Tech is an overwhelmingly homogeneous place. However, some workplaces are less diverse than others. Take Google. Google has a workforce that is only 4.4% Black. Only 3% of their leadership are Black. Why doesn’t Google employ more Black engineers? It’s not a pipeline problem. Other companies manage to hire more Black engineers than Google, though not by much. Apple, for example only has 5.5% of their technical staff made of up Black engineers, and 4% in leadership. But Apple could be guilty of the same exclusionary practices Google’s now being accused of. As can Facebook, who has only 2.1% of their technical staff and 4.7% of their leadership made up of Black employees. It’s a problem in the entire industry, but these are exceptional examples. The industry average of Black employees for digital publishing and search companies like Google is 9.1%.
According to the lawsuit from a previous Google employee, Google created a hostile environment for Black employees and candidates. That’s why they employ so few Black people. Google has had previous complaints on the subject, and this lawsuit may bring more to light.
Outreach and Letdowns
“Google is engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of intentional race discrimination and retaliation and maintains employment policies and practices that have a disparate impact against Black employees throughout the United States”
– From April Curley’s lawsuit against Google
Google brought April Curley on to help them increase their outreach to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). Instead, she says Google created a hostile environment for Black candidates and current employees. According to the lawsuit, Google underpaid their Black employees, hired them at lower-level jobs, and denied advancement opportunities. Google’s own statistics seem to support this.
Curley’s lawsuit claims Google employees would often turn away Black candidates for not being “Googly enough.” Often when companies have arbitrary means of measuring interview success, they can be interpreted in a variety of ways. While some less work-driven feedback, like rudeness, certainly should come into play, something like “Googliness” is too nebulous. It’s a way to introduce bias during the process, and Curley’s lawsuit claims it did just that.
“While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their Black employees.”
– Ben Crump, Curley’s lawyer
Outside of hiring, Curley’s lawsuit claims the company showed other forms of both racism and sexism. She says she was often asked who in the office she wanted to sleep with, that she was often mistaken for one of her other Black female colleagues, and that she wasn’t allowed to speak during meetings. In fact, on that last note, she says other Black women at Google received the same treatment.
In 2019, Curley was reprimanded for speaking up about issues at the company. Google reduced her pay and put her on a performance improvement plan (PIP). In September of 2020, Google fired her.
Previous Complaints
This isn’t the first time Google has faced criticism for racism. Google fired Timnit Gebru after she discussed problems with Google’s AI, including racial bias. There were numerous ethics in AI departures as well. Currently, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is investigating Google for their treatment of Black female employees.
It’s clear there are systematic problems at play here. Many in the industry are guilty of perpetuating bias. According to the claims in this lawsuit, Google’s one of many companies making tech an unwelcoming place for Black employees.
Sources:
- I. Bonifacic, Engadget
- Guardian Staff and Agencies, The Guardian
- Imad Khan, cnet
- Emma Roth, The Verge
- Sam Tabahriti, Business Insider
- Daisuke Wakabayashi, The New York Times