You need to build a team of employees with algorithm skills. What’s the best way to ensure diversity?

1 Define your goals

Before you start looking for candidates, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of algorithm skills you need and what kind of diversity you want to achieve. Do you need experts in specific domains, such as machine learning or cryptography? Do you want to balance different levels of experience, education, and seniority? Do you want to increase the representation of underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color, or people with disabilities? Having a clear vision of your goals will help you craft a more effective and inclusive hiring strategy.

2 Expand your sources

One of the challenges of finding diverse talent is overcoming the biases and barriers that exist in the traditional hiring channels. For example, relying on referrals or resumes can limit your pool of candidates to those who have similar networks or backgrounds as your current employees. To broaden your reach, you need to explore alternative sources, such as online platforms, communities, events, or programs that cater to diverse groups of developers. You can also partner with organizations or initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, such as Code2040 or Women Who Code.

3 Assess your candidates

Once you have a diverse pool of candidates, you need to assess their algorithm skills in a fair and objective way. One of the best ways to do that is to use online tools or platforms that allow you to test and evaluate their coding abilities, such as HackerRank or Codility. These tools can help you avoid the pitfalls of subjective or biased interviews, such as favoring candidates who share your communication style or cultural references. You can also design your own algorithm challenges or projects that are relevant to your business needs and goals.