Startups frequently assert their commitment to diversity but often lag in translating that principle into practical hiring strategies. For growth-stage companies, the tendency to recruit from familiar Silicon Valley networks presents an easy option; however, founders keen on establishing a diverse team must prioritize that commitment from the very first hire.
Leah Solivan, the founder of Taskrabbit and managing director of Precedent.VC, joined Isabelle Johannessen on Build Mode to share insights on her approach to hiring during her tenure at Taskrabbit. As the company evolved from being funded solely through Solivan’s personal credit cards to emerging as a leading platform in the gig economy, the leadership team deliberately sought diverse talent for every position.
Achieving diversity is not a serendipitous occurrence. Solivan and her team ingrained it into every dimension of their recruitment and hiring methodologies. "But if you do that from the beginning, then it becomes easier, because the culture that’s built, the team that’s built, the network that you’ve built as a company, is more diverse, and it feeds itself. It becomes an ecosystem. It’s too late if you wait until you’ve scaled and it’s at the end," Solivan emphasized.
Every startup comprises a network of talent centered around the founder, and it is logical that this network mirrors the founder’s community. Consequently, enhancing diversity within the tech industry largely hinges on who is investing in these founders. As an early-stage investor, Solivan has a unique perspective on the financial dynamics both as an entrepreneur and an investor.
"If you follow the money through the system, it comes from limited partners, and they’re the ones that decide who to give the money to, venture capitalists. And from there, then the venture capitalists choose which founders they’re going to invest in," Solivan explained. "The money is there, but it’s being controlled by people that have different biases."
Nevertheless, neither the founders nor the venture capitalists financing them need to be from underrepresented backgrounds to make intentional decisions regarding diverse hiring. Solivan recommends aiming for two résumés from female candidates for every male résumé, expanding outreach to a broader array of networks, and elevating individuals from varied backgrounds into leadership positions.
"You’re asking someone to walk off the edge of a cliff — let’s build a net for them to jump into," Solivan concluded.
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