Human-centered technology: The great democratizer

Data breaches. Privacy violations. Tech addiction. Impending job threats from AI. News headlines about tech have been sobering of late. Amid the sobering headlines, we sometimes overlook the benefits of tech in democratizing the workforce.

After all, everyone has access to the same tech tools. Equality of opportunity abounds. Digital innovation can provide employees with an equal platform from which to interact, learn, work and experiment in new ways — the essence of digital upskilling.

But technology at work requires more than tools. Employees told us they want to upgrade their tech skills within a human context: an inclusive, caring work culture. I personally experienced this culture of caring recently during a family emergency. Within a matter of days, my colleagues rallied around me to take over my responsibilities so I could take care of my family.

In an environment where the pace of change can be so unsettling, a culture of caring must prevail for employees to thrive. It is the starting point for employees to feel like they belong, that their contributions matter. The outcomes are encouraging: Technology within a human-centered backdrop enables a form of nontraditional, grassroots leadership to bubble up, helping companies advance next-generation innovators and leaders identified on the merit of their contributions.

That’s a far cry from traditional leadership routes that tended to rely on who you know, whether you look similar to current leadership, or how long you’ve been with the company. The equality of opportunity afforded by technology upends old habits. For example, the relatively inexperienced team member whose bot has been downloaded thousands of times may find a digital pathway to success that didn't exist before.

Can technology reshape the C-suite?

Technology can play an essential role to play in fostering greater diversity and inclusiveness in corporate leadership, especially in the C-suite where women and minorities remain vastly underrepresented. Women still account for only a scant 4.8% of Fortune 500 CEOs, for instance, although they make up half the US workforce.

PwC’s recent analysis on female leadership in the apparel industry explores why such systemic imbalances remain. It cites familiar barriers to advancement that transcend industries:

• Unconscious bias
• Lack of CEO championship
• Institutional blind spots
• Succession and pipeline issues
• Challenges balancing family and career
• Lack of active sponsorship by influential mentors

While discussing how best to break down these barriers, our analysis also underscores the role of technology as an equalizer for women in industries traditionally dominated by male CEOs. Take the example of female entrepreneurs Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix and Jennifer Hyman of Rent the Runway. Both forged digital paths to success in the apparel industry by harnessing the democratizing power of technology to start their own companies based on tech innovation.

It starts with inclusion

Tech advances inclusion, a natural starting point not because it's a business imperative but because it works: Widely reported outcomes confirm that female leadership is profitable, innovative and socially responsible. At the most successful companies, the imperative for inclusion begins at the highest levels. Because corporate leaders recognize that inclusion offers equality of opportunity: Formerly overlooked talent is now on the playing field.

Inclusive technology offers an effective path ahead. Everyone participates. Everyone has the same level of opportunity. Your employees feel more valued. As a result, they'll contribute more, leading to engaged, productive teams. They'll also become emotionally committed — not just reluctantly compliant — to supporting and even accelerating your digital journey.