Hispanic tech leaders discuss their best strategies for hiring diverse candidates

There is a tendency for human resources (HR) and hiring teams to lean on graduates of prestigious colleges and universities for entry-level hires. The group agreed that while these pipelines remain essential, they leave a blind spot when it comes to due diligence in finding viable Hispanic candidates. Few Hispanic teenagers see their demographic reflected in the technology sector, so they may not feel encouraged to choose paths that would put them on a tech-related trajectory. But if companies can show young talent the opportunities that await them, they may make a different choice in the future.

“After more that 20 years of working in tech, I am concerned that I see less and less Hispanics in higher education," said Diego Pantoja-Navajas, vice president of new products, AWS Business Applications. "I believe that in order to solve this issue, the educational system needs to provide additional support and access to Hispanic students. ... It's important for tech companies to realize that the workforce of the future will have an increasingly Hispanic influence, and now more than ever, we should try to become relevant and important to this minority group."

The group also stressed that as the development of technology becomes more distributed through the different levels of society—with the help of open-source software, inexpensive hardware, and seemingly-infinite ways to learn skills online—a hiring team would be negligent to ignore groups or forums where amateur and DIY-types build and share ideas. One executive mentioned finding an extremely valuable Hispanic employee after attending a gathering of enthusiasts in a city park.

The group agreed that too often executives forget they need to function as gardeners, nourishing employees with mentorship and helping them grow broader and taller. An experience that most in the group shared—and still experience today—was "impostor syndrome," where they doubted their qualifications for a certain role. That feeling can be exacerbated when you're the only face of a certain heritage in the room or the only person with English as a second language on the team.

"It continues to be about exposure and creating opportunities for Hispanic talent and connecting them with opportunities that exist within tech,” said Andrea Seitz, AWS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity leader. “Within AWS, we are very focused on creating opportunities that allow us to shine a spotlight on this talent, whether that’s partnering on an external community engagement or an internal professional development opportunity. For example, we have a partnership with the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC), which seeks to connect, inspire, and grow influential Hispanic technology executives while developing the next generation of leaders. When it comes to increasing underrepresented minorities in technical roles, we also focus heavily on establishing internal and external talent pipelines through sponsorship, academia, and professional organizations, which includes our work with Hispanic Serving Institutions.”

That's why executives, especially those who have followed a similar path to their positions of power, must remember to extend a hand to build confidence and vanquish an employee's sense they're playing out of their league. The group agreed that diverse hiring is only the beginning. True inclusion means people in the workplace are making efforts to continuously learn, interrupt unconscious biases, and make sure all people feel a sense of true belonging.

As the group thought back to early adulthood, between the ages of 18 to 25, they recalled how daunting the job market seemed. Applying for a loan or connecting with the right person often seemed impossible. The group agreed that some of the most powerful moments of their young lives, which directly contributed to their success today, were the mentors who demystified steps as simple as downloading an online application or looking up a phone number in a directory. Such steps can seem obvious once older, but can seem insurmountable to young professionals getting started in a complex world of work.

The group also agreed the point is building hope and courage. If young people, especially from underrepresented communities, don't believe a path exists at all, why would they take it? The group agreed that showing young people they were once struggling in the same position sheds light on a way forward that might feel dim.

"This discussion helped us embark on an exciting journey, but in order to truly make an impact, we must take many more steps," Martinez said. "We committed to getting together again in 2022 to continue the discussion, with each of us bringing a guest who early in their career and would benefit from seeing and hearing a group of leaders who look like them.”

Pantoja-Navajas challenged the cohort to get together once per quarter to build scalable and sustainable solutions that continue to improve Hispanic representation in tech. Because Hispanic women executive representation is even smaller than that of men, each of the leaders from the original cohort also plans to invite a Latina tech executive to their next meeting.