Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at URL http://bit.ly/2oE5baS. Alex Qin tells the true story of her physical transformation, and the surprising and drastic ways in which it affected how she was perceived and treated as a programmer. She also covers the effects of unconscious bias, micro-aggressions, and stereotype threat within our community, and how to make engineering teams and our entire field more inclusive to all, and thusly more successful. Filmed at qconlondon.com. Alex Qin is a software engineer, educator and founder of Code Cooperative. She cares deeply about access to computer science education, and about leveraging technology to create positive social change. She works at Skillshare, where she leads an engineering team, and co-organizes Codeshare, an inclusive gathering of programmers interested in the intersection of code, creativity, and art.

1. shaving my head made me a
better programmer
@alexqin
#shavedmyhead

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programmer-unconscious-bias
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4. pt I. my story
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15. pt II. now you
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16. A diverse environment is one where people from all backgrounds
have equal representation
An inclusive environment is one where people from all backgrounds
receive equal treatment and equal opportunity by design
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vocabulary

17. “folks”
underrepresented groups
minorities
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vocabulary

18. building an inclusive & diverse team
step 1 - care & commit
step 2 - listen, learn & make mistakes
step 3 - make meaningful and measurable changes
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19. - step 1 -
care & commit
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23. why should you care?
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24. some bad reasons
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25. bad reasons to care
because I have to
because of PR / Branding
because it’s charitable
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26. some better reasons
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27. I want to make a lot of $$$
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28. I want to have the best team
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29. I want to build the best product
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30. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

31. I care about equality
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32. - step 1 -
care & commit
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33. building an inclusive & diverse team
step 1 - care & commit
step 2 - listen, learn & make mistakes
step 3 - make meaningful and measurable changes
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

34. - step 2 -
listen, learn & make mistakes
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35. listen to those with less privilege
learn about their experiences
make mistakes & learn from them
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36. listen to those with less privilege
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37. does your
twitter feed
look like this?
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38. learn about their experiences
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39. imposter syndrome
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41. unconscious bias
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43. stereotype threat
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44. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

45. microaggressions
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46. microaggressions
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“Where are you really from”
“Can I touch your hair?”
“Are you really a programmer”

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48. erasure
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50. lack of representation in
leadership
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52. common challenges
imposter syndrome
unconscious bias
stereotype threat
microaggressions
erasure
lack of representation in leadership
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53. make mistakes & learn from
them
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54. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

55. my mistakes
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56. the “pipeline problem”
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65. #shavedmyhead @alexqin
the “leaky pipeline”

66. “code is gender/race blind”
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68. #shavedmyhead @alexqin
Alexandra

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Alex

70. “lowering the bar”
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71. “lowering the bar”
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72. “affirmative action is
discriminatory”
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73. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

74. “safe spaces are harmful”
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77. “safe spaces are harmful”
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79. listen to those with less privilege
learn about their experiences
make mistakes & learn from them
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

80. building an inclusive & diverse team
step 1 - care & commit
step 2 - listen, learn & make mistakes
step 3 - make meaningful and measurable changes
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

81. - step 3 -
make meaningful & measurable
changes
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82. challenge our assumptions
recognize our biases
change the system
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83. measure progress
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84. audit your hiring process
how many X do you reach out to?
how many resumes from do you read?
how many make it past the resume screen?
how many make it past the initial phone screen?
how many make it past the technical interview?
how many make it past the culture interview?
how many do you make offers to?
how many do you hire?
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85. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

86. build an inclusive culture
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87. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

88. build an inclusive culture
Define and share clear compensation bands
Encourage and support employee resource groups
Promote a healthy work/life balance to embrace all employees
Use diverse benefits to attract and retain employees
Hire an HR person
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89. attract folks from
underrepresented groups
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90. attract folks from underrepresented backgrounds
have an inclusive culture
sponsor events
explicit & reasonable job descriptions
reaching “critical mass”
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91. interview with inclusion in mind
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92. interview with inclusion in mind
diverse representation in the interview pool
diverse representation in interviewer group
account for different communication styles & cultural backgrounds
mitigate stereotype threat
look for strengths instead of weaknesses
use a rubric
EAT BEFOREHAND
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93. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

94. interview with inclusion in mind
diverse representation in the interview pool
diverse representation in interviewer group
account for different communication styles & cultural backgrounds
mitigate stereotype threat
look for strengths instead of weaknesses
use a rubric
EAT BEFOREHAND
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

95. support everyone’s career
growth
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96. support everyone’s career growth
acknowledge & embrace differences
build confidence & trust
explicit mentorship, sponsorship & training
FAIR PAY
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97. challenge our assumptions
recognize our biases
change the system
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

98. building diverse and inclusive teams
step 1 - care & commit
step 2 - listen, learn & make mistakes
step 3 - make meaningful & measurable changes
measure progress
build an inclusive culture
attract candidates from underrepresented groups
interview with inclusion in mind
support everyone’s career growth
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

99. #shavedmyhead @alexqin

100. learn more
project include
model view culture
ashe dryden / alterconf
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101. – Beverly Daniel Tatum
“I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving
walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to
walking fast on the conveyor belt. Passive racist behavior is
equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being
made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the
same destination as those who are actively walking. But unless
they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed
faster than the conveyor belt – unless they are actively anti-racist
– they will find themselves carried along with the others.”
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

102. @alexqin
engineer & educator
@codecooperative
@skillshare
@thefortunesoc
@c4qnyc
@scripted
@womenwhocode
@technovation
#shavedmyhead @alexqin

103. Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
programmer-unconscious-bias