How Rockborne Makes DEI More Than a KPI

We would love to say that Rockborne has diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) all figured out.

But the truth is, we don’t—because diversity is far more than a policy in the employee handbook. And it’s more than an initiative or a training programme. At Rockborne, we see diversity as our foundation; something we need to live and breathe.

And of course, this takes time, effort, consistency, learning, collaboration, and a fierce determination to fly whichever flag our employees choose, to help them make their mark on the data landscape.

But we think this honest approach to diversity is the way it should be. And this approach seems to be resonating with others throughout the data industry—last month, we received an award for our DEI efforts, at the 2023 DataIQ awards.

So how exactly does Rockborne go about creating an inclusive, diverse work environment? We thought it was worth sharing what we do as an organisation to foster a diverse and inclusive culture.

Rockborne’s Mission to Diversify Data

Our organisation was created as a response to the data industry’s need for a diverse pool of untapped talent. Because of this, our main goal has always been to give opportunities to a more varied group of graduates and non-graduates in order to bring new viewpoints and ideas into the data industry.

To do this, we had to look closely at ourselves to set the standard. By striving to become intrinsically inclusive, we have purposefully been able to organically attract and retain exceptional graduates and transform them into a truly diverse cohort of data professionals.

It feels like here is where we should insert our lengthy action plan for achieving this. But as you may have guessed, this does not exist.

We would love to have a detailed DEI policy that tells us all what we should do, say and how we should act. But the reason we don’t isn’t because we don’t care or understand how important it is.

Nor that we are a fairly new company and haven’t had the time.

Instead, we want to make it simple – an everyday practice – so we commit to achievable standards to set us on the right path:

• A simple and hassle-free recruitment process, looking at the whole person and not just how much they know about data
• Zero relevance placed on university, subject or grade – we want everybody
• A Marmite approach: love it or hate it we have a simple, open and transparent offering to retain as well as attract a diverse pool of candidates
• A comprehensive training programme that looks to bring the best in every aspect of our people
• Partnerships with organisations that represent and reflect the diversity of our employees and bring their unique expertise

A Welcoming Recruitment Process

We believe that diversity of thought is one of the most important fundamentals of any business.

That’s why we attract our graduates through a number of mediums to promote diversity.  We work with various non-profits to advertise our positions and advertise on university job boards, LinkedIn and Instagram. We apply sophisticated AI technology to make sure that all our content is created without bias.

Our recruitment process is designed to be as human and easy as possible. We aim to recruit within 2-3 weeks and base decisions on having conversations to match candidates with our values, culture and ethics.

Our only requirements during the hiring process are that applicants have an interest in data, a willingness to learn and a can-do attitude. We want everyone to have the chance to become a part of Rockborne. But to be inclusive we need to appeal to all graduates – not just those on STEM courses.

Making it easy to apply ensures we don’t lose great people, whatever their gender, disability, education or background, in the process.  We are conscious of neurodiversity and our candidates will feel prepared at every stage. The data industry needs balance, diversity and inclusion – and we are here to provide it.

Our Consultants Come from Diverse Backgrounds

This next generation of data specialists come from a variety of backgrounds, bringing different views, insights and ideas.

Almost half of our graduates identify as female. 68% of our graduates are from ethnic minorities and span 20 different languages.  15% of our intake have a disability and almost one-third are from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We have graduates from 53 universities and who have studied 56 different degree types.

Our team fiercely believes that by providing opportunities for a more diverse group of candidates, we can create more knowledgeable, inclusive and well-rounded data people. And to do this we need passion, drive and open ears. Our success is because we listen and appreciate the breadth of backgrounds, experiences and views of those around us and most importantly our graduates who are the future of our company and the industry.

DEI is Front of Mind

From our recruitment strategy to our training methods, diversity is always front of mind for our team. We strive collectively to be at the forefront of industry change, helping data and analytics to become a more inclusive and exciting space for everyone.

As we continue to grow and learn we will continue to keep diversity at the heart of what we do, our differences and varied experiences will only add value to a very exciting and refreshing journey.

We may not have all the answers now, but we’re committed to be part of the solution. We truly believe we can help close the gender, wealth and ethnicity gap and increase diversity in data careers if we work together.

Giving our graduates the best platform to start their careers and helping inspire younger generations into the world of data, is certainly something that here at Rockborne we feel rightly proud of.

Interested in working with Rockborne? Book a call with our Director of Growth, Dan Lewis to understand how our next generation of data specialists can help your business to thrive.