A lot of the conversation about diversity in tech revolves mostly around the lack of women and minorities. But diversity is much more complex than that.
It’s not just about increasing the number of women in tech. Nor is it just about increasing the number of blacks and other racial minorities at tech companies. It’s also about age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation and preferences, marital status, physical and mental disabilities, veteran status, socio-economic status, religion and even height and weight. And many of those groups fall into protected classes, which means it’s illegal to discriminate against them.
In short, a diverse workforce encompasses a wide variety of people. So why is it that so many tech companies seem to only focus on women and minorities in their reports? It’s definitely a start, but it should not be the end goal of diversification.
Facebook’s latest diversity report says, “It’s vital for us to have a broad range of perspectives, including people of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, characteristics and points of view.”
But, the report only shows numbers around the company’s gender and ethnic makeup.
The reported numbers are abysmal in terms of diversity, but most of you probably know that by now. In case you don’t, here are the two big ones: Facebook’s workforce is 55 percent white and 68 percent male.
Over at Google, another tech company that only reports data around gender and ethnicity, the workforce is 70 percent male and 60 percent white.
Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $400.
Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit
1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately
Offer ends March 13.
The type of data tech companies report around diversity needs to change, and people are finally starting to talk about it publicly.
Thanks to #RealDiversityNumbers, a hashtag started by Slack engineer Erica Joy Baker, more people are discussing the aspects of diversity that some tech companies seem to ignore. [H/T to USA TODAY’s Jessica Guynn.]
#RealDiversityNumbers How many Autistic employees have left because your trendy open plan office you're so proud of is a sensory nightmare?
— eiridescent (@eiridescent) July 21, 2015
https://twitter.com/litui/status/623541710618935296
So, as tech companies try to increase diversity, they need to understand that addressing the lack of diversity issues is more complex than simply increasing the number of women and minorities. A truly diverse company would have employees from all types of socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities and ethnicities. And then some.
