As the U.S. and Europe take stock of exactly what happened during the last year and what it means, all sectors are eagerly looking ahead to define what their "new normal" looks like. From inescapable cybersecurity challenges requiring a more widespread and unified government and business response, to remote work becoming ubiquitous, I'm convinced that the working world is - like it or not - going to look very different one or two years from now.

I hope that part of embracing a new normal, especially for the tech world, means that we will grow more open and willing to embrace employees and talent from all walks of life. That we will be willing to hire from talent pools outside of degree-holders, and that we will embrace the vision and leadership of people who are, frankly, not just white men.

Our hiring practices in tech have long needed examining, as have the values and norms we seek from people in positions of leadership. It is not inconceivable to say that the woefully under-diverse makeup of tech firms and the instances and severity of cybersecurity attacks on all types of organisation being on the rise are linked. Our sector is screaming out for fresh perspectives on existing challenges, and on the challenges we don't even know about yet. Hiring people from the same pools and networks time and time again isn't going to help. We need to embrace different pathways, different voices, and different leadership.

There has been a lack of representation in the tech sector for far too long. In 2018, just 8.5% of senior executives in tech were from black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Less than 15% of all senior tech leaders were women. Yet more than a third (35%) of board members and over a quarter (26%) of senior execs from top tech firms attended Oxbridge universities. That's compared to just 1% of the population. I'll make a "bold" assertion here and insist that it's not because this tiny pool of Oxbridge graduates are more talented or gifted in tech than people from other walks of life.

REAL CHANGE IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST HIRING PRACTICES
Real change must go deeper than just hiring more diverse people and believing that's the end of it. Following a summer of racially motivated civil unrest in the U.S. in 2020, Google tech leaders vowed to hire more black tech workers. While they did that, recent coverage points to high attrition among those workers and low representation at the highest levels, highlighting that the culture of embracing diversity in more than just name may be deeply lacking.

In my mind, the long-term answer is in how we train, mentor, support, and value the people we bring into the fold. Perhaps most critically, training plays an increasingly important role in ensuring that workers feel ready to tackle the challenges they face, while understanding that their employer has made an ongoing investment in their success. More and more companies are making an investment in industry recognised certifications that act as a gold seal of approval of their employees' knowledge and ability. This kind of level-setting is critical for tech workers, at a time when so many businesses struggle to comprehend and prepare for the new threats and tech challenges of the day.

NEW PATHWAYS & THE ONLINE MODALITY HOLD DEMOCRATISING POWER
The case for stronger diversity and better pathways to employment for underrepresented groups is more than just tokenism. Diverse businesses largely perform better. McKinsey research shows that companies with more gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. Similarly, companies with greater ethnic and cultural diversity far outperform in profitability those that remain homogenous. The days of an elitist tech workforce full of people with degrees from the same universities are - both by choice and necessity - coming to an end. It's time we embrace the new non-degree pathways that are emerging, and that means welcoming new voices, faces and perspectives into the fold.

Non-degree pathways such as apprenticeships hold real promise for improving retention at tech firms (in the U.S., for example, Department of Labor data shows that 94% of apprentices stay on after their program ends), and for bringing long-term diversity to organisations. When prospective employees are told in no uncertain terms that tech firms aren't just looking for Oxbridge/Ivy League-educated candidates to join their ranks, they have an incentive to put their foot forward and try. And once in the fold of something like an apprenticeship, trainees receive mentorship and guidance that sets them up for success.

Being paid to attend and learn on the job also ensures that new hires - even those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds - understand their value and have the financial incentive to continue working. Similarly, upskilling and certifying current staff goes a long way to boost morale, performance and retention.

The new opportunities we create for workers must be accessible and realistic, regardless of specific pathways to employment. For many people, that will involve learning and training online. It has for long been foregone that trainees and new hires will have the means to commute into a classroom or an office, even with all the hidden costs involved, and even when the jobs offer none or unsustainable pay.

This has been particularly exclusionary for people of colour, women (mothers in particular), and those with disabilities. It is also a reality for many people of diverse backgrounds that in-person settings are more intimidating, whether because of language and communication barriers, perceived or real differences in belief system or values, physical or learning disabilities, and more.

Online learning isn't a solution for workplace issues, but it must be embraced as part of a new normal, with an eye to democratising - and removing the fear factor from - training and the workforce. NC

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