Why do we love the idea of working in tech? From reputations of good company culture and flexible work structures to the opportunity to build transferable skills in a booming industry, there are plenty of beneficial traits that make tech jobs appealing. These jobs are some of the highest-ranking in employee satisfaction—but the tough reality is that the tech space has traditionally been highly accessible to some more than others. There has always been a barrier of entry when it comes to the field.
Those who come from privileged socioeconomic communities simply have greater access to tech careers: As of 2022, Zippia reported that men hold 75% of tech jobs. Furthermore, 62% of the American tech workforce is white, as are 83.3% of tech executives.
At HUMAN, we want to help change this.
We firmly believe the world of tech should be accessible to anyone with a curiosity to learn and a passion for the industry. Achieving inclusivity is a continuous process, but as a start, we’re working to bridge the tech gap by creating unique entry points at HUMAN. Ways that even if you do not have the traditional tech background you can still have the opportunity to be a part of the industry.
We've taken two key steps as a company to accomplish this:
- Evolving our hiring practices to emphasize mindset over skill set and offering internships
- Temporary positions designed to attract nontraditional candidates. Here’s a closer look at the human side of each.
Creating opportunities for nontraditional workers
Most tech jobs require candidates to have a certain amount of experience, training, or certification in tech. There has always been some sort of gatekeeping criteria. We’ve learned that nontraditional candidates, or those who may not have extensive tech backgrounds, can also excel in the industry.
Our outreach efforts have evolved in order to attract professionals outside of tech who can bring their unique skill sets to HUMAN. Our interview process has been tailored to scout opportunities for nontraditional workers. If we believe a candidate has the talent and would thrive on our team, we know we can help them grow into their role once they join us.
Human spotlight: Rosanna Cattelona
After starting a full-time role at HUMAN this past spring, Rosanna is proof that it’s never too late to pursue a new career path
Rosanna spent years building her HR expertise in the finance sector, but while pregnant with her second son, Rosanna’s oldest was diagnosed with autism—prompting her to put her career on hold. When she reentered the job market, she searched for a role that would allow her the flexibility to prioritize her family. She saw the tech space as a good potential fit.
When she interviewed with HUMAN, the team saw the value in her diverse HR background and the new skills she could bring to the team. Today, as the organization’s benefits manager, Rosanna is developing HUMAN's company-wide benefits programs and using her learning and development stipend to build the skills to design HUMAN’s first total-rewards practice—an initiative to help employees understand the full value of the benefits they receive when joining the company.
Words of wisdom :
“I experienced a severe crisis of confidence when I first started,” Rosanna says. “I was coming in to work with people who are much younger than me and grew up with technology at their fingertips. Still, you don’t have to come in with the perfect skills on day one—you just need to have the passion and a company that believes in you”
Reshaping career aspirations through short-term roles
We are passionate about our internship program. For the reasons that it allows us to mentor future tech workers and because of the diverse backgrounds and insights interns bring to our team. Several HUMAN contract workers and interns have told us the experience inspired them to think more broadly about how tech might fit into their career in the future.
Human spotlight: Nina Petruzzella
Nina wasn’t looking for a change—but her experience at HUMAN inspired her to explore new potential.
Nina Petruzzella has two master’s degrees in education and five years of experience teaching in elementary classrooms. She never expected to change careers, but when she heard about an opportunity to join HUMAN’s People Ops team for a temporary summer position, she was curious. “I’ve always had an interest in technology,” she says. “I had no experience in the industry, but I was really excited to branch out and try something new.”
After being accepted to the position, her experience helped her to reimagine what her future could look like. “I’ll be teaching again this year,” she says, “but my internship has given me the chance to see if I want to change careers.” In the meantime, Nina is finding ways to translate her experience with HUMAN to her work as an educator. In addition to implementing digital citizenship lessons, Nina hopes to bring some of HUMAN’s work culture to her students.
Words of wisdom :
“A lot of education is focused on how one student can learn something on their own,” she says. “But at HUMAN, if you want to take a risk, you know you’re not by yourself.”
Different experiences make a difference
Increasing access to tech careers can be incredibly meaningful for employees, but that impact is felt by companies, too. Since implementing our new recruitment strategies, we’ve increased diversity across the organization, lowered attrition, and improved the quality of our work. We are demonstrating that this approach shouldn’t be unusual—in fact, it’s key to making organizations more creative, innovative, and resilient. That’s what HUMAN aims to be.
