CIOs acknowledge that systemic racism has a deep-rooted presence in the IT world
IT leaders say that black employees have suffered from systemic racism for years. The Black Lives Matter movement has gained increased attention over the past couple of months. Major organizations have pledged support for the movement by announcing Diversity, Ethnicity and Inclusivity (DE&I) training, increased recruitment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), sensitivity seminars, etc.
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IT leaders point out that technology has a direct impact on how a business grows. CIOs are at a position that can effectively eradicate racism from their organizations. Such goals require systemic solutions that IT leaders can employ to strive towards the dynamic future.
Accepting and acknowledging the impact
IT leaders say that systemic racism has been present across the world and more so in the United States for centuries. Such segmentation kept people of color as “second-class” citizens, and not worth equal opportunities. CIOs point out that workplaces have also been a propagator for such practices intentionally or unintentionally. They attribute this practice to be the major factor behind the enormous wealth gap experienced by ethnic minorities and the black community.
CIOs believe they can bring about a change and bridge the gap by providing equal opportunities for potential recruits from minority communities.
Displaying integrity and leading the change
IT leaders say that C-suite executives must take crucial steps to build an equitable and fair workplace environment. They should take distinct steps to acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement and other similar protests. Clear condemnation of systemic racism in the organization’s ranks is required for effective elimination.
CIOs should consider the creation of safe spaces in the leadership levels to discuss the systemic racism and its adverse effects on the organizations’ growth. They must commit to mitigating the negative effects of racial bias amongst the employees. All IT talent needs to be treated equally and has equal access to all tools, advantages, and resources.
Steps to bringing about the change
CIOs say that to bring about a change, leaders must first re-imagine the workplace environment. C-suite executives could establish a corporate standard that works to change the present employees’ experience by promoting justice for all employees. The IT leadership team must establish a concise, progressive goal for the organization.
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Diversity and inclusion efforts should be redefined
IT leaders acknowledge that business growth is boosted by higher diversity in the employee ranks. Leaders should take conscious steps to recruit more IT talent from the black community and ethnic minorities. Diversity has a good effect on innovation, profitability, etc.
Break the misconceptions
CIOs say that ensure successful DE&I measures, leaders must be ready to break the misconceptions surrounding the same. The most common misconception is that qualified and experienced people of color are rare to come by. Recruiting teams can identify potential recruits by implementing new strategies. Leaders need to ensure that any feeling of exclusion should be eradicated from the organization.
Megana Natarajan is a Global News Correspondent with OnDOt Media. She has experience in content creation and has previously created content for agriculture, travel, fashion, energy and markets. She has 3.9 years’ experience as a SAP consultant and is an Engineering graduate.
