If only Facebook the company were as diverse as its social network. The tech giant on Thursday released new demographic data about its workforce, and it’s clear the firm has a long way to go. Fifty-five percent of all employees are white and 36 percent are Asian — both groups that are wildly over-represented in the tech industry. In addition, 73 percent of the company’s senior leadership is white. From there, the percentages of minority groups who are traditionally underrepresented drops off dramatically: Just 4 percent of staffers are Hispanic, 3 percent are mixed-race and only 2 percent are black. Despite having Sheryl Sandberg, …
If only Facebook the company were as diverse as its social network.
The tech giant on Thursday released new demographic data about its workforce, and it’s clear the firm has a long way to go.
Fifty-five percent of all employees are white and 36 percent are Asian — both groups that are wildly over-represented in the tech industry. In addition, 73 percent of the company’s senior leadership is white.
From there, the percentages of minority groups who are traditionally underrepresented drops off dramatically: Just 4 percent of staffers are Hispanic, 3 percent are mixed-race and only 2 percent are black.
Despite having Sheryl Sandberg, author of the feminist business book Lean In, overseeing its operations, Facebook’s total workforce is only 32 percent female. Though women slightly edged out men by 4 percent in non-tech positions, 84 percent of Facebook’s tech jobs are occupied by men. Men also make up 77 percent of the Facebook’s senior leadership.
But Facebook is trying to remedy its diversity problem. The company is providing some college freshmen from minority backgrounds with mentorship through its Facebook University training program. On college campuses, Facebook launched Lean In Circles — meetups of like-minded women and some men — focused on computer science and engineering. The firm also introduced new training courses meant to root out managing biases and unconscious stereotyping.
“While we have achieved positive movement over the last year, it’s clear to all of us that we still aren’t where we want to be,” Maxine Williams, Facebook’s global director of diversity, wrote in a blog post. “There’s more work to do.”
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