Despite extensive efforts to prioritise diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace, racial and gender discrimination remains rife in tech, and it’s rising. A quarter (24%) of tech professionals said they experienced racial discrimination in 2022 – up from 18% in 2021, revealed a new study.
The survey of around 2,500 US tech professionals, carried out by tech career marketplace Dice (part of DHI Group) found that the percentage of tech professionals who said they experienced gender discrimination also increased, from 21% in 2021 to 26% in 2022. Dice found that underrepresented groups are generally less satisfied with their careers than their counterparts. That discrimination can have very real impacts on tech professionals’ satisfaction, burnout rates, perception of compensation fairness and general quality of life, noted the study.
“The data we have gathered on perceptions and experiences of discrimination clearly shows how important equality and belonging in the workplace are to all tech professionals, and especially those in underrepresented groups,” said Art Zeile, CEO of Dice. “Creating an environment that is inclusive and safe, and where every employee can be their true selves requires buy-in and effort from everyone at all levels of an organization. While the lack of progress in some areas continues to be disheartening, it can serve as a catalyst for companies and their leadership teams to refocus their efforts on DEIB-related work, and to approach these initiatives with the same commitment they bring to every other strategic imperative.”
PERCEPTION GAP OF RACIAL & GENDER INEQUALITY
The data indicates that certain groups in tech perceive inequality at a much higher rate than others. For instance, 53% of Black tech professionals believe that racial inequality occurs very frequently or frequently, which is significantly higher than all other groups surveyed: 30% of Hispanic/Latinx respondents, 29% of White respondents, 28% of Asian/Pacific Islander respondents and 19% of Asian Indian / Indian Subcontinent respondents reported that racial discrimination occurs frequently or very frequently in the tech industry.
Perceptions of racial inequality were also high among tech professionals with disabilities: 43% of respondents with a disability or mental health condition said racial inequality occurred frequently or very frequently. For those who did not indicate a disability, perception of racial discrimination was at 30%.
When asked how often they thought gender discrimination occurs in tech, 51% of respondents who identified as women said frequently or very frequently, compared to only 30% of respondents who identified as men.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN TECH
When asked about experiences with discrimination, once again, candidates’ experiences vary by group. While 54% of Black tech professionals said they experienced racial discrimination (significantly higher than all other groups), 73% of White tech professionals and 51% of Asian Indian/Indian Subcontinent respondents said they did not experience racial discrimination in the workplace.
Women reported experiencing gender discrimination in the workplace more than three times as often as men did (48% vs. 15%, respectively). One bit of data in this area showed progress: While 26% of women reported they hadn’t experienced gender discrimination in 2021, that increased to 31% in 2022.
Dice also analysed racial and gender discrimination for tech professionals who reported a disability or mental health condition compared to those with no disability. Across the board, those with a disability said discrimination occurred more often than those without a disability:
- Perception that racial discrimination occurs frequently or very frequently:
- Disability/mental health condition: 43%
- No disability indicated: 30%
- Experienced racial discrimination in the workplace:
- Disability/mental health condition: 30%
- No disability indicated:23%
- Perception that gender discrimination occurs frequently or very frequently:
- Disability/mental health condition: 51%
- No disability indicated: 34%
- Experienced gender discrimination in the workplace:
- Disability/mental health condition: 42%
- No disability indicated: 23%
FREQUENT DISCRIMINATION
Survey results also unveiled a large gap between how often HR professionals and tech employees perceive discrimination occurs. While 32% of tech professionals said they think racial inequality occurs frequently or very frequently, only 15% of HR professionals responded this way. That gap widens with gender discrimination: 37% of tech professionals believe gender inequality occurs frequently or very frequently, while only 12% of HR professionals feel the same.
The knowledge of this disconnect in discrimination perception, paired with burnout data presented by Dice, can help organisations as they attempt to make the workplace more equitable and inclusive, and assist HR professionals and leadership in attracting and retaining top tech talent.
Click here for more information about the study.
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