Put Up or Shut Up: An Open Letter to Companies Seeking Diverse Teams

The bad news: everything is terrible. Companies large and small are overwhelmingly dominated by white men. People from marginalized communities struggle to break into tech, clawing our way through a racist, sexist, classist, ableist system only to be fired, quit or just suffer in misery for the big paycheck, often at the expense of our mental and physical health.

The good news: we’ve finally reached the tipping point where the pressure is high enough that companies are actively trying to address this imbalance and diversify their workforces.

Some of these companies are sincere—some are just talking the talk in the hope of staying relevant. I’ll explore what it’s like for marginalized people working at these companies and what it really takes to create a workplace that is truly welcoming of everyone.

Transcript

1. PUT UP OR SHUT UP: AN OPEN LETTER TO TECH COMPANIES SEEKING DIVERSE TEAMS KRONDA ADAIR karveldigital.com kronda.com @KRONDA @KARVELDIGITAL
2. #PUOSU #OSB15 Hashtags:
3. • References to discrimination, bigotry, assault, terrorism • Calling you on your bullshit • Mild profanity Trigger Warnings:
4. Friends, open source citizens, & tech companies, lend me your ears…
5. Sumana Harihareswara OSB 2012 Keynote Photo by Reid Beels: https:/ /flic.kr/p/cGcCtd
6. It’s not a good culture fit. “We’re moving away from work/life balance and towards career advancement”
7. Gunshow comic by KC Green
8. Me, realizing I don’t have to go back to an office full of dudes: Photo courtesy of creative commons image
9. Things worked out OK
11. 50% of women in tech quit the industry within 10 years. https:/ /hbr.org/2008/06/stopping-the-exodus-of-women-in-science/
12. We’re still new at this
13. How do I Diversity?
14. https:/ /twitter.com/cutequeer96/status/561726389716389888 http:/ /www.colorlines.com/articles/study-finds-sexism-stem-hits-women-color-hardest
15. Who will start the bidding? $150 Million $300 Million We’d like to buy a male allies panel at a prominent conference for women
16. Why is it so hard to move the numbers? http:/ /graphics.wsj.com/diversity-in-tech-companies/
17. Meanwhile… SF Weekly
18. Companies / open source community perception of diversity efforts:
19. Underrepresented tech employee’s perception of diversity efforts:
20. Hipmunk allows you to search for flights and sort by ‘agony’ Agony: Number of connections, length of layover, airport quality, etc.
21. Is it worth it?
22. 50% of Women Say: The nopetepus by Tinuqin
23. Yes, we tell each other about your shitty culture
25. Your actual reputation might be much different than what you thought it was
26. Your actions as a company speak your values louder than words, or money
27. https:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Twitter Twitter has acquired or merged with 41 companies since 2008 for $625 Million dollars http:/ /www.womenactionmedia.org/twitter-report/
28. https:/ /blog.twitter.com/2015/sharing-block-lists-to-help-make-twitter-safer http:/ /blog.randi.io/good-game-auto-blocker/ Randi who?
29. But that’s none of our business
31. Who Are We? women queer lower class background mental illness invisible disabilities transgender Black Asian lesbian older (> 30, >50) no college degree not progressive butch ADHD gay fat poor non-white non-makeup-wearing mixed race bisexual Native American social anxiety impostor syndrome
32. Reframing the conversation If you add up all the subpopulations we are missing: women, minorities, people with special needs, we are missing 70% of the population ~ Jan Cuny, NSF Source: Leigh Ann Sudol DeLyser, Teaching Tech Together Summit, 2015
33. How has your identity affected your career? slow career start paid less harassment threats Let go for culture fit severe impact on mental health not taken seriously talked over in meetings criticized for my political beliefs
34. “I’m in constant fear of being fired for who I am, and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to find a new job if I lose this one.” “I am expected to be cool with the mysogynistic language of my coworkers or I’m labeled ‘oversensitive”
35. “I ended up with the lowest pay even though I was the team lead” “I spend time and energy that I could be improving my coding skills working on diversity in tech initiatives.”
36. “Being poor and trying to network and learn in tech affects the tools and education you have access to. You can’t blend in.”
37. “Fear of gendered harassment prevents me from ‘making a name for myself’ by contributing to open source projects. I’m also afraid to engage in the community on IRC, forums, etc”
38. I’ve been told, “We don’t hire women for this job.”
39. Baby by Wojciech Zasina from the Noun Project What can we learn from babies and Test Driven Development? +
40. • Creating the right environment is crucial • Assume you will fail often on the way to success
41. lmgtfy
42. Quiz: bucket by Alberto Guerra Quintanilla from the Noun Project You have a bucket which leaks out half the water each hour. As a first step to fixing the problem, should you:
43. A. Get a bigger hose and put more water in the bucket B. FIX THE LEAK C. Give money to Black Girls Code D. B & C Answers Hint: B or D are both acceptable answers
44. What have your employers done badly or failed to do, that made it harder for you to succeed?
45. •‘2nd shift’ diversity work that is uncompensated. •People taking credit for my work •Being passed over and/or denied raises and promotions •A company culture built around drinking Leaks in the bucket:
46. •Having no recourse for reporting bad behavior •Reporting bad behavior and getting no response •Bigoted, mysogynistic language Leaks in the bucket:
47. •Lack of HR •Useless HR •REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE DISCRIMINATION AS AN ISSUE Leaks in the bucket:
48. How Can You Fix Your Leaky Bucket? https:/ /twitter.com/stubbornella/status/550458896880779265
49. Seeking Happy https:/ /medium.com/@ericajoy/seeking-happy-58a2a375340a 1. Solve challenging problems in an environment that I feel is healthy for me. 2. Solve challenging problems that would help to improve the lives of people in need.
50. “To be a black person in tech is isolating. To see a non-black leader in tech empathizing with the experiences of those in Ferguson, using his platform to amplify the voices and stories of those who might be otherwise ignored was powerful and moving.” ~ Erica Joy, Seeking Happy
51. Dontre Hamilton Eric Garner John Crawford III Michael Brown Jr Ezell Ford Dante Parker Tanisha Anderson Akai Gurley Tamir Rice Rumain Brisbon Jerame Reid Tony Robinson Phillip White Eric Harris Walter Scott Freddie Gray Tanisha Anderson Yvette Smith Miriam Carey Shelly Frey Darnisha Harris Malissa Williams Alesia Thomas Shantel Davis Rekia Boyd Shereese Francis Aiyana Stanley-Jones Tarika Wilson Kathryn Johnston Alberta Spruill Kendra James Rev. Clementa Pinckney Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Tywanza Sanders Cynthia Hurd Myra Thompson Ethel Lee Lance Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor Susie Jackson Sources: ABC News, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Gawker
52. Never underestimate the power of acknowledging people’s lived experiences.
53. What are some strengths you bring to the industry because of your identity?
54. •I’m better at UX because I think of more identities •I’ve seen both sides of sexism, as a man and woman. I have better communication and more empathy for others. •Different perspectives on privacy, communication, and identity
55. “My background in disability politics and my experiences help me know to listen to other people’s experiences and consider edge cases and universal design.”
56. “I’ve helped point out when a product / feature is alienating to women, which an all male team would not have been able to realize. Being multicultural has also helped me work on products intended for international markets.”
57. “I’m very good at representing customers to companies, techie people to non-tech and vice versa. I think any kind of marginalized person is more likely to have this skill, because we all constantly have to negotiate and adapt in a business culture that treats us as outsiders.”
58. Dos and Don’ts
59. Don’t center yourself in spaces created by and for underrepresented groups. readwrite.com | salseforce.com
60. Don’t ask employees who are members of marginalized groups to educate you, give advice or try to fix your culture. They are already doing the job you hired them to do so LET THEM DO IT.
61. Don’t allow members of your company or community to act badly without consequences.
62. Stop thinking ‘how do I make my company more diverse’ and start thinking how do I make things better for everyone?
63. #DoingItRight What have your employers done to create a safe, welcoming environment at work?
64. •Employee resource groups •Mentorship •Expressing value for interpersonal skills as well as technical skills •Trust in my work •Listened •Single-stall restrooms •Flexible work hours #DoingItRight
65. “…fired a male co-worker who sexually harassed female employees and made clear there was no tolerance for that behavior.” #DoingItRight
66. Empowering me to lead, learn and fail without feeling like I'm representing some broader cause of diversity. #DoingItRight
67. When Ferguson was in the news a lot, publicly acknowledging that people might be having a hard time. #DoingItRight
68. Just not talking about my gender or heritage. Treating me the same as the white guys. Actually providing work-life balance and not expecting everyone to grind away and be a rockstar. Offering mentorship and explicitly saying I am always welcome to ask for their help (and then providing it!) #DoingItRight
69. My company hired the Ada Initiative to run the Ally Skills workshop; my team hires for people with emotional intelligence and ability to work with humans #DoingItRight
70. The Number 1 Way to Improve your Culture Immediately: Photo courtesy of creative commons image
71. What I Would Do With $450 Million & a Male Allies Panel •Equalize all salaries within the same job category •Hire a consultant to help educate you and your employees like AirBnB did •Hire a recruiter to help you expand your network so you can stop bugging your one Black friend
72. What I Would Do With $450 Million & a Male Allies Panel • Make sure your offices have gender neutral bathrooms • Offer trans-inclusive healthcare • Stop making those shitty open office plans that everyone hates. Give people doors or let them work remotely
73. The Male Allies Panel can handle child care at the meetups
74. Pick one category and make system changes throughout the company “When you tidy your space completely, you transform the scenery.” ~ Marie Kondo “Start by discarding all at once, intensely and completely.”
75. Language •Job listings •Interviews •Training materials •Announcements •Marketing •Social Media •Code comments Discard all the harmful language Replace with inclusive language
76. If you don’t have $450 Mil. laying around https:/ /www.ncwit.org/alliances/ea
77. If you don’t have $450 Mil. laying around https:/ /www.ncwit.org/alliances/ea
78. Techtown Portland Diversity Pledge http:/ /www.techtownportland.com/diversity-letter
79. Techtown Portland Diversity Pledge http:/ /www.techtownportland.com/diversity-letter
80. Mouth (Diversity Pledgers) $$$ (Alterconf Sponsors)
81. The Hard Truth Empathy is the core ingredient that all diversity efforts depend on. If you are uncomfortable, you’ll know you’re making progress.
82. Credits & Thanks This talk is truly open source, in that it’s the result of lots of conversations with smart people and writings by smart people that I straight up stole. Thanks to the following people: Shanley Kane Lukas Blakk Dino Anderson Erica Joy Nicole Sullivan Sumana Harihareswara Pia Glenn Ashe Dryden Jewel Mlnarik
83. THANK YOU