“Tech Connects Podcast,” Dice’s podcast, digs into the tech hiring, recruiting, and career topics that matter to you. Subscribe on ACast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more!
The next episode of the Tech Connects podcast is here! Every month, we have great guests who share their expertise about the current state of the tech careers world, from the hottest tech skills to the state of the tech hiring market to what companies are doing to retain and attract top talent.
Our next guests are Jacob Little, Glassdoor’s Senior Head of People Experience and DEI, and Stuart McCalla, Evolution Managing Partner. I was interested in speaking with them because of their deep backgrounds in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), particularly in how DEI programs can potentially improve a company’s internal diversity and culture. Let’s listen in!
Back in 2020, Glassdoor noticed that users were joining companies that had high ratings on its platform—but once those users arrived at their new employer, they found an unwelcoming environment. Glassdoor then partnered with Evolution, a coaching, culture, and leadership development firm, on a two-pronged mission: to boost DEI within Glassdoor, and to better infuse DEI principles into the platform itself.
As you’ll hear in the podcast episode, it was a complicated mission that produced some interesting results. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion:
First, DEI impacts everyone. Team leaders, project managers, and even C-suite executives might think they only need to be good at engineering products or making sure teams hit deadlines, but leadership is also about having the skill and knowledge to recognize diversity and how it affects an organization. No matter what your role, you need to absorb and respond to folks’ individual experiences and culture—if you can’t do that, you’re going to have issues with retention, and your best and brightest will walk right out the door.
Second, a formulaic approach to DEI just won’t cut it. You need to make sure that team members respond to DEI initiatives on an emotional level. That way, they’ll truly internalize what the organization is trying to teach. It’s more than just KPIs.
Third, DEI succeeds when it’s working on three levels: the individual, the collective, and the systemic. You have to ensure that issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are being addressed on every possible level, from the C-suite on down.
We’ll see you next time—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for technologists, the best place to grow your tech career.
