Employees value diversity, equity and inclusion, and employers are making progress — but too many tech workers still experience discrimination during their careers.
That was a major takeaway from Built In’s 2021 State of DEI in Tech report, which we released last week. The data shows an industry that, as a whole, is making incremental gains in fostering a culture where people of all backgrounds can develop their careers and bring their whole selves to work. But far too many of us still can’t trust that we’re getting the same opportunities for advancement, or come from communities that remain underrepresented within our ranks. Where do you even begin to fix things?
In our conversations with individuals throughout the U.S. tech industry, we’ve been fortunate enough to encounter plenty of organizations that are relatively far along in their DEI journeys — and transparent enough to share that information with publications like Built In. When we asked relevant leaders at these companies about where that success has come from, it became clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution here. Every company is unique.
Instead of some magical combination of hiring practices, internal training and supportive communities, the traits that unite these businesses is a kind of mindset, a recognition that there is no silver bullet for discrimination in the workplace, that perfect diversity, equity and inclusion is not a box you can check and then set aside. Based on conversations with leaders at five successful tech companies across the U.S., organizations that reflect the communities they serve set and enforce goals, collect and share diversity data and recognize the need for ongoing investment in DEI.
