56% Of Black People In Tech Feel Unable To Negotiate Salary – Study

Colourintech, working with Meta, found that Black students and professionals face many barriers when advancing in the tech industry.

To try to understand the scope of the matter, the research team looked at 2,000 individuals in tech – asking questions about finding a job, getting hired, advancing, and being supported in their careers.

More than 60% of Black professionals encounter barriers to entering the tech profession, the new figures unveiled as it shone a light on the hurdles still being faced in the industry.

Saloni Shah, a student at Imperial College London in MSc Strategic Marketing, said: “Navigating the world of tech-from the kind of roles available, skills required to even not knowing from where to start and also the lack of confidence as I didn’t see a lot of people who ‘looked’ like me being in this industry.”

According to the study, huge and persistent racial inequalities still exist, with widening gaps between what organizations are saying versus what they are doing to promote inclusion. 

Nearly a quarter (30%) of those surveyed said that they can’t – and don’t want to – be their true selves at work and feel the need to be inauthentic for fear of not progressing, and that a façade of conformity has to override their personal values, views, and attributes to fit in with organizational ones.

While six in ten (56%) said they didn’t feel empowered to negotiate their salary and settle while their peers progress. This data comes after another report found that Black software engineers experience pay gaps of 13%.

Dion McKenzie, co-founder of Colorintech, told Metro: “The findings show the experiences for Black talent is vastly different from their counterparts. It’s up to companies to be intentional and systematically remove these barriers to ensure they are not limiting their talent pools and recruiting the best people out there.”

Maria Onyango, from Meta, added: “The tech industry should be open to people from all backgrounds, and a place where everyone can belong and thrive. We want to help people feel confident to make the jump. 

“Organisations need to embrace the fact that people need to feel like their true selves at work, and to actively work to make that happen. This research is so important. As a Black woman I feel seen when I read it, and I hope that organisations, including our own, will take action on the insights.”