In today ’ s modern organisations having a dedicated team for diversity , equity , and inclusion is more commonplace , alongside leaders committed to greater representation .
While Montgomery believes that progress has been made , she emphasises the need for such efforts to be intentional and authentic . “ In order to continue the momentum and for a culture of inclusion to exist within an organisation it needs to start with leadership and must be real and rooted in every team – not just IT ,” says Montgomery .
She adds : “ It ’ s a journey of learning and reminding others - colleagues or friends - of bias that is faced . Identifying and eliminating bias is everyone ’ s responsibility . As industries evolve and firms look at implementing algorithms , organisations need to be aware of the potential for bias to creep in from AI learning that ’ s based on past human behaviours .”
Montgomery emphasises that mentorship is key to increasing diversity across industries . “ Mentorship is critical because it creates a talent pipeline and intentional peer learning . It ’ s a two-way street for the mentor and mentees ,” says Montgomery .
She adds : “ Mentors are there to encourage and enable another person ’ s professional development and be a
34 May 2022