Allyship & Diversity in IT ecosystems
Allyship across IT
Allyship in any workplace is the cornerstone of a healthy and friendly community, where people feel able to voice their opinions and to comfortably "bring their full selves" to work!
A senior manager at EC-Council (a company delivering cybersecurity certifications and education) recently voiced her perspectives about this topic:
"The underrepresentation of female and LGBTQ+ individuals in the IT / computing industries mirrors a broader societal issue. This is partly due to historical biases, stereotypes, and a lack of visible role models that can discourage these groups from pursuing careers in tech"
Interlinked with this, said manager also promoted some questions across LinkedIn, so the discussion could be opened up to a wider audience.
Being someone who has now worked in two male-dominated industries, where the vast majority of my colleagues are straight and white, this is something that resonated with me: I spent the entire day thinking about the quote above, and pondering the questions that the panellists had answered, as I wanted to find the right way to express my thoughts and feelings. To that end, I want to provide my perspectives to some of the questions.
"There are relatively few female and LGBTQ+ people studying Cyber / Computing Skills in the UK - Is this representative of the workplace and, if so, why do you think this is?"
I think anyone with common sense would be hard-pressed to argue that courses and careers aligned with 'Computer / Cyber' are male-dominated.
My theory is that the lack of diversity (gender, ethnicity and sexuality) in the workplace may stem from the context in which this industry is presented.
IT companies often use gendered language or graphics (posters / banners / etc...) with men at the forefront which can be immediately off-putting for people who don't match the people represented.
It's easy to understand why people won't apply for courses / careers in a field that doesn't value or represent them - Nobody wants to be an outcast, so why would they apply somewhere where they feel unwelcome or like they have no place / belonging?
Looking into this further, I read an interesting article about this (archived via the #WaybackMachine), which I have hyperlinked below:
"Do you think it is important for a workforce to be diverse and, if so, why do you think this way?"
It's massively important to have a diverse workforce! That's not just my personal opinion, it is a known and quantified fact, and the numbers don't lie.
As researchers like Deloitte have unanimously identified, diversity is correlated with better performance, especially for groups that value innovation and new ideas.
McKinsey & Company have gone on-record saying "Companies with strong gender and ethnic diversity are 15% and 35% respectively more likely to outperform their competitors"
By being around similar others, we are likely to think that we all hold the same information, and assume we all share the same perspectives, but with a diverse range of people being in the same room, we can challenge ideas and explore different insights, allows us to better innovate.
This isn't just limited to racial or gender diversity, but even things like disability, neurodivergence, upbringing, etc... Thus, by not having a diverse workforce, you risk stagnation, which any reasonable business should try to avoid.
"Have you experienced any challenges in the workplace and if so, are you able to give any examples?"
I'm lucky in that I haven't been discriminated against because of my gender or sexuality or race, and this is a privilege that I am very aware of.
In spite of this, I have unfortunately seen other people be mistreated because of qualities that they have no control over, usually coming in the form of 'Microaggressions' such as:
- Someone white saying to a person-of-colour "Wow you speak really well", assuming that English is not their first language.
- Someone cisgendered repeatedly misgendering a nonbinary individual, or using the dead-name of a trans individual.
- Someone saying "I'll reach out to the manager and ask him for feedback" thereby assuming that someone higher-up is assured to be male.
- During in-person meetings, men often shake each other's hands or give fist-bumps, but then give a very brief acknowledgement to the women they work with. Even if unintentional, this seems curt.
In these cases, even if it may not have been their intention to create an uncomfortable working environment, I feel like it's our collective responsibility as good allies to speak-up and, if necessary, to potentially deliver an appropriate form of intervention, even if this is just a quiet chat together afterwards.
"Have you experienced any challenges in the workplace and if so, are you able to give any examples?"
I'm lucky in that I haven't been discriminated against because of my gender or sexuality or race, and this is a privilege that I am very aware of.
In spite of this, I have unfortunately seen other people be mistreated because of qualities that they have no control over, usually coming in the form of 'Microaggressions' such as:
- Someone white saying to a person-of-colour "Wow you speak really well", assuming that English is not their first language.
- Someone cisgendered repeatedly misgendering a nonbinary individual, or using the dead-name of a trans individual.
- Someone saying "I'll reach out to the manager and ask him for feedback" thereby assuming that someone higher-up is assured to be male.
- During in-person meetings, men often shake each other's hands or give fist-bumps, but then give a very brief acknowledgement to the women they work with. Even if unintentional, this seems curt.
In these cases, even if it may not have been their intention to create an uncomfortable working environment, I feel like it's our collective responsibility as good allies to speak-up and, if necessary, to potentially deliver an appropriate form of intervention, even if this is just a quiet chat together afterwards.
"How would you support a colleague who confides in you that they identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community within the workplace?"
Ultimately you need to show solidarity and this needs to be genuine. So how do we do that?
Listen to them tell their story and don't interrupt: It takes a lot of courage to open up about something personal, so let them have this conversation at their own pace.
Make them feel heard by maintaining positive body language: This can mean nodding, leaning towards them, maintaining eye contact, and not getting distracted by your phone.
Politely ask any questions, but ensure they aren't rude or nosey: You may be curious to learn more, but try to remember that this conversation isn't for your education, it's to help them feel supported and understood.
Smile to them where appropriate to create a comfortable atmosphere: Where possible, try to make it clear that this is a judgement-free conversation.
Their trust in you should not feel misplaced so don't tell anyone else or 'out them' to other colleagues. Only they can make the decision who they tell!
Show solidarity with nonbinary and trans people by including your pronouns in your email footer: This is a small gesture that can encourage more open-mindedness within a organisation.
"When students enter the workplace, what advice would you give them to ensure they are an ally for under represented individuals in the workplace?"
Respect. It's the simplest thing with the most impact.
You don't have to understand someone else's life, their identity, their culture, or their perspectives, to show them a healthy and amicable amount of respect.
Effectively it boils down to "Treat others how you would like to be treated" and being proactive about your unconscious biases.
From there, allyship can come in various shapes and sizes!
Students joining a workplace could do any of the following to be a better ally for under-represented communities:
- Upon starting their job, they could ask about Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for different communities, including LGBTQ+ or BAME groups.
- They could take some time to educate themselves by reading books about events like the Stonewall Riots and the American civil rights movement.
- They could even volunteer with charities that support different vulnerable people (e.g. Mermaids, BEAT, National Autistic Society, Daisy Chain, PAPYRUS, Race on the Agenda, etc...)
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Thanks for reading!
Allyship isn't a big ask: It's simply being polite and supportive towards people around you, regardless as to any differences you might have.
By being good allies, we will be encouraging people "bring their full selves" to work and to feel safe in this environment!
We all deserve to be ourselves and to feel safe being this way, so please remember the messages above and try to challenge any unconscious biases that you may have.
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