.png)
Agile methodologies appear to match many best practices for building inclusion.
So, why then, does tech have such a pipeline problem?
In this session Jo will share her research of diversity in tech teams, and practical steps we can take to build greater inclusion and equality.
Agile and Lean methodologies, widely adopted in the tech/engineering industries, appear to match many best practices for building inclusion. Despite growing recognition for the business case for diversity, and a growing portfolio of interventions, little progress has been made for a decade. Women and people from minoritised ethnicities are underrepresented in the technology & engineering industries and are characterised by low rates of progression and retention.
We call this the “Agile Inclusion Paradox”. The benefits of inclusion and case for change are clear: diverse and inclusive teams outperform homogenous, non-inclusive teams.
In this workshop we uncover the research background of inclusion in technical teams, and share findings from Jo’s original research that examines why simply adopting Agile alone may not be enough for inclusion and equality.
Together, we will unpack a team toolbox to adapt Agile practices and simple coaching techniques to interrupt non-inclusive dynamics, purposefully to build inclusion in your team, and enable everyone to thrive.
Jo Stansfield is Founder and Director of Inclusioneering, a social enterprise supporting innovative tech and engineering organisations with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) solutions and consultancy. Jo has extensive experience of data-led approaches to gain insight and develop impactful DEI strategies and interventions, from small to global enterprises. Alongside her business, Jo holds a number of voluntary positions. She is a Trustee of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, co-chair of BCS Women, a member of the Industry Advisory Board for TechUp bootcamps, and Fellow of AI ethics and audit charity, ForHumanity.
Jo began her career as an engineer, developing enterprise software for global industry, spanning oil & gas, automotive, aerospace and marine sectors. Having pivoted her focus from the technical to human dimensions of engineering, Jo now works as a Business Psychologist. She holds an MSc in Organisational and Business Psychology, with thesis research topic “Lessons for Gender and Racial Diversity within Technology”. She brings deep understanding of the engineering culture, and lived experience within it, to her work in support of diversity and inclusion in tech and engineering domains.
