Taking inspiration from our clients on diversity

While we often hear the topic of diversity discussed, it seems there’s still room for a lot more progress. For example, Pew Research shows that women still only occupy one quarter of all computer-science related jobs. This needs to change across key industries like tech and life sciences.

We’ve got a very diverse workforce here at Spark, and research shows this brings many benefits to businesses, as well as individuals. McKinsey finds companies that focus on racial and ethnic diversity are likely to perform above expectations, while Harvard Business Review has shown that cognitively diverse teams are faster to solve problems. Can organisations afford to miss out on the potential, experience and perspectives that go hand in hand with a more representative workforce?

Pushing for greater equality

Many of our clients have spoken about the need to improve diversity in their industries. MuleSoft’s Emely Patra, Regional Vice President, and Head of Customer Success in EMEA, is a particularly strong advocate. I found her recent interview with Digitalisation World really interesting. During the conversation, she shares her experiences as a woman working in tech, and how she wants to achieve an equitable society.

Our life sciences clients have also highlighted inequality. Phesi, for instance, released analysis that showed almost half of all US cancer clinical trials have no Hispanic or Latin American representation. Meanwhile, the Pistoia Alliance aims to boost representation with its Women in STEM leadership programme, which is being expanded in 2023 to include even more underrepresented groups.

I’m also inspired by HP’s CISO, Joanna Burkey, who regularly shares her insights on the need to improve diversity in cybersecurity. HP recently conducted a survey that revealed how women are still eager for promotion, with one in three in the US having applied for promotions between 2021 and 2022. The findings show that more women (42 percent) than men (31 percent) seek promotion due to the fact they were already doing higher-level tasks outside of their role.

Taking a stand

The good news is there are steps we as individuals can take to brighten the future. As Emely said in her recent interview, we must make sure to challenge the status quo, and if you’re a diverse individual, stand up and be a role model for others. After all, how can we expect diversity to improve if we don’t have examples that organisations and individuals can refer to, where equality is already a priority? We should also look to make allies within organisations, to ensure our views and those of diverse individuals are always supported and encouraged.

Joanna’s advice to look beyond the CV, and consider the perspectives that every individual has, as well as their potential, could also make a huge difference. After all, many on-the-job skills can be developed over time.

If more of us can take up a proactive mindset, set out to become role models and foster a more inclusive culture, then diversity will continue to be on the rise in the next few years.