DE&I-roundtable
on the agenda. In a way the answer is obvious. If a business is entirely open and inclusive, it will be a happier, more productive workplace and environment; it will be able to draw on a much larger talent pool. It is also my belief that businesses that are truly diverse are more creative and innovative, and that’s vital too. Over time, not being truly diverse will also become a burden on businesses, not only because they may not be able to attract the best talent, but also due to customers scrutinising their stance on DE&I and choosing to work only with suppliers that are taking positive action on diversity.”
Bev Markland: “Businesses should aim to implement initiatives that ensure women have equal space to contribute to the solution to climate change. It has been found that women are disproportionately impacted and can do an incredible amount of work to confront sustainability issues. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion as a bedrock within channel strategy also advocates for more employee-centric workplace culture, driving employee appreciation and employee productivity. Tus, without an extensive DE&I strategy, the industry risks falling short of benefiting from better employee communication and well-being, but also allowing industry partners to take advantage of the potential of a better reputation and business operations.”
Pete Gullick: “Tere has been endless research about the positive impact of a diverse workforce on businesses, including employee wellbeing, strategic success, innovation, and overall profitability. “Not only this, DE&I is more important than ever for a business’s
reputation. Consumers are increasingly conscious of DE&I issues, and through social media and other means, they are willing to be more vocal than ever before. In a dense and competitive market, ensuring you walk the walk as much as you talk the talk is absolutely essential for brand reputation.”
Carlyn Foster: “According to research from Uptime, the global data centre industry will need to find 300,000 more staff by 2025. Tis shortage of staff and creation of new job roles provides a perfect opportunity to boost diversity and the initiatives that have been created. However, the sector must do more to make wholesale change and create the representation it needs to see. “Tere is certainly not a fool-proof way to address the lack of female
representation within the tech industry. However, the initiatives being put in place are a promising start and place a greater emphasis on grassroots to encourage larger takeup levels at an earlier age. Acknowledging the problem is certainly a stepping stone in tackling the issue, but there are many steps we can still take to ensure this isn’t a conversation the sector and broader tech industry needs to keep having.”
Is enough currently being done to encourage more DE&I within the tech sector or are economic conditions and other wider initiatives being put first? Ann Keefe: “Despite the tough challenges currently faced by the channel, Kingston will always remain true to our core values that have served us well for the past 35 years. We have overcome previous economic hardships over that time, so will continue to maintain those values as it will only make us stronger as a team. By choosing the path of being more inclusive, we are contributing
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to equality within the tech industry. I encourage other companies to consider it as well because together we can change the stigmas and for example encourage more women such as myself to take the leap of faith and choose to develop a career in technology. We want them to know that they are valued and empowered.”
David Watts: “Over the last three years it could have been easy and understandable to be distracted. Actually, what I saw in the many IT communities I work within was an acceleration of the discussion around DE&I during this time. Maybe it was just time for it, and it would have happened anyway, or maybe it accelerated as businesses focused on their people more during the pandemic. But there has been a change in the last two to three years. “Tere isn’t much room now for companies to say DE&I is something they plan to look at later. Tose days are gone.”
Bev Markland: “Collaboration is now a key part of the transition to achieving a resilient and circular economy. Innovation isn’t born in isolation, and the need to align on the goals and risks that can arise from implementing new DE&I processes is crucial and should be shared throughout the Channel industry in order to find the best approaches and solutions. Moving forward, businesses have both a responsibility and the opportunity to do better for their partners, people and the planet. Although sustainability is consistently printed at the forefront, DE&I should also be considered, alongside, a burgeoning effort to ensure ethical practice and inclusivity within the sector, so that the best possible results always coincide with representing and upholding employees.”
Pete Gullick: “Ultimately, there’s always more that can be done. Tere’s a common narrative that we have ‘achieved’ DE&I but this is simply not true, and there continues to be instances of ignorance or bias in workplaces across the country. “With so many issues happening elsewhere - including the ongoing
pandemic, economic issues, staff shortages and so on - sometimes the conversation can be pushed into the background. Fortunately, there are many individuals and organisations that maintain dialogue and push for change alongside tackling the many other issues we are currently facing.”
Carlyn Foster: “One of the areas where we can encourage more diversity, particularly for getting women into tech and data-related roles, is at grassroots level. Tis includes placing a greater emphasis on a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. “According to a WISE report, from 2019-20 just 24% of the UK
STEM workforce was made up of women. While this percentage is and continues to remain low, recent data has shown female STEM students believe the future is positive - and think the imbalance will change for the better in the next decade. “Educational institutions have a responsibility to ensure
opportunities to learn STEM subjects and make sure they are delivered in a way that is appealing and motivating to students from different backgrounds and genders. Diversity isn’t a tick box exercise that can be fixed by simply imposing quotas; it’s an opportunity to learn and make meaningful changes.”
September 2022 | 31
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