Blink and you miss the latest tech trend. The pace of innovation is relentless inside the world’s most transformative industry, a home for career opportunities of every shape. That said, if there are so many exciting roles and routes to explore, why is the industry suffering from a social mobility crisis?
A study from Code First Girls (the UK’s largest provider of free coding courses) highlighted that only 19% of the tech workforce hail from a working-class background, a representation challenge marked by an average class pay gap of £4736.
Whilst tech presents some incredible opportunities for both personal and professional growth, high-earning potential, international mobility and a slew of other benefits, you’ve got to get there in the first place. Once you are there, do you risk losing out to a systemic pay gap issue?
Between the rise of self-taught engineers, certified boot camps, and alternative recruitment methodologies (including the train-and-deploy recruitment model), the industry’s been changing shape, slowly but surely.
Increasing Representation
A report from the Sutton Trust surmised that a moderate increase in social mobility could result in a £32 Billion boost to the UK economy, further underscoring representation as a commercial necessity.
Increasing representation from a diverse range of backgrounds is vital in the race to close tech’s persistent skill gap – businesses must be equipped to hire for coachability, and in many cases, learn to prioritise potential over experience.
Getting into tech can be an expensive process. From the equipment to the cost of education, even bootcamps are pricey, and its pricing people out of fulfilling career opportunities before they even had a chance to start.
The ‘traditional’ university-led route into technology is often unfeasible for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and when they do take that route, the dropout rate is significantly higher than that of their better-off peers.
Creating new avenues into the industry is the key to closing talent gaps, increasing representation, and ultimately, expanding the talent pool.
Creating Access
At Trust in SODA, we’re passionate about building a more equitable working future. Our community-led approach to recruitment has informed the direction of our growth over the years, and we’re proud to have partnered with clients and candidates from an array of backgrounds as a result.
As part of our impact-driven mission, we’re consistently seeking underserviced candidate demographics to support and represent. Facing forward, this drive will underpin our entry into the train-and-deploy landscape.
We’re uniquely positioned to offer this service through our community group, Women in DevOps, a global network that we’ve been building since 2017.
When it comes to diverse hiring, moving the dial involves more than connecting great candidates with opportunities – measures must be taken to ensure that the working environment is inclusive, supportive, and equipped for growth.
A consultative recruitment methodology is essential in driving organisational change. From the brand value proposition to the mitigation of hiring bias and policy-making, recruiters have an opportunity to help build a more equitable tech environment.
.png)
.png)