Federico Sendra, CEO and cofounder of SpaceDev: A Consultancy and Development Services Company with a focus on Blockchain and Web3.
You might say it’s common sense to want the best candidate for an open position. Of course, HR departments will have to compromise with whatever gets submitted to them, and that’s just the start of a multistep process that doesn’t guarantee anything. Still, I’ve found that looking within that limited sample with complete open-mindedness yields consistent results both from a business and performative standpoint.
Despite not having many fellow female students when I majored in programming almost 10 years ago, I always saw tech as a very gender-neutral field, at least more than other industries with a longer history of biases and “employment habits.” After all, women had been shaping NASA’s trajectory decades before I was born.
Running a company quickly dispelled some naive impressions I had about IT. Being 27 when I co-founded SpaceDev meant I had so much to learn from experience, but it nonetheless allowed me to discover the ways, big and small, in which women and minorities are led off track from accomplishing their true potential.
Research shows that diversity gets smaller the higher you climb on any organization. Despite more and more companies implementing measures to strengthen inclusivity and fair hiring, things like unconscious prejudices are hard to detect and change. Real life’s complex dynamics indeed spill into the workplace, so it’s no surprise to hear arguments like “maybe they don’t reach the C-suite because they’re not good or motivated enough.”
Basic empathy aside, one of the reasons to consider inclusivity as a core corporate value is the undeniable impact it has on talent acquisition and retention. It provides access to a larger pool of potential candidates and invites them to be themselves so they can focus on what they do. Heightened morale usually perpetuates a work atmosphere where individuals see themselves as allies in a shared mission, whoever they are and whether they work from home or not (I know, this last bit might be controversial).
Tech is a fiercely competitive industry, so supporting employees and their freedoms gives them the comfort to shine. This is probably equivalent to more value, making the difference for staff and shareholders alike.
Diverse teams provide a richer tapestry of perspectives and experiences, expanding both the working tools available to the company and the ability to connect with a customer base.
Take Blockus, one of our recent projects, for example—being a cutting-edge Web3 platform at the crossroads between online gaming and blockchain, it benefited greatly from the contributions of its international crew, which came from very different backgrounds. To play in today’s global marketplace means comprehending and connecting with a clientele spanning various cultures and geographies, crafting trust-based relationships and solutions that cater to their specific needs.
But that also matters inside office walls—when it comes to building inclusivity, creating a sense of belonging is a good start. Management must foster an environment where individual voices are heard, treated fairly and included in the company’s activities, all of which will have a positive impact on motivation and performance.
Doing so might require a top-to-bottom transformation of corporate policies, content production and job postings, reflecting the aforementioned values, but it’s easier than it sounds. This also entails differentiating protocol from what is unnecessarily inhibiting employees from being creative or going beyond the line of duty in ways that are beneficial to the organization.
Another key step toward greater inclusivity is education, which applies to everyone, no matter their role or place in the pyramid. The Gender Proportionality Principle, which is adopted by companies that want to reach a 50/50 employment ratio for men and women, is one of those curriculum fundamentals.
I believe it’s important not to overdo it and make it feel like HR is “forcing the issue,” alienating long-standing employees who might not consider themselves to be part of a minority or underrepresented community. Highlighting a social cause and investing resources in addressing it should be about leveling the playing field, not redistributing privileges.
It all comes down to empowering those who need it and want to grow. At SpaceDev, for instance, we take extra care to coach those women who are natural-born leaders or find themselves in a quest for excellence. On April 27, 2023—International Girls in ICT Day—we participated in a local mentorship initiative aimed at supporting underrepresented youth. This not only encouraged our team to be proactive and learn about the subject, but it actually extended opportunities to those who may otherwise face barriers. And the cool part? It was fun and inspiring and didn’t feel like a chore at all.
There’s a lot to be done, but tech has all the potential to be what I thought it was when I was a university student: truly open to anyone with technical knowledge and access to a computer. What gets in the way are larger cultural and social dynamics, so every effort matters.
Businesses have a multifaceted incentive to push for diversity, attract and retain top talent, drive innovation, forge stronger customer relationships and build resilient, thriving teams. Those who are avid sci-fi readers or cinephiles can probably recall mental images of multispecies spaceship crews that hail from all over the galaxy. Inclusivity is not only a smart business move; it’s the future!
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
