Diversity gender

To reduce this kind of oversight in the future, we’ve put together a diversity and inclusion committee we call MyYard, a group of employee volunteers who examine the company–everything from official policies to how we socialize–through a D&I lens. Groups like these can help you pinpoint the rules and unspoken traditions worth changing. One example was a weekly, after-work team-building event that revolved around video games, pizza, and beer. That was how my friends and I blew off steam; in hindsight, it was a living cliché of “brogrammer culture”–specifically, white brogrammer culture. … [Read more...] about I Accidentally Built A Brogrammer Culture. Now We’re Undoing It

“Diversity or representation is really about the numbers, but inclusion is about the quality of the experience and the ways in which that environment is allowing people to show up [as] their best selves,” Myers says. “A lot of the work is qualitative. You got to figure out what are people feeling, what are they experiencing, and what do we need to do in order to make sure that there is opportunity, fairness, a lack of bias, that kind of thing.” … [Read more...] about ‘We got a long way to go’: Netflix releases its first company inclusion report

One recommendation in Brown’s report is to either make automated testing optional, without penalizing applicants for opting out, or adopt universally accessible testing. (Being transparent about what a test is measuring, as well as its role in the hiring process, also gives candidates the ability to decline the test or seek accommodations.) An important consideration for universal testing is to make sure the test is actually measuring an applicant’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job. Beyond that, Brown says, a test should be accessible to as many people as possible and not presume, for example, that all participants can use oral speech. “It is possible to do that,” Brown says. “But it’s tricky, and it takes a lot of imagination [and] careful calibration and hard work.” … [Read more...] about How algorithm-based hiring tools can increase disability discrimination

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing recently released a study, commissioned by Intuit, that explores the role of influence in the workplace. It examines how organizations can create team dynamics that are equitable for women—and, critically, measure the results. The study examined survey responses from 265 technical professionals from NCWIT’s network of member organizations, as well as the results from a qualitative focus group, convened to explore the survey issues more deeply. In the study, half of the participants were women and their average age was 45. … [Read more...] about Why equitable workplaces depend on your team’s makeup (not just outstanding hires)

On Twitter, Black in Engineering was launched in the week leading up to Boseman’s passing in August 2020, and Black in Computing was launched two months earlier. The same cathartic experience of seeing Wakandan scientists and engineers on the big screen is how I felt reading all the posts tagged #BiERollCall—Black engineers and scientists across STEM disciplines introduced themselves and their work, their passions, and their expertise. And a sea of allies and advocates amplified these voices—including MC Hammer, who was throwing out retweets the way he used to throw out dance moves. … [Read more...] about How Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther inspired this Black engineer