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When I see people share racism and/or saying “All Lives Matter”, & then see software engineer/tech role in bio, I’m worried. These people make the apps & solutions we *all* use, meaning their racism & bias goes right into the tech. What is your org doing to stop that happening?
There is a big part here in education & awareness. Your org must be doing the work to teach people how to be anti racist but also on the vast historical context that has brought us where we are today. Now, will education change all racists? No. Absolutely not.
There also has to be an understanding of who works where & who has that privilege. What is the response to racism/other isms etc entirely? What does your grievance process look like? Does it prioritise the victim or the perpetrator? Does it have psychological safety considered?
Do you have appropriately trained people partners etc to deal with the nuance of race/other characteristics in an employee relations case? Most don’t. Meaning less things reported as there’s a feeling of either inaction or lack of understanding.
What about your code of conduct? Is it detailed or nah? My favourite one is @BlackGirlFest’s. This is for an event but also relevant to workplace. What you absolutely DO NOT tolerate & how it will be dealt with. Make language clean cut, easy to understand https://www.blackgirlfest.com/code-of-conduct
Make sure there is a clear route for people to raise issues - anonymously and in person. Psychological safety is v important here.
I worry everyday about how there are racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist people in tech roles & leadership. We continue to create systems that do not care about underrepresented groups - they are not tested or developed appropriately. We have to do better.
