5 ways to nurture the long-term pipeline of Black tech talent

Tech companies are increasingly focused on diversity hiring, but Black executives in the industry recognize hiring goals are just one small piece of a complex puzzle. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) diversity recruiting team recently convened a group of Black tech executives from more than half a dozen different companies for a virtual dinner discussion about their experiences rising through the ranks. The group, which included patented scientists and inventors, had an informal roundtable conversation about what’s weighing on their minds right now when it comes to growing long-term pipelines of Black tech talent for generations to come.

Here are the top 5 takeaways.

Black children are the least likely racial group to enter science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that Black students face more environmental and social barriers to academic success, affecting their confidence in pursuing technical education and careers. The executives in the roundtable were universal in their feelings about supporting and encouraging Black youth from a much earlier age in order to effect change. 

Starting programs in high school is too late, and many felt that middle school is even too late. Research backs up their concerns: The International Journal of STEM Education reports that “socioeconomic disparities in science achievement emerge early and … programs and policies aimed at addressing these gaps may need to target children during the early elementary and preschool years.” 

The group agreed that supporting children has to happen through a combination of initiatives, from school-based programs to community and parental support systems. Building relationships and role models for Black youth requires teachers, parents, and entire communities—and philanthropic involvement from Black professionals and executives.

Across the board, each executive shared in the frustration that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find Black and women tech talent. The leaders agreed that ever since the 2020 death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement that followed, they’ve noticed corporations focus on diversity hiring efforts. But if workplace culture isn’t supporting these hires once they’ve joined, hiring initiatives can’t move the needle on racial imbalances.  

“Retention is top of mind for me. Of course companies should hire more leaders from traditionally underrepresented groups. But if we’re not creating the environment where people actually feel empowered, connected, included, and valued, then we’re only doing half of the job,” said Francessca Vasquez, Vice President of AWS Technology and Customer Solutions.

How do we solve for it? First and foremost, the group agrees there’s power in numbers, and there will never be a balance of Black professionals in technology fields until two main issues are addressed: building a long-term STEM pipeline of diverse talent, and ensuring work environments are inclusive and supportive. 

The group acknowledged that companies can’t just check a diversity hiring box and leave it at that—they have to foster internal work cultures that empower Black professionals once they’re on board. Many of the leaders on the panel agreed that unless companies create inclusive spaces and provide the right resources, especially mentorship and career development (see below), retention will continue to be at odds with diversity hiring.

Learning and development programs that help in-house diverse talent get promoted and pave the way for others are essential. Internal and external career growth pipelines must continue to support diverse professional development, but the group discussed how STEM support from an early age must be combined with learning and upskilling initiatives if corporations truly want to champion the long-term success of Black and diverse talent in the tech industry. This requires top-down corporate support, Black and other diverse leadership support, investments in internal development programs, and external collaborations with organizations such as Grace Hopper, which supports diversity, equity, and inclusion for women in tech. 

“These Black leaders across the tech industry have noticed that many companies are not actively developing black junior employees,” said Khafila Abiola, Head of AWS Global Executive Diversity Recruiting. “All the leaders who participated in the event want to work together to address these issues.” 

At Amazon and AWS, the Black Employee Network (BEN) developed the BEN Rise Leadership Program to support the retention, success, and advancement of Black level 7 leaders across Amazon. Support for BEN’s work is as top-down as it gets, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy serving as BEN’s current executive sponsor.

Here’s how BEN describes Rise:“Rise is an eight-month program that leverages the power of connection, coaching, and informal sponsorship to support the success of our Black leaders. The Rise program is grounded in the four E’s Continuous Learning Model: Education, Exposure, Experience, and Environment; each a catalyst for accelerating success. 

Our mission is to support the success of Black employees at Amazon. We believe engaging with and learning from senior leadership, committed mentorship and sponsorship, and investment in personal and professional development, will increase a sense of belonging and community; and contribute to the retention, success, and advancement of Black L7 leaders at Amazon.” 

The sentiment among the group was that companies also have to take a hard look at the systems they have in place that might be creating unintended inequities. You can have good intentions for moving and growing diverse talent, but you have to be self-critical when things are not working.

Across the panel, the leaders saw a theme in their collective ascent through their tech careers: they had role models. Some leaders had role models within their own families, and others had them through professional or community mentors. Everyone agreed that without a direct line of sight into technology—in what it could do for the world and their own personal success—through their role models, they wouldn’t have had the confidence to blaze new trails. 

“Each one of these executives believes in holding the door open for the person behind them,” said Lamar Young, a senior executive recruiter at AWS. 

For Black youth across the world who don’t have familial role models in tech, the aforementioned programs and support systems become a critical function of the road to success. Black youth and young professionals must see first-hand that technology is the core of problem-solving for the future. If more of today’s Black leaders took on active mentorship roles for youth and early-career talent, they could continue to shape a future where Black professionals have the same opportunities to grow their careers and rise through the ranks as their white counterparts.

AWS has invested $50 million to support the creation of STEM-focused programs at AWS and partner organizations to connect underrepresented communities with careers in technology. 

AWS initiatives include AWS re/Start and AWS GetIT, which prepare unemployed and underemployed individuals and girls for cloud careers; and AWS InCommunities, which includes long-term programs supporting STEAM education (“A” stands for arts), access, and equity; local tech upskilling; environmental stewardship; and employee engagement. Partner organizations include Afro Tech, Your Future, Your Ambition, Lesbians Who Tech, Girls in Tech, Anita B. Org, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. 

AWS leader Daryl Hammet has launched an internal leadership retreat for Black leaders at the director level across AWS. The way he describes the purpose of the retreat echoes the themes heard throughout the roundtable.

"Across our AWS community, Black L8 leaders are stepping in to serve as leaders leading leaders, driving the AWS experience to the next level. Learning and knowledge-sharing drives the leadership experience,” said Hammett, General Manager of Global Demand Generation and Ops for AWS Marketing – Lead Management. “We believe that strengthening our leadership is essential to building better leaders. Our network can grow together through networking, experiences, and leadership opportunities that bring us together. In our community, the more our leaders get involved, the richer your experiences become.” 

The roundtable discussion often drifted back to the theme of corporate responsibility and leadership to serve underrepresented groups. The executives committed to staying connected to continue to talk about ways to innovate new programs at scale that would specifically address the need for more Black executives in tech. 

“Black executives are facing the same problems with being properly onboarded, being given the same opportunity to experiment and fail without consequence, and not being promoted at the same pace as their peers. They all want to contribute and give back to their community or the Black tech population to find the next set of leaders,” said Lester McPherson, Director of World Wide Tech Strategy & Workforce at AWS. “We plan to stay more engaged and create more safe spaces to have open, honest conversations that lead to tangible actions.”