This article was first published by Laila-Josefin Azhar on Medium. Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your workplace? Like your ideas aren’t heard, your contributions aren’t valued, and your authentic self isn’t welcome? Unfortunately, this is a common experience for many people, especially those from underrepresented communities. I’ve set the theme of belonging for our quarterly topic in my region. I believe that creating a culture of belonging is crucial for building inclusive workplaces that attract and retain diverse talent. When people feel like they belong, they’re
Two years after the Big Tech companies pledged to fight racism, Black and Brown employees still bear the brunt of recent layoffs sweeping the industry. DEI teams are shrinking rapidly – here’s why. Hiring for DEI roles first ramped up during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Tech companies pledged to boost their diversity efforts. According to Bloomberg, listings for DEI jobs have now dropped by 19% – a more significant drop than human resource or legal jobs. Many Big Tech companies that pledged to boost their diversity efforts have
A lack of inclusive and welcoming work environments is contributing to poor retention rates among young diverse tech workers, finds a new report by Wiley Edge. In a survey of 2,000 18 to 24-year-old UK tech workers, only 1 in 5 said they liked their company’s culture. Another 1 in 5 felt welcomed by their colleagues. Black respondents were the least—and white respondents the most—likely to say they liked and felt welcome in their company’s culture. When asked why they had ever left or wanted to leave a tech role,
Following in the footsteps of California, New York City has welcomed its new pay transparency law to help revolutionize the job sector. The new law, which came into effect November 1, will mean most – if not all – employers will have to disclose salaries for each job posting. Why is pay transparency important? Long begone the days of applying for a job with a vague offer of a “competitive salary.” NYC’s new pay transparency law will mean most employers must state the exact salary they are offering employees before starting
Annie Jean-Baptiste, head of product inclusion and equity at Google, is on a mission to make product inclusion and equity a critical part of tech. Who is Annie Jean-Baptiste? After 10 years at Google, Jean-Baptiste now leads the diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) team, pushing the tech giant to take marginalized users into account when building its products. According to Jean-Baptiste, the idea to focus on product inclusion came about after she noticed that many things like culture and representation were internally important but were forgotten about when designing new
Pinterest has announced that Nichole Barnes Marshall will be replacing Tyi McCray as the Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity. Her role will include leading the I&D team and partnering with the co-founder and CEO, Ben Silbermann, to “drive accountability, adoption, and strategies for workplace, culture, and marketplace programs.” She comes to Pinterest from Bath and Body Works, where she was the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for seven months. Nichole brings more than 20 years of experience in DE&I and recruitment at iconic brands like L Brands, Aon, and
The BECA Playbook aims to challenge the corporate diversity gap and transform the future of business by building the next generation of C-suite marketing executives.
“Diversity increases revenue, improves productivity, sparks creativity, and boosts innovation.” In my line of work, the business case for diversity is practically a mantra. As Diversity & Inclusion has gained mainstream acceptance, so too has this “business case” emerged as the centerpiece of many modern organizations’ D&I efforts. It figures prominently in keynote talks, diversity panels, and internal presentations alike. And when corporate leaders talk about D&I, the business case for diversity is always one of their talking points. This is, unfortunately, a big problem. Under its flashy exterior, “business
