Women and minorities who are looking for tech jobs in California may still face discrimination. At Facebook, Yahoo and Apple, African – Americans hold 3 percent or fewer of the leadership positions. In 2015, only 11 percent of leadership positions in Silicon Valley were held by women. Advocates say many of these companies fail to reach out to a diverse population or expect those populations to have more qualifications than white men. Women also continue to face sexual harassment, and in some cases, it is part of the interview process. When women attempt to report these problems, some find it marks them as troublemakers.
Employers often insist there are not enough qualified women and minorities to fill positions. However, organizations that maintain databases of women and minorities in tech say this is not the case. Many employers want to hire people they perceive as being like them, and this leads to homogeneity. Furthermore, the founder of Digital Sisters and Stop Online Violence Against Women reports that when nonwhite women attempt to hire a more diverse workforce, they may be stigmatized.
Others report out-of-work social events that women and other minorities are excluded from. Special projects, bonuses and other benefits arise from these that they do not have the opportunity to take advantage of.
As these examples demonstrate, discrimination may take subtle forms that can be difficult to prove. However, people who believe that they are dealing with discrimination in the workplace may want to consult an attorney about their employee rights. If they are members of a protected class, it may be possible to take action against the employer if the company is not responsive to their reports of discrimination. Documenting incidents of discrimination can be important in demonstrating a pattern.
