Being an Ally in Tech
Despite a longtime push on the part of many tech companies to make their culture and workforces more diverse, inclusive and equitable, many underrepresented groups still experience workplace discrimination.
Discrimination can take a heavy toll on tech professionals, who may feel burned out and even ready to leave their existing employers. Discrimination can also prevent talented tech professionals from reaching their full potential, especially if they feel that organizations aren’t listening to their needs and concerns.
of tech professionals said they have witnessed racial discrimination in salary and benefits.
of tech professionals said they have experienced gender discrimination in salary and benefits.
Although top executives regularly pledge a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), it’s just as important that tech professionals at all levels do their best to ensure their teams and workplaces are truly spaces of belonging for everyone. These tech professionals can act as valuable “allies” in the quest to enhance DEIB efforts.
Before we go any further, it’s helpful to define “ally,” a term that’s used quite a bit in the context of DEIB. In simplest terms, an ally is someone who has access and privilege in a given space or circumstance and is often considered part of an “in-group” who uses the privilege of their position to advocate for the interests of an underrepresented group. For example, a white male software developer with significant tenure at a company could push their team members and senior leadership for more inclusive hiring.
Identifying Discrimination
Gender and racial discrimination can take many different forms. It can be as overt as employees from an underrepresented group being paid less for the same type of work or losing out on a promotion based on their race or gender. It can also come in subtler, more insidious forms; for example, a culture of race- and/or gender-based insults and teasing, or microaggressions. If a manager repeatedly mocks an employee’s accent or name, that’s a big red flag for discrimination. (If you’re unsure of your workplace rights, the U.S. Department of Labor has a tip sheet.)
Unfortunately, most underrepresented groups in tech see discrimination as pervasive. For instance, 53% of Black tech professionals think gender and/or racial inequality occurs either frequently or very frequently in the tech industry, versus 31% of Hispanic/Latinx tech professionals, 29% of white tech professionals, 28% of Asian/Pacific Islander tech professionals and 19% of Asian Indian/Indian Subcontinent tech professionals.
Specifically, these groups collectively noted racial discrimination in leadership opportunities and hiring (27% each), promotions (26%), salary and benefits (24%) and project opportunities (16%). Perception of gender discrimination was equally prevalent in salary and benefits (32%), respect for others’ technical abilities (31%), leadership abilities (30%) and promotions (29%).
Have you ever witnessed any of the following types of racial discrimination in the tech industry?
Discrimination also occurs more frequently in tech for those who identify as women, most notably in salary and benefits. Nearly half of women (45%) said they’ve witnessed gender discrimination in salary and benefits compared to men (23%). Opportunities for promotion, projects and leadership, as well as respect for one’s technical abilities, were all other areas women said they witness gender discrimination in tech significantly more than tech professionals who identify as men.
Have you ever witnessed any of the following types of gender discrimination in the tech industry?
In other words, discrimination isn’t prevalent in just one aspect of any given organization; it’s a multifaceted problem that could take a significant cultural shift to satisfactorily address. That’s where leaders and allies come in.
How Managers Can Fight Discrimination
- How can allies actually help promote DEIB within their organizations? While every workplace is different, there are some basic steps that any leadership team can take. For those in management, start by studying your organizational demographics, including how many tech professionals and executives are from underrepresented groups. Understand their needs and experiences to help you better understand gaps in the culture of your company/team.
- From there, it’s worth analyzing your hiring process. Are your recruiters attempting to equitably source talent? Is the language in your job postings inclusive and welcoming to all types of applicants? Do your public-facing website and social media handles transparently convey that your company is committed to tenets of DEIB such as fair pay and hiring?
- At the same time, study how your organization and current employees align with your vision for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Are you allocating the right budget for DEIB, including recruiting and training? Are all team members expected to engage in DEIB training at least once a year? Do the senior executives have DEIB-related goals, such as hiring a certain number of engineers from underrepresented groups by a certain date?
- To combat gender discrimination, focus on whether your organization offers the right mix of benefits, including (but not limited to) sufficient parental leave, training in unconscious bias and tech professionals who identify as women on hiring and recruiting committees. (If you want a more granular breakdown of ideas for closing the gender gap in tech, check out this worksheet.)
Ultimately, a combination of top-down DEIB policies and diligent action by allies can help make the cultural changes necessary to render organizations truly diverse and equitable. As many organizations have discovered, these efforts take commitment, and can take quite a long time; patience is also a must.
How Tech Professionals Can Fight Discrimination
- The fight for DEIB isn’t limited to managers and executives; everyone throughout an organization can contribute to a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce. The most basic step is observing and listening: Is your organization living up to DEIB principles? Do managers and executives talk about a concrete, actionable DEIB plan? Do your colleagues seem comfortable with their teams’ diversity and representation?
- From there, speak up if you think things need to change. If you see a colleague from an underrepresented group being shut out of discussions or denied opportunities, connect with them to hear their concerns. If they want to voice those concerns to their manager and/or HR, you can act as an ally and help them do so.
- Beyond that, you can participate in your company’s broader DEIB initiatives. Encourage the formation of DEIB committees and action groups; highlight gaps in the company’s current approach to diversity and inclusion; and don’t be afraid to offer opinions to leadership. By doing so, you can contribute to the momentum that will help a broader DEIB strategy succeed.