POC in Tech: A Practical Guide Inspired by Hubspot

Tech teams looking to improve representation and inclusion can learn a lot from how Hubspot and similar organizations talk about POC in tech, define the term clearly, and build processes that support people of color across hiring, culture, and career growth.

This how-to article distills key lessons from the original POC in tech explainer and turns them into concrete steps you can apply in your own organization.

What POC Means in Tech: A Hubspot-Inspired Overview

Before you can design better systems, you need precise language. In the context of tech, POC (people of color) is a broad term that usually includes:

• Black and African American people
• Latine and Hispanic people
• Indigenous and Native communities
• Asian and Pacific Islander communities
• Middle Eastern and North African people

The Hubspot perspective emphasizes that this umbrella term is useful for talking about collective experiences with racism, but it should never erase the specific histories, cultures, and needs of individual communities.

Key Principles for Talking About POC in Tech

Borrowing from how Hubspot structures inclusive communication, you can ground your work in several core principles:

• Precision: Use the most specific, accurate term you can when it matters (for example, Black women software engineers vs. just POC).
• Context: Acknowledge how racism, bias, and power show up in tech workplaces and products.
• Respect: Avoid stereotypes and deficit framing; focus on agency, expertise, and leadership.
• Consent: Let people self-identify; do not label individuals or groups without their input.

How to Build an Inclusive POC in Tech Strategy with Hubspot-Style Clarity

To turn concepts into action, follow a step-by-step approach that mirrors the structured way Hubspot breaks down complex topics.

Step 1: Audit Language Across Your Tech Organization

Start by mapping where and how you currently reference POC in tech across your systems and communications.

1. Review public content: Website, blog, documentation, social media, and marketing materials.

2. Check internal content: Handbooks, onboarding docs, job descriptions, performance frameworks, and product specs.

3. List all terminology: Note where you use terms like POC, BIPOC, minority, underrepresented, marginalized, or race-neutral language that hides inequity.

Document your findings in a shared resource, similar to how Hubspot maintains style and terminology guidelines.

Step 2: Define Your POC in Tech Terminology

Next, codify how your team will talk about POC in tech in a way that is consistent and transparent.

• Create a glossary that defines terms such as POC, BIPOC, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Clarify when to use broad terms versus specific racial or ethnic identifiers.
• Include examples of preferred phrasing and phrases to avoid, modeled after Hubspot-style editorial guidance.

Publish this glossary where everyone in your tech org can access and contribute to it.

Step 3: Align Your POC in Tech Goals with Measurable Outcomes

Once language is clear, connect it to measurable goals. Inspired by how Hubspot links concepts to actionable frameworks, you can:

1. Set representation goals: Track hiring, promotion, and retention for POC in technical and leadership roles.

2. Measure experience: Run regular, anonymous surveys to understand how POC employees experience your engineering culture.

3. Review systems: Examine hiring pipelines, interview loops, performance reviews, and promotion criteria for bias.

Make these metrics visible to leadership and accountable teams, and revisit them on a fixed cadence.

Hubspot-Inspired Best Practices for Supporting POC in Tech Roles

Going beyond language and metrics, you need concrete practices that shape daily life for POC in tech.

1. Center POC Voices in Product and Engineering Decisions

Teams can adapt practices similar to those highlighted by Hubspot by:

• Including POC engineers and product managers in roadmapping sessions.
• Reviewing features for potential bias or harm to marginalized users.
• Compensating POC staff for extra emotional or educational labor, not just expecting it.

2. Create Structured Growth Paths for POC in Tech

Career growth for POC in tech should rely on transparent systems rather than informal networks.

• Define clear levels and competencies for engineering, product, and data roles.
• Offer mentorship and sponsorship programs that actively include POC participants as mentees and mentors.
• Standardize feedback and promotion criteria to reduce subjective bias.

3. Build Safe Channels for Feedback and Reporting

POC in tech roles often encounter subtle or overt bias. Following a transparent, process-based style like Hubspot uses in policy communication, you can:

• Publish a clear anti-racism and anti-harassment policy.
• Provide multiple confidential reporting channels, including anonymous tools.
• Share what happens after reports are made, while protecting privacy.

How Content and SEO Teams Can Support POC in Tech

If you manage technical content, marketing, or documentation, you can apply Hubspot-like editorial rigor to your inclusion work.

Use Inclusive Style Guides in Technical Writing

Create or adapt a style guide for your docs and marketing content that:

• Defines how to mention demographic details only when relevant.
• Recommends people-first, respectful language about POC in tech audiences.
• Requires sensitivity reviews for content about race, identity, or community impact.

Align SEO Strategy with Ethical Representation

SEO teams can borrow principles from Hubspot’s educational approach to ensure search-driven content helps, rather than harms, POC communities.

• Target queries about POC in tech with educational, accurate resources.
• Avoid sensationalizing or trivializing systemic issues for clicks.
• Link to credible external resources, including POC-led organizations and experts.

Tools and Partners for Improving POC in Tech Outcomes

You do not need to do this work alone. Many organizations partner with specialists to build practical, sustainable systems that support POC in tech.

For example, you can collaborate with strategy and analytics partners such as Consultevo to bring structure to metrics, reporting, and culture change initiatives that align with your product and engineering roadmap.

Putting It All Together: A Hubspot-Style Action Checklist

To recap, here is a concise checklist you can use to guide your work:

• Audit how you reference POC in tech across internal and external content.
• Document clear terminology and a style guide inspired by Hubspot’s clarity.
• Set measurable goals for representation, experience, and retention.
• Involve POC voices in product, engineering, and policy decisions.
• Build transparent career paths and sponsorship programs.
• Establish safe, credible reporting channels and act on feedback.
• Align SEO and content strategies with ethical, inclusive representation.

By combining precise language, thoughtful systems, and accountable leadership, tech organizations can move beyond surface-level statements and create environments where POC in tech can thrive, grow into leadership, and shape products that better serve everyone.