Hitting a mid week wall? Recharge your batteries with this latest episode of SnackWalls, enjoy!Natasha believes the lack of diversity in tech is a systemic issue. Historically people of color were not necessarily encouraged in their early schooling to pursue STEM careers. If Black and Brown people are unaware of the roles and different opportunities available in tech, then they are less likely to pursue these jobs. Natasha can understand why some companies would want their software engineers ...
On today's show we sat down with a fellow DJ turned tech professional. Be the first of all your friends to hear this fresh new episode of SnackWalls!While the tech industry is still heavily dominated by male staff, Andrew has found that in his current position, finding diverse talent hasn't been much of a hurdle. It helps that he works at a university where there is a diverse selection of students coming through every year. Andrew thinks that the push to remove CS degree requirements for soft...
Today we sit down with Brandon White, a successful tech entrepreneur who shares some wisdom he has learned on his journey.Brandon thinks finding diverse talent in tech is challenging mainly because the industry is predominantly comprised of males. When building teams, he has actively recruited women because they often bring a different perspective to the group. While he believes the best applicant for the job should always be hired, he realizes that in many cases, the best person isn't gettin...
Having a case of the Mondays? Today's guest is sure to help kick start your week. L. Michelle Smith is an executive business coach, accomplished author, and empowering figure who brought a refreshing perspective to the show. Enjoy! Finding diverse talent is not a challenge, but many companies just don't know where to look. From L. Michelle’s experience, the middle of the leadership pipeline is spewing out overqualified and high performing women of all backgrounds that can be easily recru...
Happy December! We are officially in the home stretch of 2020. As these next few weeks start getting busy, don't forget to tune into your favorite podcast for some great guests and positive vibes!Erin believes that finding diverse talent doesn't have to be challenging for companies. There are plenty of people from non traditional backgrounds that are hungry and curious to break into the tech industry. However, many of these candidates are intimidated from applying to positions when the job de...
Episode 7-0!!!! That's 70 episodes worth of amazing guests. Today is no different as we have Pariss Athena, the creator of the the #BlackTechTwitter movement. EnjoyPariss believes it is difficult to find diverse talent when you do not personally have a diverse network. However, recruiters can find this talent if they are willing to branch out, network, and engage with people outside of their communities. She thinks that removing CS degree requirements from software roles is the equitable and ...
Happy Monday, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This new episode of SnackWalls pairs well with a helping of leftovers, enjoy! Michelle has noticed that the diverse talent companies are looking for can be found overseas. Our current school system is not producing enough people to match the demand of the tech jobs here in the US. She doesnt think that a CS degree should be mandatory for software engineering roles because this requirement would exclude talented people that might ...
With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, we would like to say thanks to all our wonderful guests who engage with us in meaningful conversations and our listeners that tune in every show. It’s been an… interesting year (to say the least), but I think the majority of us still have plenty to give thanks for.Brennan believes finding diverse talent is as hard as you make it. In order to be successful, a company must make a priority to build diversity into their organization and create opportunities for t...
Mondays seem to hit extra hard on short weeks. The only remedy for this is a solid helping of SnackWalls! EnjoyDavid has found that finding diverse talent can be difficult depending on an organization's diversity strategy. Companies who succeed at recruiting this talent, are open about looking for diverse candidates and are willing to establish talent pools with individuals from various areas. David has experienced how degree requirements can pose a barrier for growth to individuals entering ...
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? It's going to be a bit hectic for all of us, but don't forget to tune in for next episodes of your favorite podcast! Tia would agree that it can be a challenge to find diverse talent in the cybersecurity space. She has noticed that the number of diverse candidates is typically limited. When Tia evaluates job applicants, her focus is on what an individual can do, is capable of learning, and what they are passionate about more so than the letters ...
Happy Wednesday everyone, enjoy this mid week edition of SnackWalls!As someone who has been working in the technology industry for the last eight years, Christine agrees that it's difficult to find diversity in most tech companies. As challenging as it may be, she believes that this issue can be overcome. Christine has observed that ability for people to learn and be tenacious when preparing for a new career. When it comes to hiring people, it’s more important to look for capability and aptit...
Finding your groove on Monday can be difficult. Fortunately we have a multi-talented and very interesting guest on today’s episode to get your mind flowing. When Anthony hears tech leaders say there is not enough diverse talent in the market, his mind begins to scope this as a supply chain problem. If there is truly a shortage of diverse talent, then companies should be willing to pay higher salaries to attract the limited supply. Another possible solution is that the talent exists...
TGIF, lets wrap up this week with another great episode! Katie believes that diversity in a workplace is usually the product of where a company actively recruits. Tech companies rely heavily on referrals for new hires. Since most human beings tend to surround themselves with people that look like them, this method will not be effective at establishing a diverse workforce. One way to open up the field to people of different backgrounds would be to remove the CS degree requirements for eng...
Happy hump day! This show is soooo good, it's sure to hold you off till the next episode on Friday. Enjoy!Kim believes that the tech world as a whole needs to reflect on issues with diversity in the workplace. The industry needs to identify common recruiting practices that contribute to the problem. If they own the problem, then they can begin to address solutions. There likely won't be a quick and easy fix, but as a group an innovative solution can be found. In regards to dropping the CS deg...
We took a couple of days off last week, but have no fear because we're back with another great episode!Stephanie believes that during this COVID season, it is easy for us to get stuck in our own circles. When you only communicate or network with people in your circle you wont be exposing yourself to new experiences or different perspectives. Similarly, companies that have trouble recruiting diverse talent need to connect with different people and groups outside of their typical network. Steph...
Woah...the big 6-0! As always we have another great show lined up for you all. Enjoy!Manuel agrees that finding diverse talent in tech is a challenge, but it is one that companies must take full front and approach using different strategies. He agrees that dropping a CS degree requirement for software roles makes a lot of sense. At the end of the day companies need engineers that can get the job done. How or where they learned the skills necessary to do the job should not be that important. M...
Overwhelmed by election day anxiety? Put your phone down, turn off the TV, and listen to this brand new episode of SnackWalls.Jonaed highlights if employers want to find diverse talent, they need to seek candidates in different ways. Currently, many employers look for talent through referrals. However most young diverse talent do not have an established network to connect with companies. Additionally, companies will often vet out candidates based on degree requirements instead of focusing on ...
Did you finish a whole bag of halloween candy this weekend? Well then you've come to the right place, cause today’s episode is sugar free and I promise it won't make you crash! EnjoyOlin has found that finding top talent is tough and finding diverse top talent is more challenging. From his perspective the best performing teams have intrinsic and extrinsic diversity. Olin agrees that the CS degree requirement for software jobs should be removed. At LeadCrunch there is no CS degree requirement ...
Today we sit down Gary Ware, a corporate facilitator and keynote speaker who uses the power of play to transform lives! He has been recommended by previous guests and for good reason, so sit down, listen up, and enjoy.Gary acknowledges that finding diverse talent requires extra effort. Companies that struggle to find diverse candidates need to peel back the layers on their recruitment efforts to find the problem. Are they looking for talent in schools that promote diversity? Perhaps your comp...
Get ready to sit down with Vinita Ananth, a successful Group PM Manager within the Azure group at Microsoft. She talks about her experience transitioning into the tech space and shares some of the initiatives taking place at Microsoft to recruit and retain diverse talent.Vinita recognizes the pool of strong diverse candidates is smaller than traditional pools, however, the talent does exist if you seek it out. She points out how Microsoft has started making job descriptions more inclusive by ...