Tech workers say diversity and inclusion efforts are working

Tech workers claim that where organisations are working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) those efforts are making a difference, according to a survey.

As part of its Careers and Hiring Guide 23/24, tech talent firm Tenth Revolution Group gathered data from global employees at Amazon Web Services, Microsoft 365, Azure and Business Applications, NetSuite and Salesforce, and found that 71% of tech workers claimed their workplace promotes DEI and that these efforts are having a positive impact.

Caroline Fox, global ED&I strategy lead for Tenth Revolution Group, said: “Most tech employers are investing resources in ED&I, and the majority of tech professionals are affirming its positive impact. And while the numbers do drop slightly, it’s especially great to see that it’s still a majority when we filter specifically for marginalised communities across the range of tech ecosystems. My hope is that more data like this will enable us to keep focusing our efforts on implementation and meaningful inclusion across the sector.”

Diversity in the tech sector has been a focus of debate for many years, and the progress towards improving diversity in the UK’s technology industry has been slow.

Figures from BCS, for example, found in the four years to 2022, the percentage of women in tech roles only grew by 4%, and the number of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds grew by just 2% in the same timeframe.

The slow growth in some cases has been attributed to company attitudes towards DEI practices, sometimes only focusing on one group, or addressing their hiring practices without taking into consideration retention.

Just under 70% of those involved in Tenth Revolution’s research said their employer is investing in DEI initiatives, and while 71% of employees as a whole feel these are working, this number fluctuates depending on the focus of the efforts.

Elsewhere in the industry, attitudes towards DEI are mixed, with some saying firms are doing well to increase the diversity of tech teams, while others claim budget cuts and a lack of leadership buy-in are preventing these initiatives from making a difference.

Tenth Revolution found 69% of tech professionals believe their workplace is an equal opportunities employer for tech workers who are differently abled.

The outlook is much the same for tech workers who are people of colour, with 68% saying their employer is supportive of people of colour in the workplace.

The number drops even further when it comes to supporting women in tech, with 62% saying their employer promotes equality – inclusion and internal culture can play a huge role in retaining diverse talent, but this is especially true of women.

Data from Tech Talent Charter found a lack of flexible working practices stands in the way of women choosing to stay in a tech role or in the tech sector as a whole, with 40% of women in tech saying their future career choices will depend on their care responsibilities.

There has been an unfortunate trend of DEI practices being scaled back over the past year, with many industry organisations stating diversity and inclusion practices should continue to be intentional and well planned rather than for show. There is widespread opinion that with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and a growing skills gap, the push for diversity in the sector is now more important than ever.