#RealDiversityNumbers hashtag challenges tech firms on diversity

Published by Kunbi Tinuoye at July 23, 2015

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A new Twitter hashtag, #RealDiversityNumbers, is challenging the tech industry’s efforts to increase diversity.

Created by Erica Baker a former Google engineer who now works for tech start-up Slack, the hashtag is asking probing questions about inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in Silicon Valley.

In May 2014, Google disclosed that 70% of its employees are men and only 2% African American and 3% Latino. By the end of the summer, other major tech firms, including Apple, Facebook, and Twitter, publicly released their workforce data. Figures revealed that big tech firms heavily skew towards male, white, and Asian.

A year later the numbers show little progress, putting firms under increasing pressure to tap into and retain a diverse pool of top talent that includes women and underrepresented minorities. Tech companies have pledged to do better but blame the pipeline for lack of talent.

Google workforce diversity stats for Tech employees (data from Jan 2015)

Erica Baker, who goes by Erica Joy on some social media platforms, posted this on Twitter: “What % of employees of color feel like they can succeed in your co? How frequently are women promoted compared to men?”

#RealDiversityNumbers

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Kunbi Tinuoye

Kunbi Tinuoye is the founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz. Previously, she worked as a News Correspondent for NBC’s theGrio. Prior, she was a senior broadcast journalist for the BBC in London. Tinuoye currently sits on the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board and CES Conference Advisory Board. She is a key player in the Atlanta tech startup ecosystem and serves as a mentor for Comcast NBCUniversal’s The Farm Accelerator. Tinuoye has received several awards and accolades, including being honored with a Resolution from the Georgia Legislative.