Diversity in Tech: Recruitment Is Just The First Step

Tech giants ranging from Microsoft to Google have made progress towards building more diverse work forces, but some women in technology worry that there is too much emphasis on recruiting and hiring that talent, rather than developing and retaining it.

Christine Chapman and Catherine Plotts are two veterans of the tech industry who volunteer their time at Girl Develop It, a nonprofit organization that aids girls and women who want to learn more about web and software development.

’Finding new ways to get new talent is already a focus, so it’s easy to focus on diversity in that aspect,’ said Chapman, who is an engineer for Audible, Inc. ’But I think a lot less people are working on actual initiatives, both looking at their retention, and noticing the issues there and actually tackling those issues.’

Chapman would like to see companies zero in on career development for women and other underrepresented groups in tech.

’We really need to focus on retaining that talent once you get it,’ said Catherine Plotts, a Java developer at Pawtucket, R.I.-based Kenzan Media.

Plotts thinks the answer may lie in mentorship programs.

’People benefit so greatly from mentorship programs, whether it be formal or informal,’ she said.