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Welcome to 'Mentoring the Way to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace.' I'm really grateful that you decided to be here today, and I'm excited to have this conversation with you. My name is Alex Millatmal, and I'm a developer at Newsela in New York City. We are an EdTech company focused on promoting literacy and making differentiated lesson planning easier for educators in the K-12 education space.
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You can find me at 'half-gone-in-Nebraska' on Twitter or GitHub, or just generally on the internet. So what are we talking about today, and why? I'd like to make the argument that the tenets of good mentorship closely resemble the tenets of truly inclusive companies and that it could benefit us to think about mentorship and diversity and inclusion efforts as interconnected.
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First, I'd like to set up some expectations. Let's briefly talk about who this talk is for. This talk is for anyone interested in improving workplace culture. I specifically hope to show managers and team leads small actions that can make a big difference in the happiness and inclusivity of their teams.
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Junior engineers, especially those from underrepresented groups, will gain insights into the types of support they might seek in a company. Additionally, for executives who are ready to move beyond diversity and inclusion 101, I'd like to present ideas for initiatives that you can sponsor in your workplace.
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We'll explore mentorship and address the issues of inclusion, belonging, and retention for marginalized individuals. However, there are some areas we will not cover. We won't delve into who is considered marginalized in tech. We also won't discuss the benefits of diversity and inclusion through a fiscal lens or touch on the inherent need for these efforts. That need will be taken as a given.
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Now that we've cleared that up, let's discuss the why. Why am I the person up here talking to you? I'll start with a story about two different types of companies I encountered during my first couple of years in tech.
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When I began in web development, I graduated from a code school in Omaha. I was fortunate to work at that very code school, which in many ways seemed impossible. At one point, my former boss and I contemplated how we were the most diverse tech company in Omaha, boasting that around 80% of our technical employees were people of color and 50% of our overall employees were women. This was something we were really proud of and it required genuine effort to achieve.
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Another notable aspect of this company was its mentorship facilitation; it had both code school graduates working as consultant developers and members of the consultancy teaching at the code school. This created a natural sense of learning and teaching that was deeply ingrained in the company culture.
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However, when I searched for my first fully technical job, I encountered a different type of company. This company didn’t challenge the status quo. I was shocked by the lack of diversity in job offerings and the engineering teams. Many teams were almost entirely homogeneous. During interviews with companies addressing interesting technical problems, I often heard, 'We don’t have the capacity to support your learning right now.'
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As I looked around at my fellow code school classmates and the students I taught, I noticed that the workforce appeared quite different from the management teams making hiring decisions. There was a larger representation of marginalized races, genders, and sexual orientations in the junior engineer cohort compared to the overall Omaha tech industry.
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This led me to wonder how our industry could evolve if the companies that had their pick of new hires weren't creating a supportive environment for their learning. I imagined what would happen to this emerging workforce if the industry-leading companies, those with the best tech and benefits, continued to overlook them. After experiencing these vastly different company cultures, I began to consider whether strong mentorship might lead to better diversity and inclusion outcomes.
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So I pose the question: What if strong mentorship in an organization promotes diversity and inclusion? What workplace initiatives are effective for mentorship, diversity, and inclusion efforts, and how do they intersect? We can start to envision a positive culture that supports one another.
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We must think about what a mentorship program designed to support underrepresented employees looks like and how it could be a key component of a corporate diversity and inclusion strategy. Could this intersection of mentorship and D&I result in more effective mentorship and a solid business case for these initiatives?
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Today, let's begin by outlining what practices constitute good mentorship and effective diversity and inclusion efforts to see how they overlap. I'll first discuss techniques that will help support and retain employees from underrepresented identities.
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To begin, we should examine recruiting processes. It's essential to consider where you are posting job openings, what networks you leverage, and the language used in posts to attract the desired candidates. Furthermore, this language should also be welcoming to candidates that might otherwise be overlooked. There are tools available to audit the language in job postings to ensure inclusivity and prevent alienation of great candidates.
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One resource I recommend for job postings is 'Key Values.' To post a role, companies must fill out a profile detailing their values. This includes values like actively practicing inclusion and being good for juniors, among other standards. Candidates can then search for companies that align with their top priorities. This encourages hiring decision-makers to consider positions and candidates holistically, promoting values-based interviewing.
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Next, let's discuss the use of referrals in recruitment. I recently had a compelling conversation with one of our executive team leads, Rosella, about fairly compensating people from underrepresented backgrounds who come into the company through personal networks. They mentioned employing referral bonuses for employees, which incentivizes and compensates efforts to reach out to these networks.
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While this can be useful, it's essential to consider that if your company is largely homogeneous, relying too much on referrals can reinforce that homogeneity. Moving forward, let's talk about the importance of establishing affinity groups within an organization.
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These groups should involve more than just discussions focused on shared identity; they should foster social interactions and relationship building across teams and departments with actionable pathways within the organization. The most effective affinity groups operate like caucuses, appointing a representative responsible for bringing group concerns to upper management and consulting on solutions.
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For this caucus model to work, there needs to be dedicated time for leadership to invite feedback. Clear definitions around performance evaluation and advancement help remove unspoken biases, particularly during review time. Research at Stanford shows that when managers consistently apply agreed-upon criteria, gender gaps in performance reviews diminish significantly.
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Furthermore, clarity regarding who defines evaluation criteria and accessibility of that information are crucial aspects. Just having clear definitions of roles and responsibilities tends to be a significant concern for workers of underrepresented identities.
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This helps empower employees who have historically been disenfranchised by providing them with clear language regarding their authority and contributions at work.
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Leadership representation is consistently highlighted as important by underrepresented groups. I know I'm not the only one who checks the lists of executive team members and board members before applying for a job, looking for diversity in those steering the ship.
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This is important for demonstrating a clear advancement model within an organization as well as ensuring the presence of an ally among leadership. Lastly, I would like to highlight the importance of investing in both internal and external advocacy.
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This investment can manifest in various ways. For instance, at Newsela, we allocate funds toward issues affecting our affinity groups while also developing field trip models to host students from underrepresented backgrounds, allowing them to learn more about the company.
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Additionally, we should consider investing in the professional development of these groups. This could involve flexible learning budgets or sponsoring attendance at conferences aimed specifically at members of underrepresented demographics. All these initiatives, from youth education to professional development and retention, reflect a company's commitment to strategic diversity and inclusion.
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As we gather here today, I know we're all passionate about this topic. You might be thinking that these supports are obvious; however, research from the Boston Consulting Group highlights stark differences in the perceived importance of workplace practices between underrepresented groups and dominant groups.
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Let’s talk about the concept of formal sponsorship. I like to think of sponsorship as 'super mentorship'—this involves people actively working to advance your career and being accountable for your growth at a company. However, in a recent study, this was ranked 14th out of 31 inclusion initiatives by people of color.
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Representation in leadership was ranked fifth among women, while it was 17th among men. The desire for a bias-free workplace—that is a focus on having fair workplace interactions and a good meeting environment—was ranked fifth by LGBTQ workers but only fifteenth by straight men.
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Not only are these numerical gaps concerning, but the real-world implications can be devastating. This often manifests in situations where requests from affinity group representatives go unheard by HR or when executive leadership invests in initiatives misaligned with employee needs.
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We've talked about ways to improve the success and satisfaction of underrepresented employees within your company and highlighted that these supports are often not obvious to all, especially those who historically held power.
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So let's pivot to how we can support junior engineers. The challenges faced by junior engineers, particularly in recruitment, require specific solutions.
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Is your company transparent in its job postings about its needs? Are they genuinely reflecting the requirements of the position throughout the interview process? Is the structure of the interviews friendly and human-centered?
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I advocate for providing detailed feedback to candidates about their interview performances. If a company opts not to proceed with a candidate, HR and hiring managers should collectively create actionable feedback, so the candidate can improve for future opportunities.
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When hiring junior engineers, the role should be designed appropriately, clearly outlining entry-level expectations. Establishing clear expectations about progression from this role to mid-level promotes a growth-oriented culture.
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I've linked to a talk from last year’s Rails Conference, where Meghan discussed her apprenticeship program pilot, which addressed many of these concerns. Clear and structured onboarding is essential for junior engineers, ensuring that the onboarding point person is not a direct supervisor.
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They should have a point of contact for information free from office politics, particularly important for junior engineers focused on developing skills. Reflect on how your onboarding was handled: Was it transparent? Did it reflect institutional knowledge that was widely accessible?
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Once a junior engineer becomes acclimated to their role and responsibilities, learning groups can be incredibly beneficial. These groups create space for junior engineers to ask questions and help cultivate leadership skills, especially when they facilitate peer-to-peer learning.
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For instance, my first company emphasized that no tech questions could be asked in private channels; all learning opportunities had to take place openly, which encouraged spontaneous mentorship.
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While informal relationships are beneficial, having formalized mentorship programs ensures that time is spent on measurable goals, such as mentorship advice and knowledge sharing. More experienced engineers could guide juniors in setting attainable goals and contextually relevant targets.
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Clear expectations surrounding growth encourage juniors to identify gaps in their skills. A standardized review process that frames junior status as opportunities for growth rather than deficits will significantly aid in mentorship effectiveness.
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We have discussed practices for supporting junior engineers and employees of underrepresented identities. There exists a meaningful overlap between great diversity and inclusion initiatives and strong mentorship practices.
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Things like thoughtful and transparent recruiting processes, peer groups with accountability, and clear review methods are crucial for enhancing mentorship and D&I efforts.
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Now let's consider what a mentorship program should look like with these diversity and inclusion principles in mind. We'll discuss how mentorship can embody these principles and the business justification for these frameworks.
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Building a culture of mentorship requires dedication. It's easy to claim we are doing the right things for juniors or marginalized folks without assessing whether those efforts are indeed effective. You might think your workplace is intentional, but intention is only part of the equation; mistakes can occur.
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Consider a hypothetical company that speaks eloquently about inclusivity but lacks tangible diversity in its workforce. This kind of company may have employee bias trainings but fails to translate these good intentions into substantive practice.
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Though they have white women in leadership positions and commendable retention rates, the absence of women engineers and engineers of color reveals a troubling pattern. If all juniors belong to the same demographic, it raises alarms about both mentorship and inclusivity.
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Intent is critical, but to enact real change requires sacrifice—time to evaluate outcomes, investment in hiring practices, and commitment to supporting employees. Therefore, developing a mentorship framework that prioritizes marginalized individuals throughout a company’s hiring practices is essential.
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Let’s reflect on what a mentorship program should entail, promoting marginalized individuals starting from their first introductions with the company. I was surprised at Newsela to receive feedback at every step of my interview process, which showcased a culture of respect and knowledge sharing.
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Mentorship should start with an emphasis on training mentors to ensure effectiveness. Untrained mentors often fail to support mentees, and their lack of guidance can complicate the mentee’s growth journey.
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Ultimately, mentorship should be a collaborative effort that draws on the strengths of both mentors and mentees in achieving clear growth objectives.
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Thank you for listening to my ideas. Again, I'm Alex Millatmal, a developer at Newsela. I'm happy to discuss any ideas we covered about Newsela or my experience in engineering in general.
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I want to quickly thank those who helped develop this talk, notably Jennifer and my friend Shannon Jackson. Thank you.
