A lot of companies struggle with diverse talent attraction. In the realm of data science and artificial intelligence, diversity of thought is a crucial factor that goes beyond simply having a team with individuals who look different. Often when people say they have a “diverse team” what they mean is when you look at a group photo, they don’t all look the same. However, what diversity of thought encompasses is the inclusion of diverse perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and cognitive styles. I believe recognising the significance of diversity of thought within data teams is essential for effectively navigating the complex issues presented by data, and beyond that, AI.
It’s not about looking different. It’s about being different.
Homogeneous data teams, composed of individuals who share similar backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking, can lead to a lack of critical analysis and creates a much narrower scope of discussion. We’ve all heard of data and AI going wrong, and to me it poses the question ‘what if the data teams were made up of different backgrounds in the beginning, would those stories still end the way they did?’ When confronted with challenges, such as bias, ethics, privacy, and accountability, a diverse range of perspectives is invaluable. Without the inclusion of diverse perspectives, teams risk overlooking important considerations and perpetuating biases and blind spots.
It’s not just about being on the defence either, diversity of thought in data teams is as much about fostering innovation, too. When individuals from various backgrounds collaborate, they bring unique approaches to analysing and interpreting data. Diverse perspectives challenge assumptions, promote critical thinking, and help uncover hidden patterns or biases that might otherwise be missed. By combining different insights and knowledge, teams can develop more comprehensive and robust solutions to complex problems.
How do we build these amazing teams?
Firstly, look and understand your foundation – what does your process look like? What do your current job descriptions look like? Half the battle is understanding what ground zero looks like. You may be better in some areas than others.
Some common areas where we’ve seen data leaders struggle are with their job descriptions, workforce planning & wider company culture.
Job descriptions can turn off potential candidates before the process even really starts. If your descriptions contain a long exhaustive list of “key skills” that are nice to have, rather than a necessity, you must evaluate them – as we know some members of the data community won’t apply if they feel they don’t meet at least 80% of the criteria.
It’s important to understand as much as we’d like to think we’re further forward than we are, the reality if we still live in a patriarchal society that sees women remain the primary caregiver at home – this is important when considering hybrid & flexible working policies, annual leave, and other benefits. This could be the difference between someone thriving in your team, or not. Many work places have these policies, but they may not advertise them well enough, this again loops back to the challenge of job descriptions – it’s important to shout about how amazing your team is to work within, and that includes the important areas like flexible working hours!
The overall company culture still plays a very important role in the data team, whilst we know that ‘who’ the company is vs who the data team is, isn’t as important as it used to be when people make the decision to move roles, the overall culture of a company is still important. Your data team & company culture should look to encourage and cheerlead every one of its employees – creating an environment of growth and development. As a data leader, there are simple ways you can elevate your position on this. Many before applying to a job now look to LinkedIn Recommendations, to see what others say about your management skills & your company, so make sure they’re up to date!
These are just three examples of how you can work towards building a team that reflects society, and your customers. If you’d like to learn more about partnering with us to review your process, please do let us know.
Catherine King
Catherine works passionately to provide senior executives with the hottest content and insights in the areas of Digital, Data, Analytics, Information, Business Development & Innovation. She hosts and moderates large events as well as directs, produces, and hosts industry-leading podcasts.
She is an award-winning event prof with a wealth of experience directing and designing Conferences, Bespoke Roundtables, Online events, and more! Catherine is especially passionate about diversity, inclusion, and accessibility work – and is an active ally and advocate for female and BAME leaders. Read more.
