Companies usually hesitate to share information about their developers’ demographics, but it’s clear that diverse, multifaceted and multicultural teams tend to be more successful. In fact, McKinsey researchers found that the most diverse companies were 35% more likely to surpass industry medians and averages in terms of performance.
[bctt tweet=”The most diverse companies are 35% more likely to surpass industry medians and averages in terms of performance. –McKinsey” username=”iTechUS”]
In fact, skill diversity and simple skill redundancy can be quite useful, as you’re more likely to have a team member who can fill any gaps that arise during your workflow. So what makes a software development team diverse and multifaceted? And what does this mean for your hiring process?
The Benefits of a Development Team With Experiential Diversity
Experiential diversity is really important in the software development world, as there are some key insights that can only be found through personal experience. For example, a mistake can give you ideas for improving a process or adapting a methodology to suit your team’s workflow. Experiential diversity also leads to more effective strategy development, and when necessary, problem-solving. This provides you with an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback from individuals with more unique viewpoints and perspectives.
The Benefits of a Development Team With a Varied Skill Set
The best teams of developers possess experiential diversity and a wide variety of skill sets, which can be extremely successful and effective. If your team’s members have a broad range of skills—and a high redundancy of those skills—you’ll enjoy improved flexibility in roles and workloads. You’ll also have a far smoother development process.
A high degree of redundant skills will also increase your chances that work can continue if a key team member is absent, because you’ll have another person who can fill the gap. This is critical if you’re going to meet your project’s timeframe and cost projections, while maximizing productivity.
The Benefits of Multicultural Software Development Teams
Multicultural development teams can operate very effectively, provided you overcome any language and communication barriers. Most companies that stay focused on trainings and measures that promote good communication are able to overcome many of the obstacles in this area.
Multicultural software development teams have a distinct advantage, as each individual brings a unique viewpoint and knowledge base to the table. This is especially advantageous when developing a platform, software program or application that will be used worldwide. Your team will likely have valuable insights that can lead to a far more balanced, user-friendly end result. This can include knowledge of different product marketplaces, different development techniques and strategies, along with a unique cultural understanding that can result in more effective UI and a richer UX.
[bctt tweet=”Multicultural software development teams have a distinct advantage, as each individual brings a unique viewpoint and knowledge base to the table.” username=”iTechUS”]
A diverse group can promote personal and professional growth in many different areas, while also elevating development projects to the next level. A Harvard Business Review study found that the most successful multicultural development teams dealt with challenges through adaptation, structural intervention and managerial intervention.
[bctt tweet=”The most successful multicultural development teams deal with challenges through adaptation, structural intervention and managerial intervention. –HBR” username=”iTechUS”]
A multifaceted software development team can enjoy the best of all worlds. But building a multifaceted team is far easier said than done. Talent management executives and even many hiring managers struggle to build a truly diverse, multifaceted team. This is particularly true if they fail to fully appreciate the importance of hiring for cultural fit and soft skills. Tech skills are just one piece of the equation. The task also becomes far more challenging when dealing with temporary staff.
Fortunately, this is one area where iTech can assist. We specialize in providing temporary IT staffing services for clients across the United States. We place tremendous emphasis on helping you build a multifaceted group. Whether you need just a couple of developers or multiple teams, we invite you to contact iTech today to discuss your tech staffing needs.