How we’re building a diverse team at MDRx

Showcode is a professional network that helps individuals to join tech communities, where they get to share, learn and compete so they can build their skills and get hired. One of our Software Engineers, Faith, is part of the Showcode community and came up with the brilliant idea of bringing our communities together to talk about diversity in tech.  

The panel was led by five MDRx team members, a split between Strategy Consultants and Software Engineers: Rosie, Nikita, Faith, Emily, and Dulcie. They all shared their personal journeys and experiences in the tech industry, as well as the challenges they faced along the way.  

Before the panel conversation kicked off, our COO, Siân Rodway introduced our team and approach to diversity: “Diversity isn’t just about gender, there are a lot of other characteristics that come into that, both visible and non-visible.”  

For us at MDRx, it’s really important to have a diverse team, especially as we’re building technology products. We are aware that there’s a lot more work we need to do in this area, and we’re keen to keep learning and improving. We believe that transparency and processes are key to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Here’s how we do it.  

1. Our team

We are very proud of our current team gender split of 54% male and 46% female, although this will change soon given the number of roles we’re hiring for. We are aiming for a 50/50 split, and we’ve already passed that with our Leadership team, currently being led by 60% women.  

Our team members also have diverse backgrounds and a very wide range of skills. During the panel conversation, Rosie pointed out that it’s very important to widen the talent pool to non-technical people to give them the opportunity to enter the tech industry, which we are trying to do more of at MDRx.  

2. Recruitment

When it comes to hiring people, we advertise our roles on various platforms, such as Cord, and partner with different organisations including Showcode and Code First Girls (CFG). In fact, a few of our Software Engineers have recently graduated from CFG and they’ve already made an impact on the projects they’re working on.  

We’re looking to do more in this space to make sure we don’t always use the same recruitment platforms or rely on our personal networks when looking for talent. 

One other initiative we have at MDRx is getting the team involved in the interviewing process and that includes every role and level. This allows our team members to develop their interviewing skills and further their professional development, giving them a chance to share their own unbiased opinions on candidates.  

3. Onboarding and career progression

Our new starters are walked through what their career development journey might look like and the different stages of their progression from day one.  

At MDRx, we have two different career tracks – Leadership and Technical – allowing our team to choose the pathway they prefer. The rank and salary bandings are the same for both tracks, ensuring tech and consulting pathways and encouraging a high-performing tech team. 

We also have quarterly opportunities for pay rises, rather than a set yearly promotion cycle, so employees don’t have to wait a whole year to ask for change. These measures and processes help and support the team to progress, whilst allowing them to do so at their own pace and confidence. 

We give our team plenty of opportunities to suggest to their Line Manager if they think they’re ready for promotion or pay rise (the latter can happen on its own!), whilst also ensuring we ask direct, too. This is an intentional move on the diversity front, ensuring those who might find money conversations uncomfortable still get a chance to chat, without all responsibility lying on their shoulders. 

Are you looking for your next role in tech?

We hope attendees had the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn about career opportunities, and gain valuable insights from their peers.  

If you’re looking for your next role in tech, check out our open positions and if anything sounds of interest, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.