Dive Brief:
- Recruiters and managers still tend to hire people like themselves when it comes to ethnicity and gender, according to a new report by Namely, an HR platform. For example, 80% of men in the study have male bosses, while more than 50% of women report to other women.
- Based on other findings in the report, a lack of gender diversity is troubling in some industries, Namely said. Men dominate the energy, construction, sporting goods and technology industries, while women make up the majority of workers in the insurance, public relations, fashion and non-profit industries. Men, also, are recognized more often for their work than women, whose work is recognized mostly by other women.
- States such as California, New Jersey, Texas and Florida now have more diverse workplaces, and a growing number of companies are using technology to better understand various gender identities, according to the report.
Dive Insight:
Overall, employers are making some progress in diversifying their workforces and eliminating gender- and race-based pay disparities. But according to Namely's report and other studies, stereotyping, bias in hiring, ignoring the achievements of women and people of color, and exclusion along ethnic lines persist.
The lack of progress in certain industries is troubling. Tech companies continue to struggle hiring people of color, particularly African Americans and Latinos. And it's not out of the inability to find or train qualified workers; some women and the few minorities who are hired don't often stay in these companies because of the disparate treatment they say they received.
HR leaders have the power to make sure hiring decisions are devoid of bias in hiring, pay and promotions; recognition is based on achievement and not weighed toward one group over another; and multigenerational workforces are seen as a positive characteristic of the workplace and not a burden. HR can also see that organizations operate ethically and with integrity and that workplace cultures are civil, respectful and inclusive.
