How to Create a Diverse DevOps Team

Abstract:

Creating a diverse engineering team is challenging for many reasons. First, you must decide what “diversity” means to your tech organization, and how broadly you wish to define the term. Next: Given your resources, how can you find enough candidates to build a team that fits your definition?

Lastly: How do you create a work environment where each member feels they can be themselves, and where management contributes? In this talk, I will offer insights and answers so that you can start advocating successfully for more diversity in your tech organization. I will describe steps Zalando has taken to increase diversity in tech, including our Diversity Guild (a self-organized group of Zalando technologists and People & Organization/HR professionals who promote diversity internally); open hiring policies (technologists from 50 nations and counting); and relocation services.

Finally, I will discuss recent research suggesting what works — and what doesn’t — when trying to increase diversity in the tech workplace.

Speaker: Lauri Apple