AFTER GOOGLE MANIFESTO, ACT!

Speak out colleagues and all of us!  The Google employee’s 10-page internal memo criticizing Google’s efforts to promote diversity and gain the requisite talent is an outrage. How could a Google worker or any worker write a manifesto suggesting that Google has fewer female engineers because men (and white men) are better suited for tech jobs? He slammed diversity while we embrace diversity. Though he was fired for violating support of a culture “free of harassment, intimidation, bias and unlawful discrimination,” you will hear the free speech argument and how far it can go. The world is watching. Many of us have devoted our lives to ensure that America is richer because of diversity, that the career work force is so much more vibrant and productive because of women and that STEM and tech jobs must be open to girls and women. 

Diversity, inclusion and engagement are values held dear in our nation and thank goodness, most of American business and tech company leaders. No more attacks against the diverse work force we need. A strong tenet of STEMconnector® is gender and diverse talent and our initiatives to support skills and tech skills for America.

With millions of tech jobs open-coding, big data, cyber, artificial intelligence, we need gender and diverse talent and in equal numbers and with no pay disparity. Encourage, mentor, sponsor, provide internships and training to get the best of women and diversity not only at Google, not only in Silicon Valley but EVERYWHERE. We proudly started STEMconnector® to support the pipeline of talent to great jobs and yes, tech and engineering jobs. It is why we launched Million Women Mentors(MWM) as we march to get millions with mentor relationship. We must get equality of the work force because it is great for business and right for equity—both!

Gender is under attack as are people of color. Women and Hispanics and African Americans and LGBT are the new America today and the new STEM America as every organization craves tech and engineering talent. We are supporting the demographics of this UNITED States of America and pay equity and advancement of women and girls and people of color up the ladder. Recognize that the Department of Labor found wage discrimination at Google and poor gender and diversity results. A salute to Google’s Vice President of Diversity for speaking out and millions of us must. Yes, “unequivocal is our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to the success for any company.” Just reading the quotes from Google women who claim that they are sickened as well as their male colleagues speaking out. Push the numbers forward. Google claims that women make up 25% of the company’s leadership and 20 percent of the tech jobs. Show the role models and share their pay equity and leadership. Embrace the gains and keep moving the needle!

Women’s Equality Day is August 26th and that’s only three weeks away. Let us all speak out today loudly in the board rooms, talent and recruiting forums, and salute gender equality, all equity. And November is Science and Technology Month. Whether in three weeks or three months, how many of us speak out and step up to commit to drive equity. Some CEOs are pledging equity but not enough and their organizations must execute to hire the right talent pipeline welcoming women and people of color. Why can’t every day be celebrated for gender gains in science and technology and every day a commitment to change the numbers? Consider that up to 80% of jobs today require tech skills and tech jobs are an answer to parity and pay equity or close to it and all STEM Jobs pay women close to parity, with tech -- about 96 cents on a dollar compared to 82 cents overall.


Read the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report, The Power of Parity: How Advancing Women’s Equality can add $12 Trillion to Global Growth. Gender advancement in STEM and Tech is about economic opportunity and equality. Place diversity at the heart of this economic and tech strategy.

It can’t be the Old Boys Network any longer especially the Old White Boys. Curb the “Sexism in Silicon Valley” and change the numbers. The “Fearless Girl” is a symbol on Wall Street now staring down the bronze “Charging Bull.”  We are fearless together as we seek equity and unequivocal in our drive to push tech equity.  


Edie Fraser, Chairman and Founder, STEMconnector®/Million Women Mentors and Founder and Former CEO, Diversity Best Practices