Monday May 26, 2025

S3:E6 Diversity in Tech

❝Diversity and Inclusion isn't just the right thing to do. It is a strategic advantage; it makes an organization stronger, innovative, resilient, and ultimately better-performing.❞ —Coach BZ

Bob Fabien "BZ" Zinga argues that the #technology sector must mirror the nation’s

#diversity, drawing on America’s motto “E Pluribus Unum”, because a workforce rich in varied backgrounds, talents, and perspectives drives organizational resilience and peak #performance; #inclusion then ensures every individual, especially #women and underrepresented #minorities, feels #respected and #valued, transcending mere legal #compliance.

Despite high-profile pledges by #SiliconValley firms in 2014 to boost workforce #diversity, meaningful improvements in hiring and retaining #minority professionals remain elusive, underscoring the need for proactive #leadership at every level.

Drawing on the US Navy’s Command Managed Equal Opportunity (#CMEO) program, Zinga offers four core recommendations for #tech organizations:

☑ Check Unconscious Bias: Actively counteract affinity bias by using gender-neutral job descriptions and anonymizing applications (stripping names and personal data) so hiring decisions focus solely on qualifications, thereby expanding the candidate pool beyond homogenous networks.

☑ Designate a D&I Senior Leader Outside HR: Appoint a full-time diversity and inclusion leader—separate from Human Resources—with clear accountability and formal training to influence strategy and resource allocation.

☑ Review and Update D&I Policies Annually: Task the D&I leader with maintaining governance documents—policies, procedures, training—and require all employees to acknowledge them yearly; enforce a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination, with swift, proportionate consequences for violations.

☑ Conduct an Annual Climate Assessment: Implement anonymous surveys to capture employees’ perceptions of inclusion, equal opportunity, and organizational culture; ensure senior leadership responds to feedback, fosters non-retribution, and keeps the dialogue open to sustain continuous improvement.

By institutionalizing #unbiased hiring, dedicate #leadership, rigorous #policy governance, and regular #climate assessments—modeled on military best practices—#cybersecurity and #tech organizations can not only elevate their #DEI efforts but also turn them into a strategic #competitiveadvantage.

👇 Which step could make the biggest difference right now in your own work environment, in your own sphere of influence?

👇 What is one small concrete action you can actually take this week, something tangible to start fostering a more diverse, more inclusive space around you?

☑ Show Notes

👉 "Diversity and Inclusion in Cybersecurity and Technology" (https://lnkd.in/gheRHuvx)

👉 "Three Steps Forbes Councils Members Take To Drive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts" (https://lnkd.in/gHT8zeT)

↳ 👍like, ♻️repost & 💨follow 👨🏾‍🦲: https://lnkd.in/gcVzvEv7

#DEI

#Diversity

#DandI

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