How tech companies can champion DEI beyond Juneteenth

The tech industry is known for its commitment to progress and innovation, but when it comes to internal diversity initiatives, some worry the sector is regressing. 

Black individuals make up approximately 13% of the total U.S. workforce, according to a 2023 survey conducted by consulting firm McKinsey, yet they only account for around 8% of employees in tech jobs. While DEI has been at the top of employees’ priority lists, only 29% of software and tech employers see improving DEI as a top priority for this year, according to a recent report from software company Lever. 

“BIPOC employees are just not being heard,” says Cynthia Overton, senior director of tech workplace initiatives at the Kapor Center, a California-based organization that focuses on the intersection of racial justice and technology. “I think that it’s really challenging when people are trying to amplify the issues that are taking place and they’re just not being listened to.” 

Read more: Tech layoffs will create new hurdles for Black STEM talent. Can the industry refocus DEI efforts?

Currently, 83% of executives in tech are white, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While there has been a shift toward more diversification in offices, Overton says the same sentiment hasn’t reached individuals’ professional networks, which is continuing to create barriers to mobility and opportunities. 

“We’ve got data to support this,” she says. “When there is a fit between both race and gender of a manager and an employee, the performance ratings are likely to be much higher. So think about what that means for people of color in tech that are being evaluated by white folks and experiencing biases?”

According to layoffs.fyi, which tracks job eliminations across the global tech sector, 2022 saw roughly 164,000 layoffs; for 2023, layoff figures have already exceeded 200,000. In the U.S.,  BIPOC workers, data has shown, were disproportionately impacted. For those who survived job cuts, they inherited a more stressful professional environment; for those who didn’t, an exhausting job hunting process awaited. 

Read more: What employers need to know about celebrating Juneteenth

“Recruiters are currently in the situation where they have to hire and hire fast, and they’re not doing everything that can be done when it comes to getting a slate of applicants that has nice representation,” Overton says. “That’s coupled with the question of, are they really assessing who it is that we are bringing into their organization? Do they hold your values? Do their values align with your approach on diversity?” 

For big tech companies that have made public commitments to diversity — the Adobes, Amazons and Metas of the world — focusing on a few but critical pieces of DEI, like honoring Juneteenth as a federal holiday, may be prioritized at the expense of the bigger picture, Overton cautions.

There are five common strategies used to advance diversity and equity, she says: setting diversity goals; hiring a head of diversity; having referral bonus programs focused on underrepresented populations; implicit bias training; and having employee resource groups. While a few of them can work in isolation, true results come when all five receive equal investment 

Read more: 10 companies with the best CEOs, according to BIPOC employees

“The whole group should be implemented and integrated into the overall business strategy,” she says. “Oftentimes you have a separate DEI strategy or initiatives, and they get pushed to the side. Senior leaders aren’t taking responsibility.” 

But 76% of job seekers and employees report that a diverse workforce is important when they’re evaluating companies and job offers, according to a report from job insights platform Gallup. When employees of all demographics feel a strong sense of belonging, they have a 50% lower risk of turnover, a 56% higher performance rate, and are more willing to recommend their employer to others. 

Employers already have all of the tools in place to create equitable work environments, Overton says. What’s left is just to listen to the needs of their workforce — both present and future. 

“People make companies,” she says. “People are the key to your success. If you want to stay up and if you want to stay competitive, it’s really important to pay very close attention to these issues.”