How can lab informatics support diversity?

It is widely acknowledged that the technology industry suffers from a lack of diversity. So how can companies in the technology – and particularly lab informatics – sector do more to support diversity in the workplace?

According to Tech Report, just 26.7% of workers in tech organisations are women, while only 16.7% of US tech executives are from ethnic minorities.1 Here, we will talk about the importance of diversity, and what employers should bear in mind when implementing diversity initiatives.

The importance of diversity

Diversity has been an important topic of discussion within technology sectors in recent years. As well as the obvious importance of providing equal opportunities for employees regardless of background, supporting diversity can have a positive impact on any organisation’s operations, and even its bottom line.

Supporting and celebrating diversity across teams can bring the best out of employees, who can provide valuable insight based on their own experiences. For employers, this means more ideas brought to the table, more creativity, and a much wider perspective – which is particularly important in technology sectors like lab informatics, where creativity and innovation are essential for the development and improvement of products.

Key considerations

What do employers need to bear in mind to increase diversity within their company?

You can’t be what you can’t see

The issues around diversity in technology industries often focus on a lack of representation of certain demographics. However, this can also manifest into problems when members of underrepresented groups do obtain roles, in the form of so-called ‘imposter syndrome’. Low confidence and feelings of not belonging or deserving can occur when there is insufficient representation of the same demographic group – some may feel they do not fit in.

Establishing an open and supportive dialogue with employees can help to mitigate this issue, as well as making sure employees feel comfortable discussing any potential problems with their managers. Clearly laying out the steps needed to be successful in the role from the outset – and revisiting this regularly – can also help employees to feel at ease, and remove any self-imposed pressure to ‘prove’ themselves.

Unconscious bias

Unconscious bias has been a major talking point in technology sectors in recent years, and came under the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific American reported that, as public dispensers of hand sanitiser became more common, people with darker skin tones were reporting that some of the no-touch machines would not activate for them.2 This provided a perfect example of the unconscious bias that can occur in product design.

Unconscious bias can also be an issue in the workplace. Simply recognising that bias may be present and taking measures to reduce it through training programs can be a useful starting point for addressing this. Forbes also points out that continual self-assessment and a review of the recruitment process can help minimise this problem within any organisation.3 A robust review of the hiring process is particularly important in technology sectors. Programs that are designed to speed up the recruitment process, such as automatic CV readers, have been subject to recent criticism, with some claiming that they are coded with bias and can exclude minority groups.4

What are some of the benefits of having a diverse workforce?

Celebrating diversity and encouraging candidates from a range of cultures and background to join your company can bring a wide range of advantages. Some of these key benefits include:

No more ‘blind spots’

Tunnel vision can occur when members of a team or organisation all think similarly, leading to potential judgement errors in the design, features, or marketing of a product or service. A diverse workforce lowers this risk, as employees who can bring different experiences to the table can provide a wider view of problems that perhaps wouldn’t have been considered otherwise. If the team has fewer blind spots, so will the organisation.

Enhanced global appeal

We know every lab informatics supplier wants their product to be the next big disruptor in the industry, and having a diverse team can ensure that the finished article is attractive to as many sectors of the market – and users – as possible.

A team from a variety of backgrounds can improve the usability of your software on a global scale. Different users from around the world are likely to have varying requirements for their lab informatics software. A workforce made up of a diverse group of people from different backgrounds can help with testing, as it allows the company to see where elements of the software needs adapting to suit different users.

As well as usability, visibility and representation are particularly important in the lab informatics sector, as many of the roles in lab informatics vendors are client-facing. From sales teams to implementation teams and support, many facets of the business require correspondence and face time with clients, so it is important that clients also feel represented within suppliers and vendors who they work with regularly.

With these benefits in mind, taking steps to make your workplace more diverse is clearly worth the effort. At 32 Stripes, we source candidates with a range of experiences from diverse backgrounds who can bring real value to an organisation. Contact us today to find out more.

References:

  1. 30+ Diversity in High Tech Statistics [2023 Data]. Tech Report. Available: https://techreport.com/statistics/diversity-in-high-tech-statistics/ [Accessed 17th October]
  2. Fixing Medical Devices That Are Biased against Race or Gender. Scientific American. Available: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fixing-medical-devices-that-are-biased-against-race-or-gender/ [Accessed 26th September].
  3. How To Tackle Unconscious Bias In Your Workplace. Forbes. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2022/02/15/how-to-tackle-unconscious-bias-in-your-workplace/?sh=5a636456dc35 [Accessed 26th September].
  4. Unconscious bias in recruitment: How can you remove it? Resources for Employers. Available: https://resources.workable.com/stories-and-insights/unconscious-bias-in-recruitment [Accessed 5th October]

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