Diversity in the Channel: Still a Long Way to Go

Calls to improve diversity in the channel are nothing new.

IT leaders and representative bodies have publicly declared a need for people of different genders, ethnicities, ages and disabilities. IT trade association CompTIA recently said diversity “is not a point we can take off of the agenda” in 2020.

Women in IT is probably the most discussed aspect of promoting a more diverse workforce. However, new research suggests the channel still a long way to go.

A survey conducted by IDC indicates that most European channel partners are involved in initiatives to improve diversity. But female representation in leadership positions remains critically low.

Ninety-six percent of channel firms are currently or planning to participate in and/or implement “softer” activities to improve diversity in their own organizations. This includes education, awareness and training.

However, half of those surveyed are doing some of the harder work in terms of changing hiring practices (49%). They also are transforming organizational structures to build more diverse teams (47%) and setting up diversity programs with specific measurable goals (44%).

Despite this, there is still a lack of female representation in leadership positions in the channel. The survey shows that women hold only slightly more than 8% of leadership positions in channel firms.

Where Are the Women?

The report’s author is Margaret Adam, associate VP, IDC Europe. She says diversity in the channel is also an issue for members of the analyst’s partner advisory board (PAB).

IDC Europe’s Margaret Adam

“One midsize partner has more than half of its workforce as female,” she said. “The consensus was they are seeing improvements in the IT industry. This is driven partially by education – more women accessing STEM studies – but also greater awareness.”

Adam said having a diverse workforce means tapping into a different talent pool, not necessarily from within the industry.

“One partner targeted female IT recruiters to join the company as salespeople, and then trained them on technology,” she said. “Having that industry experience was enough of a foothold. Another commented that they have found it easier to recruit females when there is a female leader in the organization. They can ‘motivate, lead, guide, and coach,’ and so female employees can see a career path.”

Another crucial point is whether diversity can now influence the outcome of a deal.

“A partner mentioned that gender equality and the gender pay gap are becoming more important to the point where they could now potentially lose a deal because of this. More partners confirmed that they are analyzing their gender pay gaps and evaluating their workforce diversity,” said Adam.

Boys Club?

Part of the problem may be that the channel has traditionally been regarded as a bit of a boys club. An intense sales environment that embraces a “work hard, play hard” attitude may have been off-putting to women historically.

Adam admits that when she started out in the IT industry, “it was very much a boys club, and whilst my colleagues were by-and-large great, I did become acutely aware of my ‘otherness’ at social events. It made me uncomfortable.”

However, despite elements of this still existing, this appears to be …