eHealth Africa (eHA) hosted 'Coding for Good – Finding Tech Jobs in the Social Sector' to bring together the non-profit, development aid, and social enterprise sectors with tech professionals searching for jobs. The event was held at the Co.up, a co-working space in Kreuzberg, Berlin.
Although finding employees with technical expertise is often a priority for social organizations, and finding a socially responsible career is important to many tech professionals, these groups often struggle to reach one another. Amongst the panelists were:
- Naomi Ryland, Co-founder of The Changer
- Julius Murke, Sector Initiative Social Protection, German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
- Matthias Hellmund, Head of Product and Technology at ShareTheMeal
- Adam Butler, Technical Team Lead at eHealth Africa (eHA)
Key learning points for attendees covered the topics of: finding job positions, compensation for work in the social sector and the intersection of tech and health NGOs. Panelists highlighted how channels that social organizations, especially non-profits, typically use to recruit differ from the ways tech professionals normally navigate the job market. Many nonprofit organizations lack the resources to hire recruiting agencies or head-hunters, so they rely on community job boards (job websites that do not charge a fee for posts) and the personal networks of their employees.
Remuneration in the social sector was also discussed by the panelists. A common misconception among attendees was that working in the social sector could mean a pay-cut. However, the expert panel shared information on the many nonprofits and for-profit social businesses which do pay the industry standard in the tech field.
Additionally, not every nonprofit is behind on technology and trends - there are many that are run like successful for-profit businesses by thought leaders who are paving the way for a massive new generation of tech professionals. At eHA, we are committed to using tech to improve and expand availability of health care for underserved populations in Africa.
eHA was pleased to host an event that provided tech professionals with valuable insights into the environment and daily work occurring in the social sector. Additionally, social businesses and NGOs gained first-hand perspective from tech professionals regarding what they are looking for in their careers and how they maneuver through their job search processes. Having provided thought leadership and a great exchange platform to attendees, eHA is looking forward to hosting similar events in the future.
Integrating tech and health, eHA achieves its mission by establishing new standards in the delivery of healthcare to most vulnerable communities in West Africa. Our outstanding technical personnel is an essential part of our success. If you are interested in joining us, please have a look at our job board here. You can also check out our Elastic Stack Volunteer program here or contact our team at berlin@eHealthAfrica.org.
