Find My Flock Relaunches, Takes a Stand to Design Their Product for Underrepresented Developers First

BOULDER, Colo. - July 25, 2018 - PRLog -- Somewhere between 80-90% of developers are men, and a large percentage are white. This is causing increasing concern from the public as the future of how we vote, network, and relate to each other is being determined by one slice of the population. Despite efforts by educational non-profits, underrepresented developers are still leaving the field in droves.

"56 percent of women in tech will leave the industry mid-career, most citing an unfriendly workplace. The culture wasn't built for us. The industry wasn't built for us. The tools we use every day weren't built for us," said Find My Flock Co-Founder, Kate Catlin. "That's why we're taking such a stand to do all our product design and testing with underrepresented groups first. We're enthusiastically open to all, but we want to push the envelope as far as possible to welcome in those who usually feel shut out."

This highly-specific UX research has led to some unique features:

• Companies that want premium job postings have to pass a vetting process for inclusive culture.
• Job seekers start by filling out a simple questionnaire about themselves so the platform's algorithm can direct them toward roles that fit their skills, which they may not realize they are qualified for.
• Job seekers can filter matches by benefits like maternity leave or trans-inclusive healthcare that introduce bias if asked about.

The most stand-out element is human-to-human interview coaching. "We're hearing lots of backlash against a full-automated hiring process. Getting a job is demeaning and lonely. People want to connect and feel supported," continued Catlin. This coaching is only available to qualified applicants for their 'Vetted Job Postings,' but the team believes it will be a huge differentiator.

Amanda Riu, a senior level developer who found her current role through Find My Flock, said, "Flock not only worked hard to find job opportunities that would be a good fit, but they helped me with every step of the application and interview process. Working with Flock made the process of finding a new job significantly less stressful and with their guidance and mentorship, I was able to land my dream job at Automattic! I recommend Flock to everyone I meet and would absolutely use them again."

Early adopters hiring through the platform include Amazon, Automattic, SendGrid, DigitalOcean, Gusto, Khan Academy, Rover, Healthgrades (https://www.healthgrades.com/), and Zayo Group (https://www.zayo.com/).

Wes Morgan, CTO of Democracy Works (https://democracy.works/) and a client of Find My Flock, says, "Flock totally flips the script on tech recruitment. They are the only recruitment agency I've been excited to work with, and it's 100% because of their mission and how well they execute it. Having someone who learns about your organization, finds people who fit with what you're looking for but also values things like diversity, inclusiveness, and culture is a whole new level of bang for the buck when it comes to recruitment."

This community-driven, underrepresented-first mindset is the antithesis of the Silicon Valley. They even eschewed the typical lavish launch party in favor of donating $1 per user in the first month to their local Women Who Code chapter, up to $10,000.

Find My Flock's unique approach will not only be a game-changer for those hiring and getting hired. They are also driving the change for future founders and investors in thinking about what it means to launch a startup in the post-#MeToo era.