Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google division released its “Google annual diversity report 2018.” On the cover of the research study there is a video in which several women speak to one another on a sofa while others walk around the campus. In truth, Google’s gender diversity is so poor that only 30.9% of the search firms are women.
The study was penned by Danielle Brown the VP – Chief Diversity & Inclusion Office. None of her four goals for the work force mentions women or minorities. There are, among the principles, plans to improve “fairness” in “distribution,” although the report is not clear about what that means. Another principle is “diversity” which appears to be aimed at gender, but does not say how parity for women or minorities will be achieved. The next principle is “inclusion” so all employees will feel welcome. Finally, “integrity,” which is the encouragement of high values.
Aside from the numbers about women, one other minority is under represented. Blacks comprise 2.5% of Google’s workers. At the other end of the spectrum 53.1% are white and 36.3% are Asian
The numbers among people in leadership roles are even less diverse for women. Only 25.5% of people in leadership roles are women. Two percent are Black, 23% are Asian, and 67% are white.
Brown has come up with a reason for the mix of races and sexes:
Everyone is biased—science shows that’s how the human brain works. We don’t expect people to rid themselves of all bias, but we want them to recognize it. Research shows that when we are more aware of unconscious bias, we make more objective decisions. To date, 84% of Google’s people managers have taken Unconscious Bias training, and we’ve also introduced Unconscious Bias workshops into all “Noogler” (new Googler) orientation
If that is “how the human brain works”, it has been a huge disservice to both women and Blacks.
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