Silicon Brighton launches initiative to address inequalities in Tech

Silicon Brighton has been working hand-in-hand with the region’s tech community to support digital success and growth since it was founded in 2019.

By working with local business leaders they learned that many organisations were keen to proactively improve their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), but were unsure how to approach this.

Increasingly over the years, there has been a lot of talk about the issues surrounding DEI in the technology sector and how to address it. Despite many businesses’ desire to do better, you only need to look at the multitude of reports there are online to find there is still some way to go until it is a fair and hospitable place for everyone.

Amongst the hundreds of stats available, reports such as Hired’s UK Tech Workplace Equality Report and further research has highlighted that:

● Women make up only 18% of all UK tech roles

● The vast majority of tech workers identify as white (66%). Just 3% are black, 17% asian, 2% hispanic and 6% mixed race

● 84% of all interview requests go to men and only 16% to women

● 3 in 5 women have been discriminated against in the workplace because of their gender and 29% have also experienced sexual harassment

● 38% of non-white people been discriminated against because of their ethnicity, 21% experienced bias during the interview process and 15% experienced harassment

● An estimated 54,000 mothers every year are forced to leave their jobs because of mistreatment

● A quarter of LGBTQIA+ people have found they are paid up to £14,999 less than a heterosexual colleague

● 71% of neurodiverse people aren’t taken seriously at work

There is often a lot of focus on diversity at the recruitment stage and while this is a key aspect of the DEI journey, building an inclusive culture that welcomes different needs and strengths is critical in order to address inequalities.

A lack of diversity and inclusion not only impacts the wellbeing of staff, but society as a whole. It hinders businesses’ ability to attract and retain people who think differently, innovate and add value to the bottom line.

Job seekers understand the importance of DEI and will overlook companies that fail to demonstrate that people from all walks of life are included, valued, treated fairly and have a feeling of belonging in their organisation.

Research also shows that diverse businesses are far more resilient and adaptable to change. People from different backgrounds and lived experiences bring new perspectives and fresh ideas, enabling organisations to build products and services with everyone in mind.

In response, Silicon Brighton has unveiled a brand new initiative, Diverse Sussex.

Launched in September at a special hybrid event – which featured an illuminating talk from multi award-winning Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, Sheree Atcheson – the initiative has been developed to unearth not only how businesses can improve, but why many fail to implement successful DEI strategies.

Speaking on the initiative, Co-Founder Steve Rackley said: “Diverse Sussex is powered by data and propelled by actionable change. Through annual reports consisting of anonymised and aggregated data from businesses in the community, we can pinpoint where challenges and imbalances lie, where we’re improving, where we’re lacking, and where we must focus our collective efforts.

To help organisations create actionable change, we have put together a library of resources packed with advice and guidance. This toolkit is split into different categories; Awareness, Attracting, Selecting, Onboarding, and Belonging; and is designed to inform their knowledge and practices.

No matter where you are in your diversity, equity and inclusion journey, if you’re a tech business (or have a tech team) in Sussex we encourage you to sign up. Doing so solidifies your organisation’s promise to do better and contributes to our shared learning. You will also gain access to growing our toolkit of resources and support.”

To learn more and become a Diverse Sussex signatory, visit www.diversesussex.com.