State of Diversity and Inclusion in U.S. Tech

Where do we go from here?

Some people may not understand the impact of a balanced and inclusive team. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it's also how businesses will survive in an increasingly globalized, knowledge-work based environment, as research shows diverse teams produce better outcomes. At Atlassian, we recognize that our teams must build for a diverse set of customers, and we know that we can't build products to be used by all if we do not have a variety of perspectives on each team. Furthermore, inclusive organizations experience more access to talent and lower employee turnover, saving millions per year in recruiting costs. When employees feel they can bring their authentic selves to work, they are happier and more productive, leading to better business outcomes.

The tech industry prides itself on finding innovative solutions to complex problems and insists on valuing skills above all. But research shows it's the exact opposite of these values driving professional opportunity in the tech industry, hindering progress on D&I. If we're going to create a better future, we must start by creating a better present.

Here are a few of the ways that Atlassian is working to be the change we seek:

Updating language in job ads

Tools like Textio help remove unintentional bias from job ads. Some of the most ubiquitous phrases in tech have a chilling effect on applications from women and people of color, and the way people promote their culture often only appeals to those already overrepresented in the industry. For example, "work hard, play hard," "ninja," and "crushing it" subtly imply that a workplace might not be welcoming to women or older workers.

Removing bias in the hiring process

Many organizations rely on "culture fit" in their interview processes, but the truth is that culture fit is an intractable morass of unconscious bias. People want to work with someone they like, who enjoys similar activities. Unfortunately, this approach has resulted in group think and systemic exclusion in Silicon Valley. To mitigate this, Atlassian focuses on values alignment in interviews, looking for employees who demonstrate behaviors consistent with our core values like empathy, initiative to improve your environment and communicating openly.

Diverse-slate approach to hiring

Systemic issues like access to education can exacerbate the gaps in representation. Instead of relying solely on formal education in the hiring process, hiring managers should seek to understand candidates' full breadth of experience to determine their ability to do the job. For example, Atlassian uses the diverse-slate approach to hiring at the Director level and above, and utilizes HackerRank to ensure that candidates are evaluated fairly on their skills.

Team-level metrics

Most of the current D&I conversations focus on company-level metrics. But high-level metrics don't tell the full story. If underrepresented people are found only in select departments or at the lower levels of the company, you're not gaining the complete value of having a balanced team. In addition to the diverse-slate approach to hiring, companies should also implement specific criteria when assigning high-profile projects and putting people up for promotion, instead of simply thinking of people who might be a fit.

Embed D&I throughout the organization

For D&I to be effective, it must show up everywhere, not just in a top-down approach from a D&I professional. It's found in the way teams execute programs, how the company creates inclusive events for employees and customers, and the communications and messaging. People will feel real belonging not only during times of success, but also when they can dissent, be validated, and fail publicly.