Nurturing Tech Talent Through Innovative Recruitment: Diversity, Education, & Artificial Intelligence
Recruitment in the near future is going to be laser-focused on human-centred skills. It will be fuelled by passionate and ambitious talent that want to solve big questions at the intersection of technology and human interaction. To get there it’s important to foster diverse talent and perspectives that combine technical literacy with the human-centred skills of creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and more.
Sabe Mpofu, Millenilink’s CEO and founder, was invited to TECHNATION’s Futurewave Conference to discuss the future of tech-related staffing in a panel discussion called, Innovative Recruitment: Nurturing Tech Talent from Career Planning to Full Potential.
He sat alongside industry leaders in cybersecurity, childhood educational programming, and data:
Gabrielle Botbol - Pentester, Desjardins
Val Ianitti - VP, Development and Partnerships, Actua
Sylvie Ouellette - President / Co-Founder, Versatil (Facilitator)
Watch the full panel discussion on YouTube!
Tech Industry Trends Onset By AI
There are concerns that AI will force many jobs into redundancy. But the verdict is unanimous: AI significantly enhances productivity and efficiency.
Yes, it’s true, 85 million jobs are being displaced by AI, globally. This is a terrifying number. But AI’s also creating 97 million jobs. How are we going to look at this? As a problem or as an opportunity?
AI allows us to recontextualize the entire playing field of labor in a knowledge economy, whether it be in public services such as education and healthcare or in the business world. It’s giving us more opportunities to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, leveraging human-centred interactions and creativity.
This also creates an opportunity for educational programming like Actua. “Humans [are not] going to be replaced by AI; humans are going to be replaced by humans who are masterful users of AI," says Val.
When hiring, go beyond just the tech and business skillsets. Look for a creative mindset. One that’s curious and looking to solve big questions, leveraging AI to maximize efficiency.
“You’ve got to have the tough conversation... Make it okay to ask, ‘What is the barrier [holding talent back]?’”
Academia & Industry’s Role in Developing Diverse Talent with Technical Skills
Technology is used in every sector of the economy, therefore it needs to be reflected in academic institutions. Every discipline within academia should be incorporating a data component, from law to medicine. By taking a STEM approach, we’re all able to prepare learners for the rapid advancement of technology, resulting in better outcomes for individuals and organizations.
Organizations need to be prescriptive in their diversity strategies. Whether it’s addressing gender diversity, neurodiversity, ethnic diversity, or other areas, we must come to an understanding that diversity is “a multi-layered cake” and can take various forms.
Look at how your organization addresses diversity. Every space requires a specific nuance and a receptive openness to adapting to new perspectives. Done well, diversity is more than a checkbox; diversity opens the door to new customers and employees, generating growth on both the individual and organizational levels.
Preparing Youth for Tech Careers
Representation matters. Even more profoundly for youth. They need to see a reflection of themselves to envision themselves in future career paths, especially in sectors that are classically averse to inclusion. Employers can assist with fostering promising youth talent earlier than post-secondary by partnering with skill-development programming such as Actua.
When we are children, we are at our most creative and curious–but without the right resources, those ideas are often left untapped. Especially for underrepresented youths, many of whom are consumers of technology, skill-development programs empower and prepare them for promising careers ahead while also helping to close gaps for employers.
“The problem is not girls. The problem is not youth. The problem is not that they don’t have the skills or attributes to succeed. The problem is the system. The educational system, despite our best efforts, is not equitable.”
The Role of Cultural Competency & Anti-Racism in Tech
Cultural competency and anti-racism play a pivotal role in growth and advancement. Inclusivity helps to bring out the best in employees; “When we feel secure and welcome, we are more creative and productive,” states Gabrielle. This attracts prospects and decreases employee churn.
Diversity is also critical in academia. According to Actua, women and BIPOC folk see a significant rate of attrition as they progress through mathematics, computer science, or information science programs. Rates of enrollment have dropped for women from 37% in 2006 to 26% in 2021. On top of that, Indigenous students are graduating at 14% less than the national average.
To be effective, anti-racism needs to become the status quo within society and professional spaces. Work environments that are inclusive of people and ideas result in increased employee retention and foster ambassadors of your brand. This creates a high desirability when it comes to attracting new talent which forges an equitable path into the future.
Conclusion: Innovative recruitment requires tapping into new talent pools
The many facets of diversity can help to achieve innovative recruitment, especially as technology now goes beyond the IT department and becomes part of every aspect of business.
Whether it’s attracting top talent or solving the next great problem, innovating your recruitment and development strategy will help you achieve your talent goals.
Interested in the next generation of tech talent? Check out TECHNATION’s Career Ready subsidy program.
Actua's Digital Skill Building programs build tech skills and confidence in youth from underrepresented populations. actua.ca