Does diversity in a team really work? Or is it just a buzzword?
In this episode of the On The Edge by E1S podcast, we explore a topic that stirs emotions in many organizations: diversity. Without filters or corporate correctness, we discuss:
✔ why managers are often afraid of diversity
✔ what its real business benefits are
✔ what diversity is… and what it definitely isn’t
✔ how diversity affects team effectiveness and dynamics
✔ how to manage it wisely in practice.
Our guests: Ewa Jankowska-Małkiewicz, Head of People and Culture at Edge One Solutions, and Wojciech Kuśnierek, Senior Director at JLL Technologies
If you manage a team, work in the technology industry, or simply want to better understand how the modern workplace really works – this episode is for you. Listen now!
Spotify:
*Podcast only available in Polish.
Diversity in IT teams: what it really is (and what it isn’t)
Diversity in IT teams has become one of the most frequently mentioned terms in the tech industry. Yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In many organizations, diversity is reduced to statistics: gender, nationality, or age.
In practice, however, diversity in IT goes much deeper. And it’s this deeper dimension that truly impacts product quality, team productivity, and problem-solving ability.
What diversity in an IT team looks like in practice
The greatest value for tech teams comes not from demographic diversity but from cognitive diversity – differences in how people think, analyze, and make decisions.
In practice, this means collaborating with colleagues who:
approach problem-solving differently,
have varying needs for structure and order,
communicate risk in unique ways,
interpret “readiness” of a solution differently.
Within a single team, you might find people who:
need the full context before starting work,
and those who learn by doing and iterating.
Both approaches are valuable – as long as the team can manage them consciously. This is the foundation of effective diversity management in IT.
Diversity in IT is not just about culture – it’s about efficiency
In tech projects, diversity isn’t an abstract value. It directly impacts:
- system architecture quality:Homogeneous teams often replicate the same thinking patterns.
- risk anticipation:Different perspectives help identify potential problems earlier.
- product development speed:Cognitively diverse teams find alternative solutions faster.
In short, diversity in IT is a business factor, not just a branding statement.
Diversity in work styles
One often-overlooked aspect is the diversity of work styles.
IT teams bring together people who:
- prefer full autonomy
those who need frequent feedback, - communicate directly
those who are more cautious in messaging, - focus on details
those who think systemically.
Problems arise when these differences are misinterpreted as:
lack of engagement,
lack of competence,
difficult personality.
In reality, these are simply expressions of cognitive diversity.
Common misinterpretations of diversity in IT
One of the biggest myths is that diversity equals permissiveness. In practice, this misconception leads to two extremes:
Myth 1: Diversity means no rules
Professional tech teams operate under shared standards:
Definition of Done,
Code review standards,
Communication guidelines.
Diversity doesn’t mean abandoning these standards. It means reaching goals in different ways within a shared framework.
Myth 2: Diversity means avoiding conflict
The opposite is true.
Diverse teams disagree more often – and that’s a strength. Constructive tension leads to better technical decisions.
The problem isn’t conflict. The problem is not having a culture for managing it properly.
Where diversity ends and unprofessionalism begins
This is one of the most important questions for tech leaders.
Diversity ends where there is:
lack of responsibility,
lack of communication,
disregard for the team’s work,
ignoring established standards.
Diversity should never justify behaviors that reduce team effectiveness. A professional IT environment balances individuality with shared responsibility.
Managing diversity in IT: the role of the leader
A team’s ability to turn diversity into an asset depends heavily on its leader.
A leader’s role isn’t to eliminate differences. It’s to create conditions where differences serve the team.
In practice, this means:
building psychological safety,
clearly defining standards,
consciously managing team dynamics,
understanding different work styles.
Diversity as a competitive advantage
The most effective tech teams aren’t the most homogeneous. They are the teams that know how to leverage their differences.
These teams:
adapt to change faster,
create more resilient solutions,
make better technical decisions.
For this reason, diversity in IT isn’t a trend – it’s an organizational capability.
Summary
Diversity in IT is not just about numbers. It’s primarily about differences in:
thinking,
decision-making,
problem-solving.
Its value lies not in the mere presence of differences, but in the team’s ability to leverage them effectively.
