Grab opportunity by the scruff of the neck: An interview with Tecknuovo Head of DEI Maya Sargent

Maya is the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at disruptive technology consultancy Tecknuovo.

Enterprise tech employers are increasingly aware that building and supporting an inclusive leadership culture which supports not only diverse hiring practices but also the retention and career development of a more diverse range of employees, means that they need to do more than signal commitment. Instead of relying on employee resource groups to somehow resolve the problems that they are disadvantaged by, or expecting HR teams to drive cultural change throughout a business, more and more businesses are hiring Diversity & Inclusion Officers. Having such a person in an enterprise helps that business to decide what success looks like, create a D&I roadmap, drive process and practice, measure success and hold leaders accountable for progress towards the agreed goals,

Maya Sargent is Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Tecknuovo and is applying her experience in recruitment to encourage a more diverse employee profile and a greater diversity of leadership at Tecknuovo.

Why do you support Computing's Women in Tech Excellence Campaign?

As many women in the industry will attest, gender equality is a serious issue facing technology businesses throughout the UK and much further afield. There are so many businesses, both well-established and at the start-up phase, that can be described as a "boy's club" and there needs to be significant change to ensure this becomes a thing of the past.

I'm proud of the sheer amount of amazing, inspiring female colleagues I have at Tecknuovo and that the team realises that the more women we have, the more diversity of thought that goes into every decision we make. As we're sadly in the minority in having such a strong female presence in the industry, it's vitally important that the Computing Women in Tech Excellence campaign continues to share stories of success.

How did you get into the IT industry?

Although I don't consider myself a techie, I started my career in recruitment and spent more than a decade focused on growing IT teams first in agencies and then in-house. I have some great memories from those days but I'd be lying if I said there weren't discussions and decisions I witnessed which lit a fire under me to strive for diversity throughout the industry.

It became clear very quickly that the stereotype of pale, male and stale rang true in many companies and it was this that drove me to do all I could to get talented women roles in each and every realm in IT that you can think of. From there I moved to Tecknuovo, a company that takes equality seriously rather than viewing it as a tick-box exercise and I'm so proud of the role I've played in supporting the team on that journey.

What do you think is the main reason why the IT industry is mainly male, especially in technical roles and senior positions?

Unconscious bias is undoubtedly an issue plaguing businesses across the globe in every sector you can imagine. Even those which strive for gender equality often have a C-suite largely made up of men. Coming from a recruitment background, I've seen how affinity bias can drive hiring decisions, with CEOs more likely to interview people that went to the same university as them, or grew up in the same area, rather than even considering someone from a more diverse background. Without action, this will continue, and it's not only toxic but actively harms the productivity of both the companies at fault and the wider economy.

One simple yet strategic step which can be taken to fight back against unconscious bias is to anonymise CVs at the start of the recruitment process so regardless of gender, race or sexuality, the most qualified people for the role are interviewed. It then becomes increasingly difficult for those biases to creep in without senior professionals admitting to themselves that they're casting people aside for reasons other than professional acumen. This largely works at lower levels but to ensure diversity in more senior positions, it's vital to introduce benchmarking to hit goals such as 50% male / female leadership.

Anonymising CVs obviously won't close the diversity gap overnight though and there's a long way to go before UK businesses are where they should be. You only need to hear that male-owned businesses get seven times more funding than those owned by women to appreciate how far we still need to go. However, a business that is diverse in every sense of the word, from the C-suite to entry level, will be more successful over time. Diversity of character brings diversity of thought and increased creativity. I'm hopeful that each day that passes, we become closer to the masses realising exactly that, which in turn will help to facilitate change that's long overdue.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned in your career?

Don't take no for an answer. You can imagine how many times I heard no in recruitment when business leaders would ignore recommendations to hire diverse talent. If you take no for an answer as a woman, the equality gap will never close. The key is to keep pushing and find ways to drive change, otherwise the cycle of the IT industry being male dominated will continue.

What are your three top tips for women looking to start a career in IT?

In my experience, starting a career in IT is just as much about who you know as your knowledge base so my three steps to getting on the technology ladder would be as follows:

Firstly, earmark a specific area of the industry you're particularly interested in or passionate about and research courses so you can upskill in that area. There's so many options out there so search through the different avenues and find the one that's right for you.

Second, speak to as many people as you can in the industry - especially women that you can look up to and find out about their path to success. The stronger your connections and insights, the better, so taking the time to attend industry events, conferences and women-centric networking opportunities will prove hugely beneficial. It can be much easier than chancing your arm on LinkedIn as people will be receiving so many direct messages it can prove difficult to stand-out from the crowd at entry level.

Thirdly, companies that offer internships are a great first step in any young woman's technology career. There are so many of them out there, each with their own approach and specific focus areas. Look into which ones align with your passion and get in touch. We've certainly seen the benefits of working with interns here at Tecknuovo and look forward to doing so again in the future.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to take on leadership roles?

My time in recruitment showed me that women tend to be more risk averse than their male counterparts which can hold them back. I've seen it so many times - a senior role comes up in a business and there will be men within the company that maybe tick 50% of the boxes within the job description who don't hesitate to throw their hat into the ring, while women lacking just one or two of the criteria hold back because they think they won't be considered. One thing's for sure, they won't be considered for leadership roles if they don't apply.

My advice is therefore to focus on building confidence and go for it. If an opportunity arises, grab it by the scruff of the neck and jump at the chance. The worst that can happen is your application isn't successful but you'll learn from that ready for the next opportunity. The benefit outweighs the risk though, as if you go into the process ticking 75% of the boxes alongside tangential examples aligned to areas you don't quite meet the criteria, your chances of success will increase. When this starts happening across the board, rather than imposter syndrome which can creep in if you're the only female applying, gender equality at the most senior levels will become an achievable goal.