How to make diversity part of the IT culture

Computerworld - When people think of diversity programs, they tend to think of annual seminars urging managers to hire and promote employees from a variety backgrounds. While that's important, diversity can mean much more, according to Kristina Draper, chief application officer in Wells Fargo & Co.'s Scottsdale, Ariz., office.

In an interview, Draper said diversity also involves learning how to serve different departments, market to customer segments, use an array of suppliers and work with colleagues who have different opinions.

Based on her experience as former chairwoman of the bank's Technology and Operations Diversity Council, Draper offered the following tips for making diversity part of the organizational culture:

• Hold quarterly "diversity cafes" -- one-hour sessions with senior managers -- to discuss topics such as supplier diversity or marketing to customer niches.

• Encourage mentor relationships -- including ones where the mentor and mentee come from different departments or lines of business -- to nurture talented staffers and expose them to new areas.

• Support affinity groups for people who share the same background, but open the meetings to employees with different backgrounds. For example, "we have men who attend the Women in Technology group meetings," Draper said.

Are IT workers too busy fixing crashed servers to participate in diversity programs? Draper said Wells Fargo's top executives have vowed "not to dismiss this as a second priority. Diversity is important, regardless of how busy you are."