MICROSOFT’S DIVERSITY EFFORTS SLOW AFTER PROMISE TO DOUBLE BLACK WORKFORCE. Black and Hispanic representation at the company rose 0.3 percentage points in 2020 .
Microsoft Corp., which in June pledged to double the number of Black managers and leaders at the company, released data on Wednesday that showed lackluster increases of Black and Latino representation in its workforce.
Both Black and Hispanic representation at the company rose 0.3 percentage points in 2020 over 2019, to 4.9 percent of the workforce for African Americans and 6.6 percent for Latinos, according to Microsoft.
Black employees in the U.S. workforce make up less than 3% of managers, directors, partners and executives, according to data released Wednesday.
Representation of women grew 1.0% to 28.6% of the global workforce and Asian employment grew 1.6% to make up 34.7% of the company. Women represent 42% of the company’s leadership.
In the past year, two Black vice presidents, Marc Brown and Kevin Dallas, have left the company.
In the wake of racial injustice protests, Microsoft announced $150 million in additional funding for diversity initiatives to double the number of Black managers and senior leaders by 2025.
The company has said it would expand its leadership development program to reach out to Black lower-level employees to prepare them for advancement. …
