But do these outward displays actually equate to anything quantifiable or tangible when it comes to fostering effective and impactful diversity and inclusion within the workplace?
In the UK, it’s estimated that 55% of people are fearful of discussing diversity and inclusion within the workplace or in front of colleagues for fear of saying the wrong thing.
The stark reality
And this reluctance has a direct knock-on effect when it comes to instigating real change. A separate study conducted by data and market research company Savanta found that only three in 10 businesses in the UK have undertaken some form of diversity and inclusion action in the workplace, either by offering training to all workers or establishing a formal D&I policy as part of a wider ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy.
This chasm is particularly pronounced within the tech industry when it comes to gender diversity. Data compiled by The Gender Pay Gap Guide shows that women working in the UK tech industry are, on average, paid 74p for every £1 earned by men, which equates to a pay gap of 26%.
And this is again highlighted when considering diversity at executive or C-suite level among Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC) workers.
In 2019, Black people held just 1.5% of the 3.7 million leadership positions, compared to 1.4% in 2014. By comparison, 89.6% of UK leaders are white.
Taking all of the above into account, what can organisations do to ensure they are hiring a more diverse workforce, supporting them in their positions through inclusive ways of working, and crucially, promoting minorities or those who have traditionally been under-represented into more senior positions?
Delivering impactful change
One thing is clear: addressing the topic of diversity and inclusion head on is crucial if real change has any chance of getting off the ground––and often starting from the ground up can have the most influence.
Take a recent US study as the perfect example: when companies implemented a college recruitment programme targeting female employees, the number of Black, Hispanic and Asian-American women in management rose by 10% on average.
Similarly, professional mentorship programmes have been found to give both senior and junior employees an opportunity to learn from each other. In the case of younger cohorts and minorities, these also influence policy, strategy and management style.
The good news is that even if you are feeling frustrated at a lack of DE&I progression and you’ve reached the point where you’re ready to call your current employer’s bluff, there are plenty of organisations that are actively addressing DE&I.
And if you’ve decided that you want to work for a company that reflects your own commitment to a more diverse and inclusive workplace, the Maddyness Job Board is the perfect place to start your search as it features thousands of jobs across tech, like the three below.
eClerx is committed to nurturing diversity through its inclusive culture including its women@eClerx initiative which was established to advance equality for all women within its organisation.
It is hiring an Operations Analyst for its London office to analyse trade and transaction reporting exceptions to identify and resolve issues and complete daily reports. View more information here.
Despite growing exponentially in recent years, Klarna is committed to closing the gender gap in traditional tech roles like engineering and hosts coding events for female employees. It also has an internal diversity & inclusion group called BeYou.
As a Consumer Credit Risk Senior Analyst you will drive analytical projects on credit risk underwriting policy using SQL and data manipulation to gain analytical insight in identifying opportunities for growth or to minimise losses. You will also build and maintain credit risk monitoring of underwriting policies and work closely with the commercial department on credit risk. See the full job description here.
Spotify is another company that is committed to its D&I initiatives and believes the more voices it represents, the better its business and success will be. As Engineering Manager, Backend Frameworks you will lead Spotify’s backend service framework squad and build the foundational libraries, tools, and framework used by all backend engineers. You will also get to build and lead your team through hiring, coaching, mentoring, feedback and hands-on career development. Access more details here.