Capco recently hosted a hackathon in partnership with SheCanCode focusing on financial inclusion – a topic close to our hearts at Capco as a financial services consultancy, and clearly, to the hearts of the many talented participants.

The atmosphere was buzzing as we opened our doors to a diverse group of women coders, non-coders, and allies alike. Throughout the day, we witnessed the magic of collaboration. Teams designed innovative solutions like a maternity pay aware financial calculator, a supportive community app for women, a pay data transparency tool, and even a web application that fosters financial literacy. These weren't ‘just another app’ – they were solutions born at the crossroads of lived experience, hard data and passion to help others.

Feedback on the event was extremely positive. Participants not only enjoyed the chance to flex their creative and technical muscles, but also valued the opportunity to connect with other women in tech. Some even mentioned how stepping into our corporate environment gave them a glimpse into a potential career path.


BIAS IN THE TECH INDUSTRY

While such events are at once enjoyable and inspiring, they also serve to shine a light on the ongoing challenges women face in the tech industry. The reality is that women remain significantly underrepresented in tech roles. This is not due to a lack of skill or interest, but all too often the result of unconscious biases  seeping into organizations’ hiring and mentoring practices.

Studies have shown that unconscious biases can creep into job descriptions (via overly masculine language), interviews (where stereotyping may come into play), and hiring decisions (that might be influenced by unconscious assumptions). 

For example, research indicates that mothers often face discrimination in hiring due to assumptions about their competence and commitment. This bias was further exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, which disproportionately affected working mothers.

To combat these biases and foster a more inclusive environment, companies can take proactive steps including:

• Blind CV reviews have been shown to significantly increase the chances of minority applicants being invited for job interviews. A large-scale study in the Netherlands published by the Human Resource Management Journal found that the relative probability of being invited for an interview increased by 11% to 33% for minority applicants after the introduction of anonymous application procedures.¹ 
• Diverse interview panels have been shown to improve the quality of hiring decisions by reducing bias and promoting fairer evaluations of candidates' qualifications. Research published in Administrative Science Quarterly suggests that ethnically diverse hiring panels are more likely to reduce biases and make fairer evaluations, resulting in a higher likelihood of selecting minority candidates compared to homogeneous panels.²  While more research is needed to directly quantify the impact of diverse panels on the representation of underrepresented groups, studies consistently demonstrate the benefits of diversity in decision-making.
  
• Structured interviews have consistently been shown to be more predictive of job performance than unstructured interviews. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, encompassing 150 studies, found that structured interviews are nearly twice as effective at predicting job performance as unstructured interviews.³ The validity coefficient for structured interviews (a measure of how well the interview predicts job performance) is generally higher than that of unstructured interviews, indicating a stronger correlation between interview scores and actual job performance. This superior predictive validity is due to the standardised nature of structured interviews, which minimises bias and allows for more objective comparisons between candidates.
  
  

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF INCLUSIVITY 

The assessment element of hiring is important – but it is only the very start. An inclusive culture is what helps hires feel valued and empowered to bring their unique perspectives and ideas to the table.

At Capco, we are deeply committed to our Be Yourself At Work culture. This means maintaining an environment that supports and champions women alongside all our employees . Diverse teams are more innovative, more creative, and ultimately, more successful – but only when everyone is comfortable to contribute. We make every effort to counter bias by re-evaluating job descriptions to include more inclusive language as well as having a female colleague on interviewing panels.

The hackathon was a testament to the incredible talent and drive that exists within the women in tech community. As we continue to champion diversity and inclusion, let's remember that it's not just about levelling the playing field – it's about unleashing the full potential of every individual.

We are actively hiring in the technology and engineering space, and we encourage you to check out our company pages for more information. If you're passionate about using your skills to make a positive impact, we'd love to hear from you.

REFERENCES
¹ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2282385
² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10730395/
³ https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.79.4.599