Mark Luckie On Why It’s OK To Say ‘We Have A Black People Meet-Up Group’
Reddit’s new Head of Journalism and Media shares with PowerToFly his tips for building and retaining a diverse team.
Mark S. Luckie isn’t shy when it comes to standing up for diversity issues in Silicon Valley or media — two worlds he’s been professionally immersed in for over a decade. Last year, his departure from Twitter and subsequent article, “What it’s actually like to be a Black employee at a tech company,” made waves throughout both industries. As the new head of journalism and media at Reddit, Luckie told TechCrunch: “I want to bring that element of diversity to Reddit, both internal and external — being a black employee who can be the voice of underrepresented communities and externally to show that diversity is possible. It’s sometimes about stepping outside of your immediate network of friends and finding the right hire.”
I had the pleasure of working with Mark during his time at The Washington Post and recently had a conversation with him about how he thinks hiring managers at tech companies can attract — and ultimately retain — a more diverse team.
How can companies attract more diverse applicants?
One of the best ways to do that is to have more community engagement. They don’t know what the culture is like by reading your job description. If you have panels or meet and greets specifically focused around women or other groups you want to hire, they communicate, “we are trying to attract and support these types of people.” It has a positive effect for the company.
You also need to have ambassadors, people within the company who care about diversity for people within those circles.
What types of things stand out to you when you’re being recruited for a job?
I’m always looking for a sense of camaraderie. A lot of companies are trying to attract a specific type of applicant. If there is an area of separation, it stands out during the hiring process. Within the interview, I always try to turn the tables and ask, “What makes you like it? Why do you want to work here?” If I get the sense of morale not being strong, it’s a warning sign.
At one point, I had applied for a position in the government. I could tell how haggard the company was. They were working in a basement, and I got more of a desperate sense of, “Please come help us!” That was a turn off.
Anything you wish you could tell these companies?
A lot of these tech companies, they want new, fresh talent, but what they need to realize is that if these minority and female talents have the skill, they can go anywhere. They can be very selective, so you have to prove to them why they should join your company. Particularly in tech.
What kinds of efforts have you seen that are successful in attracting women and people of color specifically?
In Silicon Valley, there are lots of things like maternity rooms, paternity leave, women’s groups. At Twitter we had a “Successful Women at Twitter” group, which was very strong and a self-started group because they had company buy-in.
It’s different with racial groups. You can’t have “black people rooms,” that would just be weird, but you can foster these missions and provide support with happy hours, meet-ups, etc.
What about the LGBT community?
The tech industry is based in San Francisco, and it is the gayest city in America….literally. There are a lot of gay people and there’s a high acceptance for the LGBT community. The difference is, companies need to be vocal about inclusion. A lot of tech companies host community events. Having rainbows everywhere sends the message, “We love them and want to support the community.”
As a hiring manager, what are some of your strategies for being as inclusive as possible?
It starts with the job description. Everyone’s looking for a “tech genius.” There are very few people who have all of these qualifications — whittle it down to the most important. You may lose out on strong diverse candidates otherwise.
During the hiring process, get a sense of people’s passion outside of work. It’s the passion they have that will separate them, whether that has to do with their gender or race, or a hobby or cause they’re passionate about. It’s all about the passion they bring to their work.
As an applicant, it’s not a turnoff for me if someone says, “We have a black people meet-up group.” I appreciate that. It can seem awkward, but a lot of times applicants may be wondering that, but not know how to ask.
What about publicizing jobs on social media outlets like Twitter? Is there a way to make sure you’re getting the broadest reach?
Know that Black Twitter is a community you can reach out to so your job posting can be spread. [Ed note: Mark is the creator of Today in #BlackTwitter.] But it’s also important to know you have to be a part of that community and be engaged in some way. You can’t just drop in and say, “Hey here’s a job post!” Users are savvy, and they know when people aren’t being authentic. I recommend reaching out to the influencers first and asking them if they can engage on your behalf. You’ll get better results.
Do you have tried-and-true retention strategies? Specifically when it comes to distributed teams?
Retention is the hardest part. You have to make people feel welcome. Slack and Google Hangouts are huge. On Twitter and Reddit there are a lot of people I talk to everyday who I’ve never met in person. As long as you’re providing an online space for people to chat with (not just around work) you create a stronger community. Have space for people to share their common interests, whether it’s a reading group, skiing or skateboarding.
Having teammates connect around these passions versus just, for example, their physical anatomy helps foster community and a feeling of inclusion that keeps people around.
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