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Pride month is here. The summer brings with it employers keen to show their support for the LGBTQ+* community – this may encompass transforming the company logo with the iconic rainbow hue, decorations in the office, or maybe even a special pride-related event, but it’s sometimes easy to prioritise activities around this time of year, rather than look to long-term strategy. So, how can LGBTQ+ inclusivity be part of your overall approach to diversity in the workplace, and what changes can you make that foster an accepting, happy environment for all? Let’s start with a disclaimer: of course, all times of year should be the time for reflection on how to create a diverse workforce, not just ‘Pride month’, but with deadlines, hiring stress, and everything else, it’s easy for looking at your diversity to get pushed to the wayside. With more of the next generation of tech professionals identifying as LGBTQ+, they are understandably looking to their next employer for a clear sign it is an accepting and safe work environment for them, and allyship from the company and its staff. ‘Rainbow-washing’ and only showing support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month is to be avoided, and instead, the focus should be on checking you are doing everything you can to create a more inclusive work environment. LGBTQ+ people in the workplace It’s understandably hard to pinpoint the exact number of LGBTQ+ in the UK and further afield, but more people than ever are openly stating their sexuality as something other than heterosexual, and a recent study by YouGov found among the younger generation (those in the 18-24 age bracket), 36% of respondents said that they consider themselves “completely heterosexual”. When it comes to gender identity, which can be too often left out of the picture, it’s important to consider people in your team or you may be interviewing that are non-cis (i.e. their gender is not what they were presumed at birth). In the last nationwide ‘LGBT survey’ specifically of the community conducted by the government in 2017, 13% of the respondents were transgender (or ‘trans’) and 6.9% of respondents were non-binary (i.e. a gender neither male or female). Why look at your approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion and the diversity of your team? Stonewall’s latest report on LGBTQ+ experiences in the workplace in the UK shows almost one in five LGBTQ+ staff (18%) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues in the last year because they're LGBTQ+, and more than a third of LGBT staff (35%) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for fear of discrimination. These figures make for devastating reading – if you are reading this as a cis and heterosexual individual, perhaps take a moment to imagine either being bullied or feeling unsafe to share your identity at the place you spend most of your time and the people you engage with on a daily basis. What does this mean for employers? It’s more than ever to have top-down processes and policies that create an inclusive work environment (encompassing everything from the language used to hiring approaches). Diverse workforces are increasingly found to be happier, more creative, and less likely to make flawed decisions, due to being enriched by the different perspectives and life experiences minorities bring to the team. This is partially down to ‘cognitive elaboration’ and the sharing, challenging, and expanding our thinking as ‘diverse teams compel each other to think more deeply about their reasoning and interrogate the facts more objectively’. An environment where people can truly be themselves, naturally, gives way to a closer team who work together well and support each other in the workplace. So, what can you introduce to really make an impact? Diversity panels and surveys where people can share their views on what could be changed can be a great addition to the workplace, but inclusivity should be looked at all levels, and not just be informed by what existing staff think as many workforces are homogeneous and may not even realise. Here is a handful of things you can do to foster a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ employees, but it’s important to remember the work is ongoing and takes time to see changes from: 1. Use inclusive language (and encourage others to do the same) The language you use says a lot about who you are as a company, especially if you tolerate certain types of language that ostracises others and/or has derogatory connotations for those in a minority like LGBTQ+ people. In male-dominated spaces like tech environments can be (as evident in our 2022 Talent & Salary reports) greetings like, ‘Hi guys’ and offensive language can sometimes go unchallenged, so it’s important to enforce a top-down zero-tolerance policy across all communication (whether on a Teams chat, the company intranet or in-person) to make it very clear homophobic and transphobic language will be reprimanded, and create a company culture that everyone feels part of. It’s important to make this clear in the interview stages too, so potential employees that are members of the community know how important it is that no one feels excluded through the language used in the office. Think about conversations you’re having in the workplace – are they heteronormative or do they include everyone (e.g. not focused on marriage and parental duties, which some LGBTQ+ people may not feel part of). Are you respectfully asking people’s pronouns (and including them as part of your employee training) or are you just including them on your signature and/or LinkedIn without implementing anything further? Outward marketing, including your website and social media, as well as internal channels should celebrate diversity in language, imagery, and more – and also indicate that your work environment is inclusive of everyone. Resources like gender decoding tools and the Conscious Style Guide are great for becoming more conscious of language that isn’t inclusive, which can be applied to job ads, emails, and social media posts. 2. Make an ongoing commitment to training for all levels Diversity training isn’t a one-time tick-box exercise and if you rolled something out even a few years ago it’s like it’s already outdated. Support HR in making that extra investment in ensuring you’ve got up-to-date, highly-regarded training, ideally from a specialist provider of LGBTQ+ education (e.g. charities like Stonewall or Switchboard) who are directly involved with the community and know the struggles individuals are facing in the modern workplace. With an increasing number of people coming out as trans or gender non-conforming (and non-binary), it’s imperative your team knows and respects pronouns for external relations and how they interact with other members of the team that may be trans. As creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ people is an ongoing investment, check in continually where you are with diversity and inclusion with anonymous staff surveys or use an external provider to find out what can be improved, and perhaps most importantly, actually make the changes from the findings to make life better for them. 3. Support people in being free to present their identity in the workplace Beyond language and training, there are physical changes you can bring to the office to make it a more welcoming environment for all. This may include looking at your office dress code and non-discrimination policy to check if there’s nothing outdated and exclusive of certain gender identities and sexualities. For members of the trans community (including gender non-conforming people), it’s worth remembering using a public/work bathroom can sometimes be a very stressful experience, so consider if you can implement gender-neutral bathrooms to make life as easy as possible for everyone. In summary, including LGBTQ+ staff is about consistently looking to language, education, and office culture, to create a safe space that embraces and celebrates all, which in turn will lead to a happier, more successful team. And remember, it’s important to show your pride for LGBTQ+ team members, all-year round, not just for June. *Obviously, there are a lot of different acronyms for the community and we’re using ‘LGBTQ+’ to try to encompass everyone lesbian, gay, bi, trans (including non-binary), queer, questioning, and asexual people Further resources: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_in_britain_work_report.pdf http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TWSP-Info-Guide-Final.pdf https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers/blog/10-ways-support-lgbt-employees/ https://gosuperscript.com/blog/how-to-create-an-lgbt-inclusive-workplace/

It’s no secret that the post-COVID job market is booming, and with applying on LinkedIn and other job sites easier than ever, you may be asking yourself: do I really need a recruiter? Isn’t adding an extra party just further complicating what can feel like a long process? We don’t think so, so we are here to answer the question of why use a recruitment agency to find a job – broken down into five reasons, because we know you’re busy… 1. Saves your (precious) time The benefits of using a recruitment agency are huge, if like most tech professionals: you’re likely short on time to spend on a job search but full of know-how that makes you extremely lucrative in the market. Job searching, reading through specs, and researching companies can take hours. Specialist recruiters exist to take the hassle out of job searching and already have long-standing relationships in your industry. They are also most likely recruiting for more than one job for the companies making big moves in their sector, so one conversation could lead to multiple potential opportunities. They know everything about a role(s) and have spent hours finding out all it will entail and the career progression in a company, so you don’t have to – and you get access to all of this for free! A quick chat with a recruiter and they can figure out your must-haves and would-be-nice desires for your next role, to ensure they find the tech job that ticks all your boxes. Let them organise your interview(s), paperwork and more, and be your own career concierge when it comes to finding the match of your dreams, and save you a huge amount of time in the process. Perhaps best of all, a recruiter may come to you with an opportunity you maybe wouldn’t consider on paper(like working for a start-up or in a new industry), but on talking to you they see you could be a great fit – and you never know, it could be just what you’re looking for!   2. They really know your market and the company ‘What does a recruitment consultant do?’, some people may ask. We can’t speak for all of them of course, but the good ones get to know the companies they work with inside and out and know who will slot into a team and hit the ground running. You want your next job to be a great fit across all areas and to do this you need to know: The company culture  (beyond the front of a website) What the salary actually could be (beyond ‘competitive’ or a broad range) Which projects you’ll be working on What their tech stack is like Remote/office time reality (whether set in stone or any flexibility) Working with a recruiter allows you to gauge the culture and social side of an employer, negotiate any flexibility (or find out if there is more if you’re specifically looking for an office/remote split), as well as ensure you’re getting paid exactly what you should for the market rate and your experience (their pay literally is based on getting you the best salary!)   >>> Check out our jobs & compare your salary <<<     3. You can be fully open with them about what you want We realise it can sometimes be challenging to have conversations regarding salary expectations, why you’re leaving your current role and your ideal work flexibility/time in the office directly with a potential new employer. Having your next move supported by a recruiter allows you to really be honest about what you want and allow them to do the hard work to get it – especially useful when it comes to salary negotiation! This minimises the risk of making the wrong career move, and all the stress that comes with that, and having to move roles yet again.   4. Get direct feedback (and no ghosting!) Ever put your CV and/or cover letter forward or gone for an interview and never heard back from a company or had to wait for ages for a follow-up? Yeah, we’re not fans of that either – this is why some recruiters (including us) only work with clients that meet a certain standard when it comes to how they operate. The best recruiters will be in touch with you and their client throughout the process, and communicate honestly at each stage – and you, in turn, can benefit from getting feedback as soon as possible, and share how you’re feeling at each stage.   5. Know the full process and time-frames for receiving an offer Everyone’s on the same page when you work with an experienced recruiter – no confusion, lack of communication about stages and the decision-making process when it comes to hiring, and as clear time-frames as possible. Quality recruiters understand that there’s nothing worse than not knowing the times things are going to be moving at when you’re ready to move on and have a notice period to work, so they do everything within their power to get feedback for you. Overall, think of a recruiter (especially more specialist ones focused on one particular market, like tech) as your free career concierge – here to listen to your needs and find you something special that’s going to enhance your working life. They’re in your corner, and are rewarded to get you in front of decision-makers and shout about how great you are, and go that extra mile beyond what an online CV send can!   So, have we convinced you to use a recruiter to find your next job? Get in touch to see how we can help! Form ID:3677  

Miami, Florida – a land of sunshine, white-sand beaches, and cultural delights, was also home to Understanding Recruitment’s highest performers earlier this month when we took 20 of the team on holiday to say thank you for their hard work! Find out how they qualified, and all the highlights of their trip below. One of the perks of life working in recruitment is the once-in-a-lifetime trips we can take those individuals that have gone above and beyond to exceed expectations on. This May, after years of waiting we could finally take 20 UR team members from our UK and US-based teams – ranging from our Business Operations team to Principal Recruitment Consultants – to Miami, to celebrate them surpassing their full-year target (we combined the 2019, 2020, and 2021 winners after the trip’s original date was thwarted by COVID). Taking a well-deserved break from sourcing and placing tech candidates, learning and development, HR and accounts, our team enjoyed excursions in alligator territory, delicious food, and more, over five days in the sunshine state, as well as some down-time for relaxing, shopping, and the city’s famous beaches! Here’s what some of our exceptional performers had to say about the trip:   Sitting on that plane to Miami felt like…   “When I finally found out the destination of Miami I was incredibly happy as I had never been to the US before, and it was great to be able to experience it alongside such a great group of people! As I had waited so long for this trip (hitting it for the first time in 2019) I think it only properly sunk in when we landed in Miami!” said Anna Lynch, Principal Account Manager in our DevOps team. “I qualified for the first trip in my first and second year at Understanding Recruitment, and both times have felt unbelievable. Trips like this are a completely different kind of experience. I’ve been able to visit places as a grad after a year that I definitely couldn’t afford and it’s great to take time off and relax, without actually taking time off. I really felt like I was being rewarded for all my hard work beyond my salary,” she added. Monique Hunt, our Management Accountant from our Finance team, commented, “Due to Covid, Miami has been a long time coming for me. I won ‘Business Operations Person of the Year’ back in December 2019. Miami 2022 was definitely worth the two-year wait though! I put so much care and attention into my work and it was nice that this was recognised by the directors when I won the award and got to go on this trip!” “After working here for three years, hitting the trip incentive twice during the COVID years and not being able to go made going on this trip ever so much sweeter! It was a massive draw for me to get into recruitment to go on trips around the world I wouldn’t usually get to go on,” added Cedric Sellmann, Principal Account Manager, from our Java recruitment team. “Sitting on that plane (there was a lot of standing up and cheers-ing though to be fair!) made all my accomplishments feel so much better. It definitely motivated me to not miss another one in the future!” My lasting Winner’s Trip memory is…   “It is hard to pinpoint a couple of highlights as the whole trip was full of amazing activities and memories, but going on the speed boat around Miami Marina and the Everglades tour were certainly standouts,” said Harry Sansom, Principal Account Manager for Tech & Data in our Charity & NFP team. “However, just being able to spend time with the team away from work having a laugh and relax was priceless. It was great to finally meet up with some of the US team as it has been a long time coming having only spoken to them via Teams previously. For me, it just reinforced the great culture we have that everyone got on so well and spent most of our time together. It is true when people say although we might be work colleagues it certainly felt like a trip away with your closest pals.” Emma Mathiesen, Head of Training & Development, added, “As a parent of two small children time on the beach to chill and properly switch off without having to worry about my little ones was amazing. Aside from the time on the beach, I loved the organised activities like going on a speedboat because they’re not things I’d ever done before. I also really enjoyed getting to know the team more than I’m able to on a day-to-day basis in the office and the group had a great dynamic which made it really fun!” Molly Boca, Recruitment Consultant from our US-based Acceler8 Talent office, said, “My biggest highlight of the whole trip was having a chance to meet my friends from the UK office. After two years behind a computer screen, it was a dream come true to be able to see everyone in person. But even beyond that, to be able to meet everyone on the US offices’ first full-year trip was an experience that I will never forget. Whether it was boating through the Everglades or just sitting on the beach with a cocktail the company was my favourite part of Miami!”   The secret to making the next Winner’s Trip is…   “I think quality over quantity and steadily working towards micro-goals is the best mindset for hitting a trip!” says Molly, when it comes to advice for making the next trip. Cedric adds, “We’ll train you up and give you all the tools you need to be successful here, not just to get on the trip but to hit your goals in life. You put in the effort, work closely with your team, and surround yourself with like-minded successful people and I can promise you’ll get on the next trip. The more the merrier!” Another year, another Winner’s trip! Will you be on it? “It was great to see the collaboration and cohesiveness between everyone. It was absolutely superb to be with everyone on one of the best trips we’ve ever done, and we can’t wait to do the next one and see who qualifies!” concluded Chris Jackson, Founding Director at Understanding Recruitment. A big well done to all the winner’s trip qualifiers, including James Potton, Emma Mathiesen, Josh Smith, Tom Rankin, Harry Sansom, Charlotte Young, Dan Nightingale, Anna Lynch, Tom Parker, Leo Sparkes, Cedric Sellmann, Monique Hunt, Lisa Booth, and Brad Howell from our UK Understanding Recruitment team, who were joined by Mat Ferdenzi and Molly Boca, from our Acceler8 Talent Boston recruitment team. Did you know we also take new graduate or trainee starters on a trip to our office on the other side of the point if they make their target on joining?   Read about our 'Road to Olympia' incentive trip our recent grads and trainees took earlier this year!

Recruitment is all about people: what you put in, working together with your team, and the ability to change the course of people’s lives by getting them that game-changing role they’d been dreaming of. We know there are perhaps some misconceptions (or lack of information) about what working in the sector is like, so we wanted to share some of the benefits of taking a recruitment consultant job or trainee recruitment job, and celebrate all the great things a career in recruitment can bring. Here are 8 things we think are pretty worth shouting about when it comes to what life can be like working as a recruiter:   1. Career Progression can be huge Working in recruitment is all about motivation and enjoying the rewards of your hard work, and that’s why we have clear progression routes outlined from the start with your manager. Hard work being rewarded is at the core of the best recruitment companies, so show you’re picking things up and soon enough you could be promoted from the Researcher role you will most likely start off in! For example, Java superstar recruiter Charlotte Young since joining as a Researcher in July 2018 went on to be promoted to Recruitment Executive and later Senior Recruitment Consultant, and most recently Managing Recruitment Consultant at the start of May 2022, and will be hiring for her own team soon. There’s also Josh Smith, who is now leading our growing Python tech recruitment team following a promotion at the start of January 2022, after joining as a Researcher only in July 2019! We’re delighted that 90% of our managers initially joined us at a junior level and worked their way up either our client delivery or business development route!   2. You can travel the world Many recruiters offer half-year and full-year trips, and we’re delighted that we just took 20 high performers on a Miami trip that’s been three years in the planning (due to COVID), but usually offer half and full-year holidays for our target-smashing high performers. We also just have a trip for new starters to visit our Acceler8 Talent recruitment office in Boston, Massachusetts after hitting the ‘Road to Olympia’ target for trainee and graduate new starters.   3. You don’t need experience Individuals from hospitality, retail, and estate agent backgrounds, have all walked through a recruitment consultancy like ours’ doors and shone – but also from some environments you may not expect, like banking and insurance! What’s most essential to thrive in a recruitment job is being a people person, as well as having a clear drive towards achieving goals and your ability to work as a team, over whether you have a University degree and what exactly you studied. Learning and development are huge for us, so from Day 1, we’ll cater a tailor-made learning plan around your experience to give you everything you need to succeed as a recruiter. 4. Your take-home pay can quickly increase (and isn’t dependent on time served) As a junior member of staff/trainee recruiter, your salary will start at around the £22,000 mark but can rapidly grow beyond that with competitive commission (we offer up to 40%) on placing candidates. Joining us at a more senior level as a recruitment consultant or account manager and your salary can range from around £30,000-70,000 depending on your experience, and whether you’re a Recruitment Consultant or Account Manager.   5. It’s all about teamwork There’s sometimes perhaps a perception that being a recruiter is all on you, but in the best type of recruitment companies you’ll find it’s not a solo, ‘every person for themselves’ type of role. Our teams are carefully formed, based on who we think will fit well where to ensure they bounce off each other’s energy and support each other. Every company runs differently, but we’re a big fan of catch-ups throughout the day as a team (virtually if working remotely thanks to Microsoft Teams) to make sure everyone has the support they need to hit their goals.   6. You’d be joining one of the ‘fastest-growing job sectors’ (and most exciting sector to be in, in our books!) In 2022, we’re proud to have many million-pound months as the tech industry bounces back with force and companies throughout the UK looking to bolster and expand their teams. According to ZD Net, technology was one of the fastest sectors for growth in jobs in the UK last year. The resilience of the industry in part down to the quick adoption of more remote and flexible working, which has continued into 2022. We’ve embraced flexible working too, with our introduction of two days a week work from home (after passing probation) on offer for all of our team. Working in tech recruitment, you’ll get to know one field extremely well and build long-lasting relationships in the sector (whether a household name like MasterCard or easyJet, or a start-up!), and about the tech talent that drives their success. ​7. Wellbeing is always a priority The pandemic had many companies thinking a lot about ways to ramp up our focus on wellbeing, and we’re one of them. It’s imperative for us to take into account that there are a lot of highs (like when a candidate accepts an offer!) but also some lows (e.g. when a candidate narrowly misses out or changes their mind) in recruitment, and the lows are often out of your control as a recruiter. During the pandemic, we set up a Wellbeing Committee including Mental Health First Aiders to look out for anyone that may be struggling with their mental health, in addition to our free gym and Calm membership, encouraging team members to take 2-hour lunches when needed, among other offerings. Some companies also offer unlimited holiday after a certain period (for us, it’s after two years), and we feel this is essential to allow our team to recharge and enjoy some time off from all their hard work.   8. You’ll be changing people’s lives every day Last, but perhaps most importantly, working as a tech recruiter (and other sectors) can change the course of someone’s life. Whether helping someone secure a role in London after years of wanting to move there, supporting someone get out of a job they’re really unhappy at, or getting someone a salary that will allow them to put a deposit down for a house or do something else they’ve always dreamed of, working in this role means you could be changing people’s lives every week… now, how does that sound?     Upload Your CV Ready to join the team?  We're always interested in finding the right people to join our team. We’re rapidly growing and doing amazing things in the world of tech recruitment from our UK and US offices, and are on the lookout for driven and ambitious individuals to join us on our journey!    Form ID:3677  

Java team member Charlotte Young is a shining example of career progression at Understanding Recruitment, and since joining as a Researcher in 2018, has gone from achievement to achievement to work as Senior Recruitment Consultant. We meet her to find out her advice for those at the start of their recruitment career, the Java developer recruitment market, and what she enjoys about #LifeAtUR. What was your career journey before joining the world of recruitment? I studied Geography at Cardiff University and working at Understanding Recruitment was my first ever full-time job.   What appealed to you about working in recruitment? I was exploring various lines of employment-related to my field of study. When I realised how competitive it was, I reached out to someone I knew in recruitment to find out a little more as I heard he was progressing very quickly in his role and earning great money too! He passed my CV onto UR and after several interview rounds, I secured a position by Christmas of my final year of university!   "UR was a team of about 40 when I joined and now there are 75+ people! The company created values that are adhered to throughout interviewing new prospective recruiters and also has a collaborative working culture."   What do you enjoy about working here (e.g. people, skills, culture, what you’re learning)? Everyone at UR is hugely supportive of each other. We celebrate successes as a team and we show compassion and support others when things don’t always work out the way we would like. We have a mentor/mentee system at UR where we, as recruiters, constantly learn from one another as well at AURA (our learning hub). I’m always learning from my manager who takes the time to listen to my questions and coaches me to the right outcome. Overall, UR places a huge emphasis on its values and it’s great to see an organisation that is an advocate for collaboration and setting high expectations with a strong reputation.   How has Understanding Recruitment evolved since you joined? The first noticeable change is size! UR was a team of about 40 when I joined and now there are 75+ people! The company created values that are adhered to throughout interviewing new prospective recruiters and also has a collaborative working culture on the sales floor. UR also hired in-house trainers who have now put together an extensive training programme for new recruits which has been great and joiners are getting off the mark very quickly! What excites you about being part of the Java industry right now? There is no better time to be a Java Developer than right now, as our 2022 Java Talent & Salary Report demonstrates – the job markets we work on have been very candidate-driven, with salaries higher than ever for tech professionals, and overall job packages increasingly including the likes of equity options nowadays. It’s great to see new industries emerging (e.g. FinTechs, MedTech, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence) with really exciting opportunities in Java. It’s interesting to see the industry adapt to the increased demand for more flexibility around working hours and working from home too.   What significant changes have you seen in the job market and hiring in the past couple of years? In addition to becoming more and more candidate-led and demand for hybrid or fully remote working sky-rocketing, some sectors have been expanding at an extremely quick pace (e.g. MedTech, cybersecurity). I also see that counteroffers are on the rise in the market, as organisations really do not want to lose staff – projects become business-critical, and it costs them more to re-hire someone else.   What’s a standout memory or highlight from your 3.5 years at the company? My first deal was definitely a standout memory – I was actually abroad on holiday when I found out! My promotions were the most important milestones for me personally, especially my first ever promotion. There was a lot of build-up and it was proof to me that I could really do 360 recruitment. One of my clients is also the company’s biggest client which is also a highlight for me looking back on how far I’ve come. What’s your advice to someone considering a career in recruitment? I’d say good things take time and it’s all about not giving up – ride the wave and good things always come. It’s cliché, but I’d also say to remember that diamonds are made under pressure! It can be very stressful at times working as a recruiter, but the reward is absolutely worth it! Additionally, make sure the organisation you join really invests in your training. It’s important to ensure it has a comprehensive training and onboarding programme, as well as continuous bits of training throughout the year to make sure you are constantly improving in your role and using the latest tools to support you.   What are you most excited about looking to the future working at Understanding Recruitment and in the Java sector? I’m most excited about growing out my own team and starting management – I have even already secured my first hire for the summer! I’m also really excited to continue helping my current clients and scale out my client base with some more exciting tech companies that are evolving quickly.   Thank you to Charlotte for giving a glimpse into Tech Recruiter Life and look out for more spotlights on other members of the UR team on our blog soon!   Does a career in tech recruitment sound appealing? Find out more below!​

Have you checked out our 2022 Talent & Salary reports yet? Each year we share in-depth tech recruiter insight on the average developer salary in different verticals using our market knowledge and data insight sources, as well as trends when it comes to what language developers are enjoying using, what benefits they are receiving, and other trends in each market. This year, we report on Java, Python, .NET, Front End, DevOps, and AI & Machine Learning – here are the highlights from this year’s surveys. Looking ahead to 2022, we note the demand for remote working continuing (with many tech professionals preferring one day a week) and salaries continuing to be very healthy, and competing with counteroffers being frequently offered to tech professionals when giving their notice. SUMMARY: JAVA DEVELOPER MARKET Talent pool: 55,000 Diversity: 85% male / 15% female Median tenure: 1.8 years Where is talent located? London dominates geographically when it comes to Java talent, accounting for nearly 35% of professionals, followed by Manchester and Edinburgh. Explore Java developer jobs. Our report focuses on professionals our dedicated Java team most frequently works with, including Software Engineers, Java Software Engineers, Full Stack Engineers, Back End Developers and Senior Software Engineers. 2021 was a fantastic year for the Java industry, and we only expect more growth in the year ahead. We have seen a wide selection of software development roles on the market in Europe. We also note that in addition to the trend to push to retain Java talent with counteroffers and increased desire for remote working, bonuses and equity options are increasingly being included in benefits packages. KEY TECH FINDINGS Tech professionals in the industry are most commonly using Java, Agile, Public cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), Microservices, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, MongoDB, and Multithreading. Microservices architecture, Public cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure) and Docker, followed by Kubernetes, Multithreading (banking environment) and AI/Machine Learning tools, appear to be the most desirable tech professionals want to be using the most due to enjoyment or to expand their horizons. WFH vs. in-office Software developers have a strong preference for working from home over working in an office, and on average, London-based companies are requesting an office presence of… READ OUR FULL JAVA TALENT & SALARY REPORT (including average salary for Graduate, Junior, Mid-level, Senior, and Lead Developers). SUMMARY: .NET DEVELOPER MARKET Talent pool: 34,780 Diversity: 87% male / 13% female Median tenure: 1.8 years Where is talent located? The majority of talent is located in London with hiring across Manchester, Leeds and Bristol remaining very high. Search .NET developer jobs. .NET talent was in high demand in 2021, in accordance with the high demand across the rest of the tech industry. In total, over 7,900 professionals reportedly change their job last year. Many companies hired throughout 2020, but lots put their hiring on hold meaning projects were backlogged and they needed to scale quickly in 2021. We saw interview processes being streamlined, while salaries and the number of fully remote roles increased. .NET 6 was released on 8/11/21 and 39.1% of our respondents said that their company has already started using it. Typescript and React also saw a 32% growth in skills among this talent. KEY TECH FINDINGS 86.1% of developers were happy with the tech they use (down 2.9% from last year) 80.9% said that their company has moved into the cloud with 64.9% stating that they use Azure 72.2% are expected to code in Front End with React (48.3%) being the most used. Blazor is on the rise with 18% saying they code in that 43.7% said they like coding in Front End, 35.9% saying they don’t mind and 20.4% saying they don’t like it What tech are developers most excited to work with and learn and what percentage of professionals think they are underpaid? READ OUR FULL .NET TALENT & SALARY REPORT to find out, as well as average salaries from Graduate/Junior Developer level up to Enterprise Architect and Development Manager level. SUMMARY: FRONT END (JAVASCRIPT) DEVELOPER MARKET Talent pool: 20,951 Diversity: 85% male / 15% female Median tenure: 2.5 years Where is talent located? London boasts over six times the number of Front End professionals compared to Manchester in second place. Explore Front End developer jobs. 2021 was a great year for Front End and it has been exciting to see the market go from strength to strength even against the backdrop of the pandemic. Our report focuses on the two types of roles our team largely concentrates on, Front End JavaScript and Full Stack JavaScript Developers. We have seen more Full Stack Developer roles using Node on the back end than ever before (especially in the second half of 2021). From what we are seeing in the market, we don’t expect this to change in the first half of the year – however, we foresee more TypeScript-focused roles moving away from frameworks like React towards the end of 2022. We expect the trend of increased demand for remote work to stay from our interactions with developers who still have an appetite for remote working and expect it to be offered by employers. We’ve found most developers are open to hybrid working but most would prefer only coming into an office once a week. In terms of landmark company growth, we have seen Octopus Energy working towards increasing its headcount by 129% following receiving £438m funding at the end of 2021. KEY TECH FINDINGS We are seeing React continue to be the most commonly used language among developers (40%), followed by Angular and Vue, according to our 2021 Tech Stack Report exploring the most commonly used web frameworks. In terms of what Front End specialists want to use, Node.js and Python lead the way, with 40% having a preference for the languages. Read the average salary of JavaScript/Full Stack professionals in London, Midlands and the North, the typical benefits packages they’re receiving, and more, in our full FRONT END TALENT & SALARY REPORT. SUMMARY: DEVOPS, CLOUD & SRE MARKET We are continuing to see a huge range of titles in the Cloud and Ops world; ranging from SRE to Platform Engineer, DevOps Engineer to Cloud Engineer, and providing relevant salary information based on title has become more of a challenge, so our report has a ‘tech not title’ focus. Search DevOps, Cloud & SRE jobs. KEY TECH FINDINGS What’s the in-demand skillset? GCP (currently the least common skill set across the three major cloud providers), Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or Cloudformation), Docker, some exposure to Kubernetes, development languages for automation (Python, Go etc.).    What’s the ‘premium’ skillset? Pro4Rduction, complex or multi-cluster Kubernetes, strong development skills (Python, Go, Java most common), complex or large-scale cloud environments, distributed computer frameworks, niche knowledge in areas such as Nomad or MLOps. There is no doubt the market has changed significantly over the last 18 months. Competition has driven salaries to record highs and we have seen a number of huge percentage salary increases. Our highest base salary offer in 2021 sat at £170,000 for an individual contributor, and whilst an outlier (sitting comfortably in the Premium section), we have also seen a record number of +£100,000 IC salaries. "Our highest base salary offer in 2021 sat at £170,000 for an individual contributor..." One of the main drivers has been increased access to opportunities due to remote working. Those in the UK now have more access to US and European teams hiring for fully remote positions. This has been particularly acute with some of the major US tech groups entering the market, with comparatively high salary levels and whilst certainly, a factor in driving UK salaries, has had even more of an impact across traditionally lower-paying locations across Europe. There is no sign of this slowing in 2022. Our average DevOps, Cloud and SRE placement salary in 2021 sat at £91,500, with the median figure sitting at… READ OUR FULL DEVOPS TALENT & SALARY REPORT to find out, in addition to average salaries at junior, mid, senior-level based on skillsets. SUMMARY: MACHINE LEARNING & AI MARKET Talent pool: (Broken down by sub-sector in report) Diversity: 78% / 22% female Where is talent located? London has maintained its seat as the number one area where this talent is located. Nevertheless, we have also seen (2) Cambridge, (3) Manchester and (4) Edinburgh grow in the last year. Explore Machine Learning & AI jobs. According to AI News, ‘The British technology sector enjoyed its best year of investment yet, attracting £29.4 billion in 2021.’ The UK Government also recorded that in 2021, the UK tech sector achieved its best year ever as success feeds cities outside London. In 2022, there are plans to ‘level up’ and innovate further with AI Governance. Hence, it appears as though the growth within AI across the UK has only just begun and this is an incredibly exciting industry to be part of. The market has never been so candidate-driven, and expectations are rising not only with compensation, but benefits, working environments, and more.  To give an insight on how huge the current need is across the UK for Machine Learning talent, let’s discuss some statistics: there have been 9,454 results for job adverts for ‘Machine Learning Engineers’ in the UK (in the past month) on LinkedIn alone; for Data Scientists there has been ‘10,555’, ‘15,645 results’ for Data Engineers and ‘1,353 results’ for Machine Learning Researchers. Considering these are the results just on LinkedIn, it shows there may be more demand than candidates available. WFH vs. in-office This has been a contentious issue for employers moving out of the pandemic, as there has been a huge appetite in the technology industry for working from home. This is only exemplified from a recent poll on LinkedIn where 41% of professionals stated they preferred a hybrid model of office and remote work, 33% said they would most like ‘occasional visits,’ and a fifth stated they would most prefer working remotely on a full-time basis. Read our salary benchmarking for Machine Learning Engineer, Data Scientist, Research/ML Scientist, Software Engineer (with AI exposure) and Data Engineer roles across all levels, as well as professionals’ preferred interview process, and lots more, in our full AI & MACHINE LEARNING TALENT & SALARY REPORT. SUMMARY: PYTHON DEVELOPER MARKET Talent pool: 19,394 Diversity: 85% / 15% female Median tenure: 1.3 years Search Python developer jobs. Where is talent located? London is unsurprisingly the hotspot for Python talent, boasting over ten times the professionals than Glasgow and Manchester, which follow. The insights in our report are based on Python web frameworks and titles including Python Developer, as these typically make up 95% of our roles. 2021 was a great year for the Python programming language. On the TIOBE index, Python hit the number one programming language, ahead of C and Java. This index ranks the popularity of programming languages and is the first time in 20 years C and Java have been overtaken. This year, we’ve seen the market adapt and many positions have moved towards remote working as companies continue to realise that this is the best way to find high-quality candidates. The demand for Python talent is incredibly high and competition for talent means candidates will often receive multiple offers, and some organisations are willing to pay above market rate to secure the best talent. In terms of other key trends for 2022, we expect Python will continue to be used across many different areas including web development, Machine Learning, data analytics, mobile apps, automation, and scientific computing, amongst others. We expect more companies will realise the power of paying engineers London-based salaries for remote workers and salaries will continue to rise. KEY INDUSTRY FINDINGS We have found that Django continues to be the largest web framework, with 11,125 individuals having it as a skill, but newer and quicker frameworks are now being used such as Fast-API which companies such as Revolut have already implemented. We saw 2021 be a huge year for Yelp, with hundreds of millions in sales but we’ve also seen many candidates open to working for them as they grow across many areas. GoCardless also received a massive $95m in Series F which has helped them expand last year. Remote vs. WFH What a tech professional values most in a role is evolving beyond a strong focus on salary, and we are seeing flexibility grow in value to the typical Python professional. We found only two roles we worked with required engineers to be in the office more than two days per week, which were both roles that required client interaction. Notably, 86% of our roles have considerable remote working options, with 58% having the option of being fully remote. Why do Python developers most commonly leave their roles and what do they look for in a new employer? These questions and more (including the average salary of Graduate developers up to Lead Python Developer/Engineering Managers) are answered in our FULL PYTHON TALENT & SALARY REPORT. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading all the insight from our 2022 reports, and we look forward to sharing our tech recruiter insight again in 2023! Find all our Talent & Salary reports here.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, I’m not only reminded of the talented women we’re lucky to have within Understanding Recruitment but also the positive progress we’ve made over the years to ‘break the bias’ (this year’s theme) and encourage both technology and recruitment as a career path for everyone, regardless of gender. Thankfully, times are changing, and we’re seeing more women being encouraged to drive technological innovation across the world. That said, despite the positive shift, the statistics we’re seeing are still shocking, with several sectors having as much as 85% male-identifying people versus 15% female-identifying individuals within their teams. So, how can hiring companies tackle bias in their recruitment processes and overall lead the way for more gender diversity in the workplace? A TOP-DOWN APPROACH In my opinion, it’s the job of everyone involved in the hiring process, from the top down to be mindful of diversity every step of the way. And to help with this, it’s really important to have different people with multiple perspectives involved to help eradicate unconscious bias of any individual during the process. Here at Understanding Recruitment, we’ve introduced unconscious bias training and support around inclusive hiring so that everyone is aware of their unconscious biases and how this can impact the recruitment process. Across the business, we regularly review our internal interview and recruitment process to help eradicate any bias as well as promote and encourage new ways of working, including part-time working which sadly can be all too often overlooked within our industry. We’re also members of Women in Recruitment, within which there are mentoring opportunities to help encourage more women to have a seat at the table and elevate their careers.  Additionally, we have an internal mentoring scheme so that all our team members can reach their fullest potential. We recognise from a range of research carried out that people involved in the hiring process are often encouraged to look for a certain profile or behaviour. However, we know that this negatively impacts business performance and in turn, companies are losing out on talent without knowing it. THE VALUE OF DIVERSITY Companies that embrace diversity are proven to be much better positioned for innovation and perform better. It also creates more diversity of thought and approaches in the workplace which research proves makes for a far more productive and successful business. In my experience, companies that are growing quickly sometimes haven’t been deliberate enough about their hiring process and end up allowing unconscious biases to creep into their decision making. Although a lot of companies are already aware of this issue and claim they are trying to make their hiring processes less biased, it is easy to fall into the trap. In many cases, people don’t even realise they’re doing it.  “In my experience, companies that are growing quickly sometimes haven’t been deliberate enough about their hiring process and end up allowing unconscious biases to creep into their decision making.” We advise our clients to work with standardised competency-based questions, making sure questions don’t vary between people so they are interviewed objectively. Letting interviewers pick their own questions means that their experience of the candidate can vary. While some people might just have a friendly chat based on common interests, others interrogate the candidate. This means that people often end up being recommended for the role based on a personal connection rather than their ability to do the job, a fact often supported by the company’s staff retention rate, a statistic often ignored. The good news though, is that the easiest place to remove unconscious bias is in recruitment. Taking the time to make biases visible will help companies address them and improve the diversity of their teams. And whilst we’ll be fully celebrating International Women’s Day here at Understanding Recruitment, it’s the work we’ll be carrying out throughout the year around breaking the bias that really matters. DISCOVER OUR 'DIVERSITY IN AI' SERIES: Catherine Oxley, PolyAI: https://www.understandingrecruitment.co.uk/blog/2021/08/annas-diversity-in-ai-series-catherine-oxley Priscilla Boyd, iTech Media: https://www.understandingrecruitment.co.uk/blog/2021/09/annas-diversity-in-ai-series-priscilla-boyd Ye Tian, Wluper: https://www.understandingrecruitment.co.uk/blog/2021/10/research-scientist-ye-tian-on-working-on-amazon-alexa-and-the-value-of-nlp Yue Wang, Samsung: https://www.understandingrecruitment.co.uk/blog/2022/02/diversity-in-ai-series-samsungs-yue-wang-on-propelling-the-ai-industry-forward

One perk of joining the Understanding Recruitment team as a trainee or graduate recruiter, is that if you meet a certain target you qualify to go on a trip to our office in Boston! This is what three of our high performers got to do this month, as they jetted off to Massachusetts to meet our Acceler8 Talent recruitment team and have a taste of life in the U.S. as a reward for their efforts and surpassing their targets in the early stages of their Understanding Recruitment career. One of the most significant recent expansions within the Understanding Recruitment Group has been the addition of our Boston recruitment team. Acceler8 Talent (formerly Understanding Recruitment US), is going from strength to strength when it comes to recruiting in specialist areas including AI & machine learning, hardware acceleration, quantum computing, photonics, and biotech. Its team has grown to over 10 team members since COO Mat Ferdenzi took his success growing our UK Machine Learning team stateside in 2019.   @understandingrecruitment Our 'Road to Olympia' Winners recently enjoyed a trip to Boston! #LifeAtUR #Recruitment #Travel #WorkTrip #TechRecruitment ♬ Forever - Labrinth   After being postponed due to the pandemic, in February three of our qualifying team based in our St. Albans office headed to Boston to meet the expanding Acceler8 team and have the U.S. office experience. The temperature may have been minus degree centigrade when the manager of our Python recruitment team, Josh Smith, Java specialist Ollie Brown, and Front End (JavaScript) team member Brad Howell arrived in Boston, but that didn’t stop them having a trip to remember with their American counterparts.   MEET THE ‘ROAD TO OLYMPIA’ TEAM       “A ‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’ EXPERIENCE” Here’s what the team said about their trip to Boston and advice for anyone hoping to hit their target in style, and reap the reward of all their hard work with an incentive!     Q. How did it feel to find out you made ‘Road to Olympia’? Ollie: It was awesome, and felt like a genuine reward for months of hard work. The satisfaction of securing talent for roles is great, but nothing really beats the feeling of hitting incentives; especially this one because of the nature of it. RTO is designed to be a challenge for new starters to hit, so to have done it and secured my seat on the plane was fantastic. It was made even better in knowing I’d hit it with Josh and Brad too – knowing we had all hit it at roughly the same time, achieved something special together, and were going to have a great experience together was priceless.   “It was the best feeling to know I was part of a select few who had hit the incentive was brilliant. It was also the point where I really started to believe I could do the job and do it well!” Brad: It was the best feeling to know I was part of a select few who had hit the incentive was brilliant. It was also the point where I really started to believe I could do the job and do it well!   Q. What do you feel you learned from working in the Boston office alongside the US team? Josh: The US is very different in terms of the way they work to the UK. It was good to see that the culture over there is exactly the same as in Understanding Recruitment’s UK office and we all got on so well. I learnt a lot from the way they write their LinkedIn InMails to candidates which is something I've already started to incorporate into my messages since I’ve been back. Ollie: The Boston team do quite a lot differently from us, which I found interesting. There’s a lot of crossover, but they are really unique and have put their mark on a lot of processes. We had a load of knowledge-sharing sessions around things like database usage for sourcing candidates, how they write job adverts and messages, and how they communicate with candidates and clients; and I’d say they learned a similar amount from us as we did from them, which was pretty cool.     Q. What was the professional highlight of your trip? Brad: Meeting the whole team and celebrating when one of the US team did a placement – to be a part of that happening with a different team was great! Josh: I really enjoyed sitting next to Mat from Acceler8 for the second half of the week, listening to him on the phone to clients and seeing him help his team out was something that I'm aspiring to be like in a few years’ time.   Q. What was your non-work-related favourite part of the trip? Brad: Seeing and getting involved with all that Boston has to offer – Acceler8’s office is right opposite the basketball and hockey stadium, so we went to both games. The hockey was great to watch, and it was actually the first time we had all seen ice hockey live.   Q. What would be your advice for those trying to hit a special meal/trip or milestone with their performance early on in their recruitment career? Ollie: Set your plan out early, as with all incentives. It is so vital to focus on that if you want to do X, you need to do Y every month in order to get there. This is something that I didn’t do well enough early on in my journey at UR, but I think planning is the difference between success and ‘lack-of’ in this career. This works on both a micro and a macro scale – So if you want to bill X in a month, you need to get Y CVs out in that month, so Z CVs out each week. The more structured you make it, the easier it’ll be to see if you’re on track or not to hit the bigger incentives!   “...my learning curve was significantly shortened just because I went the extra mile. Now I'm managing a team of four, having only joined the company 2.5 years ago.” Josh: Work your absolute socks off and you'll see the successes, nothing comes easy in recruitment but if you have the drive and intensity you'll reap the rewards that come with it. I stayed late almost every day for the first two to three months of being with UR and my learning curve was significantly shortened just because I went the extra mile. Now I'm managing a team of four, as the Python market continues to rapidly grow, having only joined the company 2.5 years ago. Brad: It really was a once in a lifetime experience, so I would put 100% effort into everything you do to hit the trip and it will also put you in good stead to smash the rest of your first year!   #URLife sound pretty good? We’re always on the lookout for enthusiastic trainees and graduates, who are interested in a career in recruitment!

In a special announcement event earlier today, Understanding Recruitment’s ranking on three of the much-coveted league tables for the 2022 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ in ‘Small’, ‘Recruitment’ and ‘East of England’ company categories, was revealed. Best Companies is a leading UK-based employee engagement specialist, delivering data and insights to help positive change within workplaces. Today, Best Companies revealed the 2022 Q1 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ regional, sectoral, and national league tables in a virtual event attended by representatives from the hundreds of participating companies, as well as holding a series of discussions around the current state of the workplace. Hosted by TV and sports presenter, Dan Walker, the event announced the Q1 ranking highlighting companies scoring high for employee engagement (across categories including leadership, personal growth, wellbeing, and more), as voted anonymously by staff. Feedback is then used to propel organisation’s forward and ensure they unlock their full potential. Understanding Recruitment ranked on all three Best Companies league tables the company qualified for, with the following positions (for Q1): Best Small Companies to Work For In The UK – #6  Best Recruitment Companies to Work For – #7 Best Companies to Work for - East of England – #6 The company also earned an overall 3-star accreditation, representing the highest standard workplace engagement (awarded to organisations with a BCI score of 738 or higher) and ‘world-class’ levels of workplace engagement. "Ranking in all three categories is testament to the industry-leading workplace and practices we are working towards building every day here." Speaking on the news, Chris Jackson, Founding Director of Understanding Recruitment, commented: “An engaged team is something to be celebrated, and we are thrilled to see Understanding Recruitment further establish itself as a leader in tech recruitment and an employer of choice with this announcement. Ranking in all three categories is testament to the industry-leading workplace and practices we are working towards building every day here. ​ Over the past two years, I’ve seen outstanding resilience and commitment to truly being the best we can be and living up to our company values despite challenging circumstances, which has resulted in earning a ‘world-class’ accreditation and these fantastic rankings. The future looks incredibly bright for us and our tech partners, and I know we’re only going to step things up in the year ahead as we expand even more. Well done everyone – we couldn’t have done this without you.” We’re hiring! Find out more about joining #LifeAtUR below! ​

For my final deep dive into how we can create a more diverse and resultantly, stronger AI and Machine Learning workforce, I am thrilled to be joined by an individual working at a tech powerhouse: Yue Wang. Yue Wang is someone truly working at the forefront of AI and 5G research and development at Samsung and has a huge amount of insight to offer about the future of AI and the workforce and how she got to where she is today. I talk to companies every day in my role as head of AI and Machine Learning recruitment about their struggle to fill roles. It’s no secret that talent is in short supply for jobs in machine learning, and many other tech sectors, so what’s the solution to attracting new individuals and retaining the talent you do have at your company? I believe it’s integral to any company’s success to have a clear commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, and not just one on paper, but one evident the moment you walk through a company’s door. It’s not just a ‘nice to have,’ but a necessity for any hiring strategy in 2022 beyond to be transparent about gender pay, have things in place to tackle unconscious bias, strive for a multigenerational workforce, acknowledge a variety of religious and cultural holidays, for example. Yue’s path to Samsung With this in mind, I want to reflect on diversity in technology and the overall impact on the industry, with my special guest, Yue Wang, Senior Technology Manager and network AI lead at Samsung UK. Yue is working on using AI for optimisation and management for 5G and beyond networks a new and exciting arena for Samsung, that is only set to grow at a rapid pace. “This path kind of came naturally,” says Yue. “I have always been interested in technology and engineering. I started my career as a PhD working on the physical layer of the network, and then I gradually broadened the area to the higher layers and network.” Yue’s work in network AI research and development is focused on understanding and to some extent influencing the industry training or generating ideas, concept use cases, papers, patents and their contributions, which are later tested. “Our development is where we need to put our ideas into reality from processing, getting and processing the right data to designing and integrating AI models into the realistic scenarios,” explains Yue. “Then we spend a long time on training models, so we can then actually validate and demonstrate it. Following this we enhance the product – for instance, cooperate with our headquarter and also work on third party products with external partners (e.g. Universities). So, overwrite your work and never get bored!” How did Yue get to this point and joining a company with a household tech name like Samsung? “I come from China, and the STEM subjects were very popular at the time I was there, and still continue to be very popular in China,” states Yue. “It wasn’t a hard choice at all. I was encouraged by my parents and friends of my parents, who shared lots of good things about working in the industry.” “This path kind of came naturally,” says Yue. “I have always been interested in technology and engineering. I started my career as a PhD working on the physical layer of the network (i.e. the lowest layer of the network protocol), and then I gradually broadened the area to the higher layers and network.” “What I like about working in this industry and what has motivated me to stay for so long/until now, is that there are always new things to learn and explore,” she comments. “Like starting out with the physical layer and gradually broadened my areas to the higher layer and the core network in AI.” Yue affirms it’s also a key motivator that she always has the opportunity to take part in shaping new technologies and make an impact. What’s the value of AI networks? Making an impact is certainly something Yue is achieving with the application of AI to network operation management she’s involved with, however, it has been a three to four-year journey to get to the point of what she was fascinated by becoming more of a reality. “There is lots of activity around AI networks at the moment, but when we first tried to put AI in the network, we’d get a lot of questions like, ‘why do you want to use AI?’ and ‘what’s the benefit?’ The bottom-line question is always, ‘why would anyone invest in that?’, so I had to put in a lot of groundwork.” “I’m convinced this is the way to go, as you can simplify the network operation and save a great deal of network operational cost.” Yue looked into it more and gradually started to build her skill set and crucially, put together a team to work on some of the “really interesting” work when it comes to understanding the concept she had in mind, and actually being able to bring it to life in a practical life simulation. “To finally build a team and secure funding working on something really interesting has been a really rewarding and a fascinating journey. For me, it’s like planting a seed and gradually seeing it grow into a tree, it’s that sort of satisfaction.” Yue has high hopes what she’s working on now will be an integral part of network operation management in the future; “I see AI will become inherent in the network, everywhere in different network domains and for different purpose of the network operations.” “Making an impact like this is something I would never have thought I’d be able to do when I first joined the industry.” The importance of considering cultural diversity Oftentimes the conversation regarding diversity in the workplace can centre around diversity in the workplace, which is obviously a hugely important conversation, but there has to be room to talk about creating an open space for cultural diversity too. “Things can happen quite often in workplaces where people who come from a different cultural background, that even though they are well educated, they can still sometimes not have enough of the cultural context in order to understand some of the conversations,” explains Yue. She highlights the example of a cartoon reference used in training only staff who grew up in Western culture might get, and taking this into account. “I think this can sometimes make people shy away from discussions and discourage them from contributing their ideas.” This is something many may overlook when it comes to references used in conversations and training, and Yue advises just that extra effort is needed to give context to support understanding of those who haven’t grown up with the same references. “Things can happen quite often in workplaces where people who come from a different cultural background... they can sometimes not have enough of the cultural context in order to understand some of the conversations”  Gender needs to be part of the conversation too, as we’ve discussed a lot in previous Diversity in AI interviews, there is a lot of work to be done to make the workplace a level playing field and reduce unconscious bias. “Studies show that 70% of men are less willing to accept a criticism from a woman, and more likely to dismiss it,” says Yue. “Think about how this would impact a woman in their everyday work – we need more awareness. For example, next time we hear someone expressing a different opinion we don’t like, take time to reflect on why this may be.” “Whether you’re a man or woman, British or Chinese, you will always be facing some sort of challenge in your day-to-day work,” states Yue. “Although the challenges are different, it’s important to look at the culture in the team or in the company, and try to think about things from a different perspective – for instance, another’s gender’s perspective, another coach’s perspective and another individual’s perspective overall when it comes to reaching an agreement or negotiating a project.” She summarises, “I think that goes a long way, regardless of your background.” Advice for those applying for AI & Machine Learning jobs Working in the AI & Machine Learning industry, I’m all too aware of the gender diversity gap – as shown in our recently published 2022 Talent & Salary Report. On average, there are three men for every female in the industry, and things have to change. What’s Yue’s advice as someone creating waves in the sector in a leadership role? “It’s important to know outnumbering doesn’t mean you’re not welcome [as a woman], although It is a male-dominated industry,” says Yue. “In my experience, in every workplace the majority of people are professional, supportive, and want to make you feel welcome.” “My other advice is to be yourself – just because you’re the minority and you want to fit in, it doesn’t mean you need to change who you are (e.g. be an alpha woman or be super nice). Over time, with confidence, you might change the way you do things, but this should come naturally. “In the professional world, you get respect with your expertise, skills, knowledge and how you treat others, regardless of your gender.” As a recruiter involved in the industry for several years, I am seeing more women come through the ranks from different backgrounds and it feels like an exciting time and a time for change when it comes to diversity. Being involved with hiring, Yue also sees first-hand how candidates sell themselves and has advice for minorities in AI going for a role they may be very passionate about. “In the past hiring for roles like a Network AI Researcher, I have found women, as an example, would show less competence when pitching themselves for a role (e.g. talk small about themselves,” explains Yue. Yue says it’s imperative to talk more about what they have shown they can do previously; “I want candidates to talk more about their positive achievements instead of being too modest!” A big thank you to Yue Wang for chatting with me for my Diversity in AI series and sharing more about exciting developments being made in network AI. Ready for a change of work scenery? The AI & Machine Learning job market is extremely healthy, and we would love to find out more about what you’re looking for.​