Diversity Directive Insight: Shift Your DEI By The Numbers

It’s the end of summer and, according to ESSENCE, there’s an uptick of new job openings around the corner. Defined as the ‘September Surge’, there may be renewed interest among organizations to firm up final head counts as companies plan for the end of the fiscal year and build new teams for 2024. Overall, there will be above average job openings from Labor Day to Halloween. 

During this time, we hope candidates from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds will be prioritized for today's open top tech jobs. Command Shift is helping companies achieve this with a comprehensive new resource, The Diversity Directive. We’ll dedicate our Command Center highlight for the rest of 2023 to spotlight these important strategies, case studies, and data that support creating workplace equity and equality for all. 

We invite you to read below,  assess yourself and your organization,  and begin to explore the strategies needed to create meaningful change to hire, retain and advance women of color in tech and tech-adjacent industries.

Diversity Directive Insight: Shift Your DEI By The Numbers

More than Half of the Largest Companies in the US Publicly Share Some Workforce Diversity Data, and a Small but Growing Number Share Intersectional Data

This  first section of The Diversity Directive is foundational -- providing guidance to companies on how to leverage data to analyze and quantify existing employee diversity in their organizations. It offers guidance on how companies can review how their talent pipeline efforts will create a more diverse talent pool. Without this benchmark assessment, it’s more challenging to create accurate metrics and goals that will show true DEI workforce progress in your organization. 

Baseline internal practices like gathering demographic data will allow business leaders to gain clarity and accountability to help track progress on recruitment and hiring, and provide valuable information to make strategic shifts as needed to achieve meaningful change.

Dive deeper into actionable steps on how to measure the diversity of your workforce here. 

2nd Command Shift Alumni Council Meeting

This month, NPower convened the Command Shift Alumni Council, a dynamic group of NPower graduates who serve as members of the Command Shift Coalition. The central theme of this month’s Alumni Council Meeting  revolved around shaping the trajectory of tech careers for women of color in today's ever-evolving job market. The Alumni Council passionately shared their personal journeys, underscoring how their participation in NPower had been a transformative force in their professional lives. A pivotal aspect of the conversation was the pressing need for enhanced representation of women of color within the tech sector, a sentiment echoed by many who expressed a shared experience of not seeing themselves adequately mirrored in the industry. Council members discussed  strategies for navigating the distinctive challenges faced women of color. A key highlight was the anticipation of a vibrant fall season, with plans to further empower the community through insightful initiatives. Notably, the continuation of Command Shift’s  impactful Community and Confidence series  was met with enthusiasm, as it promises to provide invaluable support and resources for women of color embarking on their tech careers.

Command Shift Coalition member MetLife is hosting the  fifth  annual Triangle Tech X Conference

This year’s theme for the MetLife 5th TTX conference is “Achieving #STEM Equity in the AI Age.” We are honored to be partnering on this initiative and invite you all to attend on Oct. 11 and 12 to hear from influential speakers who will discuss the vital role of women in STEM practices and ways to combat bias in the field.

The two-day dialogue is designed to:

Inform: How the newest technologies can transform innovation for societal advancement.

Inspire: Open minds to a new range of career opportunities to make a difference.

Enable: Remove STEM industry obstacles and activate changes to accelerate the impact women can have.

2023 speakers will be announced soon.  Register for Triangle Tech X today!

NPower Alumni Spotlight

Denisha Turner

NPower New Jersey

Tech Fundamentals Spring 2022

Tech Analyst at Citi

Before NPower, Denisha T. was working in childcare at her local YMCA. She took it upon herself to pursue her interest in tech by learning the basics of coding. One day, while doing an internet search for technology training opportunities, she came across NPower. NPower 's mission was directly aligned with her values as a black woman who aspired to be a leader in, not only her community but also in the tech world. Her passion in combination with the tools provided by the NPower program helped accelerate her dream of being a successful Black woman thriving in the tech industry and beyond! After graduation, Denisha was placed in a Citi apprenticeship program. Denisha is currently transitioning into her new role  as a Citi  Tech Analyst.

"Citi has changed my life for the better. They give you resources to become a better employee. Citi also strives to give their employees a great work life balance."

NPower & Command Shift in the News 

Although women of color account for 20% of the U.S. population, they comprise 6% of the nation’s tech workforce. 

Command Shift’s Executive Director, Candice Dixon, offers actionable strategies for company heads and hiring managers via the organization’s new Diversity Directive initiative.

Read Candice’s latest guest post for Technical.ly here!