why diversity referral awards?
TechCongress is committed to building an ecosystem of diverse, cross-sector technology policy leaders. We recognize that diversity is a problem in the technology community and are working to be part of the solution. Diversity is also a problem on Capitol Hill, where hiring is often based on pre-existing relationships and many entry level jobs do not pay a living wage, making it difficult for individuals that don’t come from money to begin a career and advance in Congress. We embrace diversity across multiple dimensions and encourage applicants from underrepresented communities in technology and in Congress, including those from minority gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic groups. We pay a living wage and create a pathway into Congress that does not exist for underrepresented groups.
As part of this commitment, we’re dedicated to testing new approaches towards building an equitable organization and fellowship. We’ve been learning from tech companies like Intel, and the startup Glowforge, in addition to groups like the Kapor Center, to adopt a new method to source inclusive candidates for our program: diversity referral awards.
We are the first organization in Washington, D.C., or in politics, to adopt a diversity referral award, which according to Kapor Center Founder Freada Klein, makes “a statistically significant difference in decreasing unfair treatment & increasing retention.”
If you nominate a candidate from an underrepresented community for one of our fellowship programs and they apply, are accepted, and join the program as a fellow, we’re going to pay you $500. It’s as simple as that.
nominate a candidate for our fellowship program
DIVERSITY REFERRAL AWARD FAQs
How do I refer someone?
Anyone can refer a candidate! The easiest way to refer someone is to nominate them for the program. But tweeting, blogging, forwarding an email, and spreading the word in other ways are effective methods!
Can I refer myself for the program?
You can of course nominate yourself for the program! But only third-party referrers are eligible for the diversity award.
How do I qualify for the referral?
Simply nominate a candidate for the fellowship! When a candidate is accepted and begins as a fellow, we will search the nominations form to see if that individual was referred to us. We’ll also ask fellows to identify if they were nominated or referred to the program by an individual.
What if a candidate that I send you doesn’t self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group?
We think that question is best left to the candidate themselves. We will ask them to identify if they consider themselves to be a part of an underrepresented community in the tech sector. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), “the representation of certain groups of people in science and engineering (S&E) education and employment differs from their representation in the U.S. population. Women, persons with disabilities, and three racial and ethnic groups—blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—are underrepresented in S&E.” TechCongress applies the NSF definition of underrepresented groups to our practice.
What if I’m a recruiter?
We don’t accept applications from recruiters. We welcome recruiters to tell potential candidates that we’re recruiting.
Are resumes from diverse candidates treated differently?
No. All applicants are reviewed under the same process using the same criteria. We also employ an anonymized selection process. Names and identifying characteristics are stripped out to minimize bias using a tool in our application platform, Screendoor. Referred candidates will not be given any special treatment or guaranteed selection and must meet all standards expected of Congressional Innovation Fellows and Congressional Innovation Scholars.
Does the fellow get anything special, or just the referrer?
Fellows are subject to the same fellowship requirements and benefits as all other fellows. Only the referrer is eligible for the award.
Are you only recruiting women, underrepresented minorities, veterans, and the disabled?
No, we are recruiting for any talented tech thinkers! Please visit our Congressional Innovation Fellowship and Congressional Innovation Scholars program pages for more information.
Why are you willing to pay for referrals of underrepresented groups but not other candidates?
Inclusion is a core value of TechCongress. We believe that both the tech industry and the U.S. Congress should represent the demographics and lived experience of citizens and residents of the United States. Right now, they do not. We are actively seeking to pilot solutions to build a more inclusive hiring process and model them for Congress and other civil society groups.
The Founder of TechCongress is a caucasian man from Washington D.C., and many of his networks consist of similar individuals working in politics in Washington D.C. Early research suggests that diversity referral awards are a very effective way to reach networks and communities outside of our own.
Other questions? We're here to help. Email Brooke [at] TechCongress.io with any further inquiries. And visit our events page to join us in person.