My View: Getting real about embracing diversity

eHealthNews.nz: Workforce

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

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VIEW - Nathan Bryant-Taukiri, chief executive, Rea

The movement towards diversity in New Zealand's tech industry represents not just a shift towards greater inclusivity, but a fundamental enhancement of the sector's creativity, innovation, and resilience.

Embracing diversity, particularly the inclusion of Māori and Pacific Island workers, enriches our perspectives, fuels innovation, and reflects the rich tapestry of New Zealand's cultural heritage.

It is a crucial step in ensuring that our technology reflects the needs and voices of all New Zealanders, creating products and solutions that are truly by Aotearoa, for Aotearoa. And, of course, there is the social good, offering paths to those who have been historically disadvantaged and discriminated against.

Diversifying teams
In the fervour to diversify our tech teams by incorporating more Māori and Pacific Islands workers, we are at the cusp of a pivotal challenge that transcends mere 'filtering' of candidates through our recruitment processes.

The movement towards pro-diversity in New Zealand is not just a trend; it is a vital shift towards tapping into the vast well of untapped potential, bringing fresh perspectives, and enhancing our sector's innovation and resilience. It’s about making a difference.

However, the tech industry's historical approach has often been likened to attempting to increase our slice of the pie by drawing from an already limited pool of diverse talent. This strategy, while well-intentioned, fundamentally misses the mark. Instead, our focus should shift towards creating new pathways that enlarge the overall 'pie'—developing net new digital health kaimahi (workers) and supporting individuals who might never cross the significant chasm into the tech sector.

The concept of filtering changes nothing. It doesn't challenge the status quo or address the systemic barriers that prevent Māori and Pacific Islanders from entering tech. To invoke real change, we must reevaluate our hiring, onboarding, and support mechanisms. It's not enough to merely have diverse teams; we must foster environments that are genuinely equitable and inclusive, ensuring all individuals can thrive.

Acknowledging the context of each individual - understanding their potential backstory - is crucial to this. Many from Māori and Pasifika communities carry the weight of colonialism, discrimination, and labels that have deeply impacted their emotional state.

These include but are not limited to confidence issues, inferiority complexes, imposter syndrome, lack of self-belief, and a profound sense of not belonging. These challenges are not just personal hurdles; they are barriers that we, as employers and colleagues, must actively work to dismantle.

Getting real
So, what do we need to do differently? First, it requires us to be real (pono) about these challenges and the systemic changes needed to address them. It involves rethinking our processes to be more inclusive of those who come from alternative education paths and providing the support and development needed to navigate the tech industry successfully.

This may include new thinking around recruitment strategies, onboarding processes that are sensitive to the emotional states of new hires, and ensuring there is adequate executive sponsorship and funding to support these initiatives. It requires us to push through the barriers.

The question we must ask ourselves is, are we serious about making a difference, or are we just paying lip service to the idea of better representation, diversity and inclusion? To truly create the diversity we seek, along with the equity and inclusion necessary for diverse peoples to thrive, requires more than just intention. It requires action.

As we look towards the future, let us challenge ourselves and our organisations to not just filter, but to create. To not just aim for a bigger slice of the pie but to make the pie itself bigger.

This is how we start to make a real impact—by developing new digital health workers from Māori and Pasifika communities and ensuring our environments are truly welcoming and supportive.

Let us be honest about the challenges we face and commit to the actions we take. It's time to get real.