US professional tennis player Serena Williams has joined forces with interviewing cloud company Karat to solve the global shortage of software engineers, and double the number of Black engineers in tech.
Strategic investment from Williams will significantly scale and expand Brilliant Black Minds; a programme that’s aiming to double the number of Black software engineers in the US over the next decade. As Karat’s “Champion of Brilliance,” Williams will support Karat’s call to help add more than 100,000 new Black engineers in tech over the next 10 years.
Thanks to this investment the Brilliant Black Minds programme is now open to all current and aspiring Black software engineers in the US who want the opportunity to improve their technical interviewing skills. As part of her role as a “Champion of Brilliance,” Williams will also teach the importance of practice and building a championship mindset to help participants land their dream job in tech.
BRILLIANT BLACK MINDS
“The technology industry is focused on solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. My focus is ensuring the solutions to those challenges are developed by all of us,” stated Williams. “There has never been a shortage of brilliance in Black America; only limits to the access and opportunities extended to our community. That is why I am proud to team up with companies like Karat who are taking actionable steps to bring more diversity and equity to the industry; as well as call on others to be part of the change.”
Many Black software engineers face multiple barriers to entry for jobs in the tech industry; from structural inequities that delay early exposure to computer science to limited information about how the industry hires fewer connections in their professional networks; and less opportunities to practice technical interviews. As a result, just 5% of all software engineers in the US are Black.
So Karat launched Brilliant Black Minds to close the interview access gap that disproportionately impacts Black software engineers. Only 50% of the Black engineers that Karat and Howard University surveyed have experienced a technical interview before they look for a job. However, the same research shows that confidence levels increase with more interview practice; 79% of respondents with three practice interviews say they are more likely to succeed. Equitable access to interview practice also has a significant impact on early career opportunities like internships. Respondents with more than three practice interviews are six times more likely to have had an engineering internship; compared to those that never had one.
FAIR INTERVIEWS
The Brilliant Black Minds programme uses Karat’s Interviewing Cloud to deliver free interview practice, feedback, and coaching to help aspiring software engineers in this community prepare to successfully enter the tech industry. Designed to unlock engineering value and accelerate hiring, the Interviewing Cloud is a human+ tech solution that delivers predictive, fair and enjoyable live technical interviews, conducted by a global network of interview engineers. The expertise and data generated from hundreds of thousands of interviews has enabled Karat to create more candidate-centric experiences, particularly for software engineers who have been previously overlooked by traditional hiring practices.
“We’re living in a world where engineering time grows more valuable every day, yet organisations are grappling with a multi-decade shortage of software engineers. The current approach is to source talent from the same talent pool over and over again; which reinforces the industry’s lack of diversity and makes it harder to find technical talent,” highlighted Mohit Bhende, Co-Founder and CEO of Karat. “The Brilliant Black Minds programme helps solve this major business challenge by giving organisations access to a deeper, interview-ready talent pool. More engineers ultimately unlocks more engineering time, driving diverse and powerful innovations.”
SAFE SPACES
“The tech industry is the biggest opportunity generator of our lifetime. And yet, those opportunities have not been distributed equally. People who look like me have been mostly kept out of the highest levels of tech,” added Anthony Mays, Senior Advisor to the Brilliant Black Minds programm;e and former software engineer at Google. “With Brilliant Black Minds, Black software engineers have a safe and collaborative space to learn how to crack the code on how the industry hires. All it takes is just one opportunity to change a person’s life, and the lives of those who come after.”
Recruitment platform for people of colour in tech, Tribaja, is also part of the movement to double the number of Black engineers in tech, alongside Karat and Serena Williams. “My community expressed the need for better training on technical assessments. Finding intentional brands like Karat allows us to do the work of 10 companies,” stated Shannon Morales, CEO of Tribaja. ” I’m proud of the impact our platform is making for so many professionals of colour in tech.”
To join the movement to double the number of Black software engineers in the US, visit www.karat.com.
Black professionals in tech have to switch jobs more frequently than non-Black peers to seek career growth and progression, according to a new study. Click here to read more.
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