The Rant
The 10-page memo, titled Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber (a full copy of which was obtained by Gizmodo), argued that while diversity can be a good thing, overtly promoting diversity, in so many words, is bad. In the same tone as a men’s rights activist calling for more male-focused appreciation on Father’s Day, the author insists that initiatives promoting women and minorities are inherently unfair, and that the gender gap exists for a good reason: biology. And then, he doubled down on the negative effects of promoting diversity, stating:
The Stats
For the record, diversity is not bad for business. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. According to data from McKinsey, companies with a gender diverse workforce typically outperform their counterparts by 15 percent, while companies with an ethnically diverse workforce typically outperform their counterparts by 35 percent. Dare I say, that could be considered good for business.
The Response
The memo, which goes on to explain the personal and biological differences between men and women in depth (always a good sign), received widespread backlash from Google employees, with many taking to social media to condemn the anti-diversity slight. Even Ari Balogh, CTO of Google, felt the need to internally chime in via a Google+ post to the entire company: The memo gained so much traction that Google’s new Vice President of Diversity, Integrity and Governance, Danielle Brown, felt she had to issue a statement. Having just taken the position a few short weeks ago, the statement came well before she planned on establishing her presence at the tech giant.
The Knee
This kind of dissension is common in the discussion of diversity. Whether it’s affirmative action or diversity initiatives, the majority (in this case white men) have trouble coming to terms with the perceived “unfairness” of overtly promoting women and minorities in tech. In fact, one former Google engineer told Motherboard that some employees believe initiatives like this are having a negative effect across the board. However, this kind of dissension, no matter how eloquently penned, allegedly researched, or virally spread, will not deter those of us who want to close the minority and gender gaps in the tech community. Aside from the success it brings, inclusion is about expanding the progress that industries like tech can influence. Initiatives that overtly promote diversity are not designed to stifle a company. They’re designed to innovative new ideas, elevate those in power to higher standards, and inspire those that don’t believe tech is for them to give it a try. And if you’re really a part of the tech community, you know that tech is for everyone, not just white dudes.
