2023 Collaborative Network for Computing and Engineering Diversity (CoNECD)

Developed in 2011, the IBM Pathways Program was designed to increase the diversity representation at the executive and thought leader levels within the organization’s technical community. The program has evolved over the years, and more rapidly throughout- and post-pandemic, to continue to advance and support the technical community's diversity representation.

The program focuses on career development, career advancement and retention. Career development includes mentoring, coaching, and networking. Career advancement is about career readiness — gaining the experience, exposure, and evidence needed to advance all with the support of an executive sponsor. Retention is secured with the investment to develop and advance, and once one achieves an executive appointment, the recognition and giveback further reinforce retention ability.

Program participants are coached and mentored to leverage strengths and address derailers to their success. This includes making career decisions (i.e., technical versus management career paths or both), accessing development activities that stretch them (i.e., enterprise-wide work, innovation projects, clients and industries, speaking at conferences), articulating and sharing one’s innovative technical points of view and eminence, advancing soft skills (i.e., leadership presence, negotiations, listening, networking), and empowering self-awareness to fully understand one’s purpose and impact. 

The high touch elements of the program (i.e., coach, sponsorship, mentoring, and personalized development), have proven to accelerate the development, advancement and retention within the technical community. The diversified set of learning options (i.e., asynchronous, coaching, virtual instructor-led, in-person workshops, social learning, and peer learning) have enabled high engagement and desire to be in the program. Program graduates are the strongest advocates and become coaches, mentors and sponsors to current participants. There is a full life cycle for the program. 

Overall results for 2021 -- 89% of technical executive appointments were Pathways program graduates.