Chandler acknowledges that when interviewing corporations, she will be able to solely go by what she is instructed. And whereas she believes this course of helps her “mitigate hurt,” she understands she “can not promise that it may be prevented.”

Nonetheless, figuring out any purple flags out of the gate is essential to her mission. Such purple flags embrace not having a DEI technique, or having one which comes throughout as lip-service as a result of its values aren’t mirrored within the firm tradition. One other purple flag is a corporation that doesn’t appear involved in suggestions, progress, and studying, as the very best matches for Black tech professionals are corporations which might be really open and dedicated to rising range, fairness, and inclusion throughout your complete group.

A deal with suggestions and group

That suggestions issue is significant for retention, Chandler has famous. As a part of her vetting course of, Chandler will ask firm representatives whether or not they accumulate suggestions, what they do with the info, and if there are any identifiable changes they’ve made because of this data. Firms that invite and settle for suggestions — after which put that suggestions to good use — usually tend to foster environments the place Black workers can thrive.

“[These companies] know that they should do higher they usually wish to do higher they usually wish to be taught,” she says.

As a part of her recruitment course of, Chandler stays in contact with candidates for the primary 90 days of their new jobs, conducting biweekly check-ins to ask about their experiences and confirm any areas the place the corporate can enhance. In a means, she serves as a mentor for her recruits, providing help and steerage as they get began at their new jobs and navigate new environments.

This help and mentorship supplied by Chandler — and the bigger BTP community — will be essential for Black tech professionals, particularly those that are the one Black particular person on their workforce. Chandler says that lots of her recruits, and Black technologists general, really feel they need to work tougher than their non-Black friends and that they’re typically held to the next normal.

“Once they do mess up, it weighs extra closely on them than it does their friends, they usually’re faster to be let go than anybody else,” she says.

This strain can typically make coming into a brand new place daunting — it’s inconceivable to really perceive a office’s tradition till you’re inside. Chandler’s objective is to assist make this much less of an unknown for recruits, figuring out organizations that perceive the psychological load of being the one Black particular person, or considered one of few, on a workforce and even in a whole group. Firms that don’t create welcoming and equitable areas for Black tech employees, or that don’t appear involved in figuring out any issues of their group, don’t get to utilize her companies.

“It needs to be on the corporate to wish to change, and to wish to have a look at these biases and be taught and do higher. However there’s solely a lot you are able to do once you’re working with people. It’s not a technological downside — it’s a human downside,” she says.

Black tech employees who’re navigating predominantly white areas within the tech trade have the added psychological load of navigating microaggressions or hostile work environments, utilizing psychological power to code-switch, or just making an attempt to determine which genuine components of themselves they will deliver to the office. This may turn out to be exhausting and demoralizing, particularly whereas dealing with the obligations of a full-time job. The Black Tech Pipeline helps alleviate a few of this burden by constructing and making a group for Black tech execs, who can join with others, in-person or nearly, and discover friends and mentors who’ve the shared expertise of being Black within the tech trade.

“It does deliver consolation to folks. It’s a secure house the place you’ll be able to ask questions, discuss totally different experiences, or ask about go about one thing — that’s principally what we’re right here for. And we don’t create any restrictions round accessing that data or recommendation,” says Chandler.