The channel still stands for inclusion

Agilitas’ IWD roundtable gathered channel leaders to discuss inclusion challenges and share real solutions

With event season in full swing (and earlier than ever this year, it seems), yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in my first International Women’s Day roundtable.

Hosted by Agilitas and chaired by the indominable Angela Whitty, the day took an informal format with plenty of opportunities for frank and open conversations.

We opened with a discussion of everyone’s experiences in the industry – the good and bad.

Experienced leaders from Softcat, SentinelOne and Maintel among others, spoke up about how they’ve seen the channel change over the past 20 years.

And how refreshing that was. With the state of the news cycle as it is, I occasionally get bogged down in the statistics, the visibility, the sometimes-alarming predictions about representation.

But sitting down with a group of people from many sides of the industry – reseller, MSP, vendor – and all sizes of companies, one thing became clear – there are more reasons to be optimistic than ever.

Many more people are working behind the scenes to make sure their companies have a thriving, diverse workforce than we get to see on a day-to-day basis.

Everyone came armed with stats, commentary and experiences from their current and former companies. But the most valuable part of the day was the curiosity and people’s willingness to say “I don’t know the answer, but here’s what my business is trying. How are you dealing with this?”

That’s why these in-person events are crucial. They allow us to see and hear from the people for whom inclusion is a priority, in an environment that allows for frank, open discussions.

The conversations at these events help crystalise the business outcomes of DEI – more inclusive workplaces breed diversity of thought, increased team cohesion and, ultimately, better business performance.

My second takeaway from this event is that the infrastructure already exists for this effort – from mentoring orgs offering guidance to young people just entering the industry, to nonprofits dedicated to highlighting the opportunity that a career in the channel presents for school leavers.

The job now is to connect these disparate initiatives and help build a united voice in the channel.

All the orgs around the table face similar issues – an ever-narrowing pool of applicants, struggles to attract and retain, and the incorrect but lingering perception of the industry as an “old boys club”.

Having covered the channel for almost two years now, I can say that this hasn’t been my impression – the push for inclusion is certainly there.

What the industry needs now is to connect the existing networks of support and build a collective voice in order to sustain the momentum.