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I wonder why Google, as innovative and forward-thinking a company as it is, does not promote diversity in the workplace. I think the diversity is coming in through variations in personality and philosophy, because I love those Google-doodles and the creativity imbued in their image. But diversity could take them even further… Ah, well, another bastion, I suppose… From the ASEE aggregator:
USA Today (5/30, Weise) reports on the low number of women and minorities among the Silicon Valley workforce, calling it “a funhouse mirror image of the American workforce, which is 47% female, 16% Hispanic, 12% black and 12% Asian, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Google released its diversity numbers this week. The numbers show that “1% of its tech staff are black,” 2% are Hispanic, and 34% are Asian, In addition, 83% “of Google’s tech workers internationally are male.” USA Today notes that experts say a reason for this may be that white and Asian men “are more likely to have access and take advantage of technical schooling that leads to jobs at tech firms than historically disadvantaged minorities.”
The AP (5/30) reports that Google head of personnel Laszlo Bock cited “a shortage of” female and minority students “majoring in computer science or other technical fields in college,” quoting him saying, “There is an absolute pipeline problem.” However, the AP reports that “the educational choices of some minorities don’t entirely account for the lack of diversity at technology companies,” noting that Google also employs thousands of workers in non-technical fields such as sales.
The NPR (5/30, Hu) “All Tech Considered” blog and the Christian Science Monitor (5/30, Mendoza) run similar coverage.
Katherina Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng, FEC, FGC (hon) 