Dive Brief:
- Adobe says it has reached pay equity along gender and racial lines in the U.S., Fortune reports.
- Adobe was already closer to achieving pay equality than most companies, according to its own reporting, but nonetheless, it reviewed its pay practices in July. At the time, women were earning 99 cents on every dollar men earned, or a 1% pay gap, compared to a national pay gap average of 21%. Since July, the company vowed to close the wage gap by year's end.
- Adobe says it will work on closing the wage gap in India, says Fortune; combined with the U.S. workforce, the two countries make up about 80% of Adobe's employees. The company was one of the first to sign the Equal Pay Pledge under President Barack Obama in 2016.
Dive Insight:
Salesforce set a strong example earlier this year by putting up a total of $6 million to close its gender-based pay gap. Few companies might have the immediate resources, but it reviewed its pay practices and continues to do so to keep wages balanced.
Adobe and Salesforce regularly review and monitor their pay practices to ensure that the pay gap stays closed. To truly achieve pay equity, employers must also promote and hire women and people of color at the same rate as men. Such issues cannot be uncovered, however, unless an employer is willing to take the time to listen to employees and put in processes to encourage employees to speak up and do their best work. Employee resource groups (also called affinity groups) are a useful tool.
Unconscious bias can be especially difficult to sniff out. Recruitment tech can help identify biased candidate selection and HR can use data to ensure bias isn't affecting managers' decision-making when it comes to hiring or promotion.
