Today, Black, Latina, and Native American (BLNA) women represent just 4 percent of all technology workers, despite increased enrollment of BLNA women in computer science degree programs and accounting for 16.5 percent of the total working-age population in the United States (McKinsey, Women in the Workplace 2022).
This glaring disparity calls for immediate action and a renewed commitment from tech leaders and HR decision-makers to foster a more inclusive and equitable world of work.
Reboot Representation, an industry coalition funded by Melinda Gate’s Pivotal Venture’s working to close this gap has released a report highlighting actions all tech companies can take to close the gap. System Upgrade highlights data-driven set of nine policies and practices that will help untapped talent enter, thrive, and stay in the workforce.
Policies that support BLNA women support all workers
It is imperative to recognize that policies tailored to support BLNA women are not only vital for their retention but are also key to the increased retention of tech workers broadly.
Adopting a targeted universalism approach not only supports BLNA women but also aids in retaining employees from other demographic groups, particularly those who are low-income, first-generation college students, or the first in their families to work in tech.
The following nine policies are instrumental in attaching and retaining BLNA women (Reboot Representation, System Upgrade: Rebooting Corporate Policies For Impact):
- Share salary ranges on jobs
- Internal job boards and career pathways
- Mentors during job interviews
- Paid sick leave to all workers
- Expanded mental health benefits
- Option to be remote, hybrid, or on-site
- Flexible work policies
- Professional development to grow a network and build soft skills
- Actionable performance evaluation
The coalition’s CEO, Dawna Franklin notes that, “Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 9 policies we identified as most impactful for BLNA women are also desirable to all other employees. The policies aren’t moonshots. The most actionable and effective policies are within reach – even in a challenging macroeconomic environment.”
One clear example is pay transparency.
Adobe’s Future Workforce Study highlights that GenZ and millennial workers across all demographic groups see salary transparency as table stakes for attracting talent. According to the study, 85% of US postsecondary students and new graduates reported they are “less likely to apply for a job if the company does not disclose the salary range in the job posting.”
Similarly, flexible work policies and the option to work remotely or in a hybrid environment is greatly valued by women, given the disproportionate burden of caregiving and parenting (IWG Survey, 2022). 72 percent of women surveyed would look for a new job if their employer took away the option to work hybrid, underscoring the importance of these policies.
When companies actively acknowledge and address the challenges faced by specific groups, it signals to all employees that the company values diversity and is committed to creating an equitable work environment. This, in turn, can lead to increased job satisfaction, greater employee engagement, and higher retention rates across all demographic groups.
Policies need to keep employees at the center
In Fixing the Flawed Approach to Diversity, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) – one of the earliest to name the importance of having data on employee experience, perception as well as pay and promotion rates being key to designing solutions that work. “Our data shows that most company leaders—primarily white, heterosexual males—still underestimate the challenges diverse employees face. These leaders control budgets and decide which diversity programs to pursue. If they lack a clear understanding of the problem, they can’t design effective solutions.”
In the four years since the publication of BCG’s report, the fact remains – that despite increased diversity in the CEO role, senior leadership teams at tech companies remain largely homogenous. This lack of diversity influences the policies and practices that are advocated for, such as encouraging a return to the office, and those that are neglected, like expanding mental health benefits and sick leave or implementing flexible work policies.
One stark example is a reduction in paid family and medical leave, often called maternity leave. In 2022, just 35% of employers offered more leave than what is required by law in a country where only 11 states have paid leave laws, down from 53% in 2020 (SHRM).
Last year, Hulu reduced its fully paid parental leave from 20 weeks to eight weeks according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, and early this year, Google refused to pay out maternity and medical leave for laid-off employees (CNBC).
And yet, paid family and medical leave policies are linked to the hiring, retention, and advancement of all women, and play a crucial role in the retention of BLNA and other women of color (Paid Leave for the U.S.(PL+US)). PL+US’s groundbreaking research in the past decade enforced what women already know – robust paid leave policies lead to fewer women leaving the workforce following the birth of children.
PL+US and other coalition partners also established that offering paid leave, even in states without laws in place, is financially beneficial to most employers given the overwhelming cost of replacing employees – especially in technical roles.
Reboot Representation, System Upgrade: Rebooting Corporate Policies For Impact calls for all companies to build policies based on employee needs and disaggregate data by gender, race, and other key demographic factors to identify satisfaction with policies and practices and links to other areas in the employee lifecycle.
The report urges data-informed decisions and a commitment to track outcomes such as representation and lower turnover at each seniority level of the organization and for technical-specific roles.
Policies aren’t enough, companies need to socialize them
Simply having a policy is not enough; companies need to socialize them. This means actively promoting these policies, ensuring that every employee, from senior leadership to entry-level, is not only aware of them but understands their benefits and how to utilize them.
It is not uncommon for employees to be unaware of the policies in place or to misunderstand their purpose and application. This lack of awareness and understanding can render even the most well-intentioned policies ineffective.
Even when companies have policies desired by BLNA women, 32% of BLNA women reported not using them or not knowing about them, compared to 43% of tech workers in other demographic groups (Reboot Representation, System Upgrade: Rebooting Corporate Policies For Impact).
Companies must, therefore, invest time and resources in effectively communicating these policies, providing training where necessary, and creating a culture that encourages their utilization. This includes creating spaces for open dialogue, actively seeking feedback from underrepresented groups, and demonstrating a genuine commitment to addressing their concerns. Ultimately, the socialization of policies is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process that requires sustained commitment and continuous efforts from all levels of the organization.
This is one area where Franklin says, “There’s a clear path for companies to work smarter, not harder to retain their top tech talent.”
The compelling case for increasing the representation of BLNA women in tech is grounded not only in the principles of equity and justice but also in the business imperative. Policies that support BLNA women ultimately lead to benefits for all workers, contributing to a more inclusive, supportive, and productive work environment. It is incumbent upon leaders and HR decision-makers to prioritize the implementation and socialization of these policies to ensure they are accessible and utilized by all.
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