Deafening Silence on IT Diversity
Talking about diversity in the IT workplace can be difficult—uncomfortable, even—but what does that say about the state of IT leadership? |
My colleague Ed Cone penned a solid piece for our July issue on the continuing difficulty with managing diversity in the IT workplace.
A quote at the beginning of the feature seems to sum up a big issue of diversity, at least in its perception:
"We've heard jokes—more than jokes—about not being able to understand the accents of people at the call center. Our team decided that we had to make it clear that we won't accept that kind of behavior. Our business case is that in today's environment, you have to be able to accommodate different cultures and lifestyles."
The problem with the quote is that it's anonymous. That's not a journalistic problem—while I'm not a big fan of anonymous sourcing, there are plenty of situations in which they're essential to telling a story—but it's a problem for the way diversity is viewed, and not just in IT shops. (That being said, there are plenty of named sources in Ed's story, all of whom provide interesting insights on the issue.)
We've been covering IT diversity for a while, and a similar storyline seems to come through: it's tough. I'm not trying to be simplistic here, but if you read Ed's piece, you'll see what I mean. And I'm sure you already know.
But in a year where Barack Obama, the first African-American presidential candidate, leads most national polls, diversity is being viewed through a newer, clearer lens.
I can't necessarily blame the CIO for asking to remain anonymous: he/she is discussing sensitive internal issues, some of which could, if his/her name was made public, could draw the ire of coworkers, if not worse. But how long will this whisper campaign go on?
Tell us, IT pros: what's your feeling about diversity in the workplace? Does discussing it make you and your colleagues uncomfortable? Or, do you even discuss it at all?
Comments (1)
Diversity has always been part of the American experience. Yet our history shows we Americans still fail to respect people who are different from ourselves. I know because I continually see these issues in my own life.
I went to school to become an IT technician in the early 90's. I was often the only woman in my classes. I had to firm my jaw and press through. I then dealt with hiring authorities who told me I wasn't a good candidate for IT jobs because they "needed someone who could pick up large monitors," for example. I had to fight for a job, and then deal with things like technicians calling me a [expletive], or my employer asking me to learn to perform a function so I could teach it to my higher-paid co-worker who was unable to learn it from a book.
I went back to college in 2003 as an older student, and then had to deal with teachers and students treating me as if I didn't belong. Even during graduation this year, while standing at the end of the line of candidates in my cap and gown, the announcer leaned over to the young man in front of me and asked him if he was the last graduate.
Now as a baby boomer with years of experience and training, I read about IT employers looking to hire new "college graduates" to begin building their "new workforce" for the future. Hmmm...I am a new college graduate, at age 52. Do you imagine I would be welcomed to this new workforce scheme? Perhaps I am being jaded to think that I, gray-headed and clearly a baby-boomer, would be overlooked despite the big 2008 on my degree.
Are we now (going back to...) hiring people by their age? Are we hiring by their accent (or lack of it?) Are we hiring by gender? By nationality? By weight? By religion? By skin color? I think old diversity issues are rising again in the IT industry and it is time we begin thinking about what we are suggesting.
Posted by Mari | September 17, 2008 1:15 PM