benchmark data has shown us that tech companies tend to be in the 90th percentile when it comes to diversity, which isn’t what I was expecting. The Diversio Inclusion Score™ at tech companies is usually in the 80s, which is higher than in many industries," Rob says. "We’re not there yet, but already we have improved by five points in our Inclusion Score™ , which is a big jump for any company. We’re determined to keep improving, testing quarterly to stay on track. The two benefits for us in tech are that our business is scaling and changing fast and we have financial resources. I’m hoping to use that to our advantage.”
Decision Time
I leave Rob’s office feeling light, nodding and smiling at the team members who call out greetings. Everyone is in a good mood, possibly because lunch is being delivered. I’m delighted to see the delivery person’s t-shirt logo: “Removing employment barriers for those in need.” At home, my wife listens to the impressions I have of the two companies.
“I know what I’d choose, but this is your decision to make, babe. I know you’ll make the right one,” she says, taking my hands in hers.
I look at the polished DEI mission and the details of EmpApps. Still impressive. I think of YourSaaSAccountant, still at the start of its work. So much could still go wrong.
But I know in my heart which business I’ll choose.
I receive an email from Halen, too.
I send the warmest note I can, explaining that I received many excellent offers and it was a hard decision. In my head, though, I compose the email I may have written to Halen if I felt I could be honest.
I power down my computer and walk to the park with my daughter, smiling as she chases after the ducks. I feel good about my decision. I look forward to my first day at work.
How to Make Your Company More Attractive to Job Candidates
The above story is a fictionalized version of the way real job candidates make their choices. If you’re getting the sense after reading this story that your company may not be getting everything right when it comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and may potentially be driving away talent, there are several things you can do:
- Start with data. Measuring diversity at your company lets you see the composition of leadership, departments, &and the company overall. Better still, you may find out about sexual orientation, mental health conditions, and other overlooked employee facts that can help you realize you need more support in the workplace.
- Benchmark & analyze. It’s not enough to know who works at your company. How are you doing compared to the competition in your industry? What do those numbers mean? Using a resource like Diversio’s Recommendation Engine™, for example, lets you transform data into actionable recommended actions so you can see your diversity metrics improve over time.
- Take a look at your employee lifecycle. DEI is not a one-time event. Consider how you recruit &and hire, how you onboard, & and how you support professional development & and career growth. Is your DEI strategy reflected at every stage of an employee’s work with you?
- Look beyond the language. A strong DEI statement is powerful, but you also need to make it show up in your environment, your actions, & and your processes. EmpApps had a beautiful DEI statement, but they also couldn’t see that their workplace was inaccessible, some team members were not inclusive, and their team was homogeneous.
Intentions are not enough. In today’s world, metrics, action, and measurable results are what talented candidates see. They know how diverse your industry is and they’re looking for your results and the actions of your company, not just your public-facing DEI statement.
If you need help making your company the type of workplace that draws these candidates and makes them passionate about your mission, request a demo from Diversio to see how our AI-powered and metrics-driven approach to your DEI strategy might help.
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