We recently wrote about some of the reasons women are leaving tech. To recap, while tech companies tend to get great ratings in many of InHerSight's ratings categories, they often fall short in Female Representation in Leadership, Management Opportunities for Women, and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women. It’s clear that for women in tech, advancement is not easy.
Now a new study has found that it’s even more difficult for women of color to get ahead.
Pan-Asian career lifestyle nonprofit Ascend Foundation published the findings of their study on minorities in Silicon Valley after analyzing data on the tech workforce from 2007-2015. What they found is sobering.
While the chances of a white women reaching the upper levels of a tech company has increased significantly, they’re still far behind white men, with the latter being 47% more likely to hold executive positions.
Asians make up the largest minority group of tech professionals in Silicon Valley, and are the most likely to be hired at tech firms, but they are also the least likely to be promoted to the managerial or executive level, despite what Steve Bannon might think. Asian women are the least likely of all groups to be executives at tech companies.
The study also shows that Black and Hispanic representation has rapidly declined. The number of Black managers dropped by 18% between 2007 and 2015. Representation of Black women in the tech industry as a whole shot down 13% while climbing by 13% in other industries.
Overall Hispanic representation in tech remained largely unchanged during the period of the study, but representation of Hispanic women in professional and managerial tech roles declined.
This study is yet another important reminder that even within women, access to equal opportunities is an area where tech still has a long way to go.
If you are a woman in tech (or any other industry) and want your voice to be heard, rate your company on InHerSight by clicking here.
See the full Ascend Foundation report here: Race Trumps Gender in Silicon Valley's Double-Paned Glass Ceiling
At InHerSight, our mission is to improve the workplace for women by measuring it. We bring women’s insights together into a common framework to show where companies excel and where they fall short so more women can find their ideal workplace. For more on women in the workplace follow InHerSight on Twitter or Facebook .
By Edwina Koch
