Google recently revealed its intent to promote a more diverse workplace by releasing the 2017 annual diversity report since it first started collecting data in 2014. The company’s goal is to create an inclusive community that brings the opinions of multiple races and cultures, and genders into the workplace. Although some aspects of their goal have been successful, they are a long way from a wide-ranging, diverse company.
Google has recognized the lack of diversity within most Fortune 500 companies, but in an attempt to change that stereotype and increase the statistical data within their own company, they’ve set forward an initiative to be more inclusive in their hiring approach. The company recently hired Danielle Brown as its new VP of Diversity. She was formerly Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Intel.
Eilleen Naughton, Google’s Vice President of People Operations, had the following to say about the recent hiring of Brown: “She’ll start in July, and comes with the deep conviction that Google provides a platform where she and the team can make a real impact internally and across the tech industry.”
So, is Google accomplishing its goal of diversity in the workplace?
Their 2017 report reveals that although there is an increase in the number of women employees, the number is still small in comparison to the number of male employees, with 31% and 69% being the respective percentages. This is a 17% increase from the 2014 figures, but these numbers still show Google have a long way to go to reach their goal. Of those percentages, men dominate the leadership positions within the company with 75% of those in power being men. As for the racial diversity in the workplace, the 2017 report shows that 91% of Google employees are either White or Asian. Specifically, these are the respective percentages that make up the demographics of Google: 56% White, 35% Asian, 4% two or more races, 4% Hispanic or Latino, 2% Black, and less than 1% American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
Regarding its diversity, there is obviously a disproportionate disparity between the number of men and women in the workplace and the races of those individuals, but in due time, it seems that Google will reach its goal of establishing an inclusive group of employees.
Mohammad Sultani for TechFunnel.com
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