Why Equity in the Technology Workplace Matters?

Voice of the Customer

Diverse workforces in Technology product development more accurately reflect the Voice of the Customer:

• [quote stats on purchase decisions]
• [stories about fails]

Shrinking Workforce

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you keep saying it: Baby Boomers are retiring.   Not only is all that rich knowledge and experience walking out the door, there are fewer candidates to replace them.  And frankly, they’ve watched their parents work themselves to death…and they want something different.  

Additionally, a little thing called COVID-19 has raised it’s ugly head.  Companies have figured out that more of their workforce can work remotely.  So those workers may start moving places with lower costs of living and higher quality of life…then figure out that maybe, they don’t need to work two jobs…or full time…or at all.  

Tapping into diverse communities is a way to expand your potential candidate pool.  

Economic Opportunity

[commentary about increasing economic uplift from middle class employment]

Fairness (Yes…I’ll play this card) 

Why do you buy insurance?  Bad things don’t always happen to everyone.  However, we can’t perfectly predict when bad things will happen to a specific individual.  Insurance spreads the risk of bad things happening across a larger population, so we all bear some of the burden (insurance premiums), in case we are the individual hit with unfortunate circumstances (and need to file insurance claims).

So why doesn’t this same principle apply to the job market.  I understand that there are people who don’t want to work (you’re on your own, in my opinion).  But why can’t we break the cycle of the fortunate and well educated get the increasingly good jobs and pay?  Why can’t we find ways to give everyone who wants the opportunity, to get a slice of the technology salary pie?