Allyship Advice from around Bloomberg Engineering
September 17, 2020
There are many big and small ways to demonstrate allyship and contribute to an inclusive workplace environment. Many of our engineers have great strategies and advice, some of which we’ve collated below, so that everyone can benefit:
Pratik Karia
Head of the Asset and Investment Manager (AIM) Engineering team
“Every leader needs to make it their moral responsibility to diversify our workplace. It is part of our job, each and every day, to serve as an advocate and make the environment around us more inclusive. There is no excuse for not taking action; the time to act is now!”
Jennifer Salaa
Team Leader, Global Agile Team
“This year I need fewer allies and more accomplices. By that I mean people who are willing to take action, do what is difficult and inconvenient even when it may cost them something.”
Camille Gonzalez
Recruiter & Program Manager, Engineering Diversity Recruitment Team
“It’s easy to think, ‘I can’t make a change as an individual.’ It’s a matter of raising your hand, getting involved, and helping to make the change you want to see. A great place to do this is by joining our D&I Communities, like BLC – Tech, BBIT or BWIT, or becoming a software engineer campus interviewer.”
Katerina Domenikou
Senior Software Engineer, Data Services, Platform Scale & Reliability / Bloomberg Women in Technology (BWIT) London Chapter Co-lead
“Call out stereotypes and biases immediately when you see or hear them. Many people are skeptical about the initial ‘blow back,’ but if you explain yourself and your thinking, you’ll be surprised how attitudes can change.”
Randa Fayez
Manager, Developer Environments & Developer Experience (DevX) Engagement and Insights Teams
“Don’t wait for the information to find you; actively seek it out. Don’t stop at wondering what Bloomberg is doing; instead ask yourself daily what you are doing to build an environment that is equitable and makes it possible for folks to show up as their most authentic self. Understand that the work is neither peripheral to your job nor is it ever done: we have to roll up our sleeves and show up to work every single day on many fronts. This is no different.”
Karan Mehra
Senior Software Engineer, Trade Automation & Execution – Cross-Asset Trading System (CATS) / Co-founder, BWIT Allyship initiative
“Pay attention to group discussions and meetings where unfortunately a lot of inequity happens in terms of people getting an opportunity to speak. You can do simple things like going around the room and making sure everyone gets to say what they want, or sending the meeting agenda beforehand so people can come in prepared, particularly those who are a little less confident or shy.”
Smitha Thomas, CFA
Software Engineering Team Leader, AIM
“It’s important to deliberately listen and show a certain amount of restraint in suggesting ideas, initiatives, etc. for the communities you ally with. This is in order to allow for ideas to emerge from the community itself, and ensure you don’t overpower the voice of the community.”
Joy Ni
APAC Team Leader – Third Party Indices & Bloomberg Dividend Forecast (BDVD) / Bloomberg Women in Technology (BWIT) Tokyo Chapter Co-lead
“When we look at people and we make assumptions based on their gender, nationalities and educational backgrounds, we’re limiting our understanding of their experiences. Question your own assumptions and instead, start asking meaningful questions.”
Evens Jean
Senior Software Engineer, AIM Valuations Team
“Effective allyship starts with effective listening.”
Francesco Scalori
Portfolio Data Engineering leader / Engineering D&I Champion
“Most of us can find allies in our lives. I’m very thankful to the multiple allies I had — they believed in me, supported me, encouraged me, amplified my voice and promoted my work. Being an effective ally starts with wanting to play that same very important role in other people’s lives.”
Jacqueline Pan
Software Engineer, AIM Trade Automation / Bloomberg Women in Technology (BWIT) New York Chapter Co-lead
“There are so many little things you can do in your day-to-day that can help make everyone around you feel more inclusive, like adding a smiley face to a PR or being mindful of the words you use.”
Stephanie Stattel
Senior Software Engineer, Application Toolkits / Bloomberg Women in Technology (BWIT) San Francisco Chapter Co-lead
“I came across an analogy where there’s a really tall fence blocking someone who is tall enough to see over it and someone who is too short to do so. The idea of equality was giving the shorter person a stool, and the idea of equity was taking the fence away altogether. So, I think having conversations about equity and what we can do to actually remove the metaphorical fence, beyond your day-to-day colleagues, is a big part of achieving a more fair environment.”
Rebecca Ely
Software Engineer, BQuant / Global Steering Committee Member, BWIT Allyship initiative
“Be mindful of what you say from a disability allyship standpoint as well. You’ll never know about most of the invisible disabilities experienced by the folks who are listening.”
Nelson Yi
Engineering Team Lead, AIM Trade Automation
“Be willing to learn and challenge your assumptions about what others experience. Understand how you can use your voice to amplify the people around you.”
Laurent Romieux
Engineering Manager, Trade Automation & Execution – CODA
“The key to being a good ally is to constantly improve by learning and actively seeking feedback from a diverse set of sources.”
Michael Liebman
Business Intelligence Engineering Team Lead / Princeton Chapter Co-lead of the Bloomberg Abilities Community
“Being an ally to an underrepresented community is almost more important than being a member of a community to which you align. Educate yourself by listening to others, asking questions, and learning about others’ communities.”