Facebook Released More Diversity Stats

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Facebook has released another diversity report. Although the company feels it is moving in the right direction (for instance, the company now includes LGBT data) the numbers aren't much better than they were last time the company released stats.

It has become clear that at the most fundamental level, appropriate representation in technology or any other industry will depend upon more people having the opportunity to gain necessary skills through the public education system. Currently, only 1 in 4 US high schools teach computer science. In 2015, seven states had fewer than 10 girls take the Advanced Placement Computer Science exam and no girls took the exam in three states. No Black people took the exam in nine states including Mississippi where about 50% of high school graduates are Black, and 18 states had fewer than 10 Hispanics take the exam with another five states having no Hispanic AP Computer Science (CS) test takers. This has to change.
 
The company I work for tries to actively promote diversity every year. We have to watch training videos on the benefits of diversity and inclusion of all races and sexes.

I was even on a committee that sent out questionnaires out to figure out why more women were not asking for leadership positions. It turns out a lot of them lacked qualifications or had different end goals for their lives and leadership interfered with that. When you get promoted so high, when the company says, "Move" you're moving, or you are let go. I had even participated in a women's committee to try to get our current staff new training to get tech positions.

When I was in computer science and engineering, the simple matter of fact was there weren't much in terms of female representation. So it is of no wonder with these two factors put together there are no women in high tech leadership roles, or even in entry level engineering ones.

I have tried to make a positive difference speaking out to women and minorities publicly about how anyone can be an engineer and the benefits associated with such a career. I also told them "brains" on anyone is very attractive no matter who you are. Hopefully it will make an influence.
 
I'm sorry, but every stat is not a problem that needs to be fixed. As was mentioned, there are actual valid reasons for the dreaded "gender or ethnic group disparity" in all kinds of occupations.
I can see that some jobs are not seen as attractive by some cultural groups, but maybe ask why, instead of just trying to "fix" those groups.

My 2 pence
 
I'm not going on much of a rant this time. The facts: go to colleges and look who are taking IT classes. It's 95-99% white males. The good news (from a diversity standpoint, I guess): some of them might be gay, some might be trans. Every now and then, a female is one of the classes. It's like finding a unicorn in your backyard!
So, to fix the problem (if it even is a problem...), you need to get more non-white males interested in IT at a much earlier age.
Until then, it's like trying to get a good steak at a vegetarian restaurant. If its not on the menu, how are you going to get it?
 
Why do we need to force people into something they dont want to do?
Diesel mechanic makes more then an IT guy.
I am white male IT guy who lives in Mississippi.
 
The company I work for tries to actively promote diversity every year. We have to watch training videos on the benefits of diversity and inclusion of all races and sexes.

I was even on a committee that sent out questionnaires out to figure out why more women were not asking for leadership positions. It turns out a lot of them lacked qualifications or had different end goals for their lives and leadership interfered with that. When you get promoted so high, when the company says, "Move" you're moving, or you are let go. I had even participated in a women's committee to try to get our current staff new training to get tech positions.

When I was in computer science and engineering, the simple matter of fact was there weren't much in terms of female representation. So it is of no wonder with these two factors put together there are no women in high tech leadership roles, or even in entry level engineering ones.

I have tried to make a positive difference speaking out to women and minorities publicly about how anyone can be an engineer and the benefits associated with such a career. I also told them "brains" on anyone is very attractive no matter who you are. Hopefully it will make an influence.

DigitalGriffin,
Your last paragraph is interesting. I am all in favor of helping people to reach their potential. I seems a bit presumptuous of sociey to think that women and minorities need to be "enlightened" about how they should really be using their brain. Really the message is that we want minorities and women in computer and engineering, just because they aren't there, darn it.

Let's take me as an example: if all underrepresented professions are in need of fixing, then since I am male, and vastly underrepresented in the elementary teaching profession, someone should come and speak out to me about how I could (and it would be smart to) be a teacher, and the benefits. We all know that wouldn't happen, because society doesn't want males in teaching.

I just get tired of the sociological pushing and power grabs under a veneer of a 'good' reason, like diversity, the children, the environment, the ....

/rant off/
 
As FB breaks down the diversity numbers more and more, the worse they'll look on paper. Idiots!
 
As FB breaks down the diversity numbers more and more, the worse they'll look on paper. Idiots!

I think it would look great on paper. Look at all the diversity! We're hiring diverse people just to make our diversity stats better! Not because they want to, of course. They want the best talent. But, those diversity numbers....

Hire the best person for the job. If it's 99% black people, so be it. If it's 99% white people, then that's the way it is. Hire a lesbian black chick because she's the best at what she does. They don't want to be labeled, so why are they focusing on the label.

I'm a white guy, so my opinion is invalid, but I want to be judged on my accomplishments not on the color of my skin or sexual orientation or gender identity or sex. I want the job because I'm the best, not because I'm a good looking white dude with a nice ass.

Off topic - some great people are known as "The first woman ..." or "The first black ...." rather than what they accomplished. I don't want that. First and foremost, I want to be known as "the best, awesomest dude in all the land".

Forced diversity is a joke. However, it was a big issue and still is in some areas, so it does need addressed. I just think they are going about it in the wrong way. Don't criticize for not being as diverse as others. Talent is very diverse among a lot of different people. Maybe all the talented women in the area went to work for Google, leaving a smaller percentage to go to Facebook. Maybe there were only so many graduates and applicants available that were considered diverse. You get 80% white, 10% black, 10% asian applying for a position, then you're going to be hiring less diverse people.

There are so many reasons diversity in the workplace is so varied. Location, applicant pool (you can't hire diverse if they aren't applying), abilities, etc..
 
I think it would look great on paper. Look at all the diversity! We're hiring diverse people just to make our diversity stats better! Not because they want to, of course. They want the best talent. But, those diversity numbers....

Hire the best person for the job. If it's 99% black people, so be it. If it's 99% white people, then that's the way it is. Hire a lesbian black chick because she's the best at what she does. They don't want to be labeled, so why are they focusing on the label.

I'm a white guy, so my opinion is invalid, but I want to be judged on my accomplishments not on the color of my skin or sexual orientation or gender identity or sex. I want the job because I'm the best, not because I'm a good looking white dude with a nice ass.

Off topic - some great people are known as "The first woman ..." or "The first black ...." rather than what they accomplished. I don't want that. First and foremost, I want to be known as "the best, awesomest dude in all the land".

Forced diversity is a joke. However, it was a big issue and still is in some areas, so it does need addressed. I just think they are going about it in the wrong way. Don't criticize for not being as diverse as others. Talent is very diverse among a lot of different people. Maybe all the talented women in the area went to work for Google, leaving a smaller percentage to go to Facebook. Maybe there were only so many graduates and applicants available that were considered diverse. You get 80% white, 10% black, 10% asian applying for a position, then you're going to be hiring less diverse people.

There are so many reasons diversity in the workplace is so varied. Location, applicant pool (you can't hire diverse if they aren't applying), abilities, etc..


Facebook should just print every employees name on a report and not sort the report. They'll see how diverse their company is. Each person on that report is a unique individual. No one is the same.
 
Facebook should just print every employees name on a report and not sort the report. They'll see how diverse their company is. Each person on that report is a unique individual. No one is the same.

Nah. Wouldn't work.



:D

I have a dream that one day people will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

We need diversity but we don't need forced diversity.

As a somewhat related topic - does outsourcing count towards these numbers? Curious as if some places would count their Indian offshore with these numbers? Not that it matters, but it could play a role in some diversity reports...
 
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