Diversity, equity, and inclusion at risk
This week the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs in cases involving two universities. While the impact on higher education is clear, what will it mean for corporate Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs?
Many companies claim commitment to DEI programs. Recent findings show a decrease in leadership interest, an increase in companies without any DEI program, and “40% of senior female and minorities planning to quit.”
A Wall Street Journal headline after the Court decision reads: Is Your Company’s DEI Program Lawful? I’m not a lawyer but I have seen a lot of bias and privilege play out in tech hiring and operations. It’s hard to imagine how that will ever change without intentional, systematic reform. A backlash against DEI programs would only set us back further.
Links
Get more rest
The Life Kit podcast from NPR promises “Tools to help you get it together.” This one is a recent addition for me that I’ve been enjoying. The topics vary widely. And episodes never feel too long.
This episode features Tricia Hersey, the ’nap bishop’, who wrote a book titled “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto.” She advocates for relaxation as a human right. It’s a compelling counterpoint to hustle culture.
You Deserve a Tech Union
Responsive web design originator Ethan Marcotte thinks every worker deserves a union. So much so that he’s written a book for the tech industry due out late summer: You Deserve a Tech Union
What if it’s not our job to convince people to change?
Sara Wachter-Boettcher of Active Voice makes the case in the Nice Work. newsletter that lack of organizational power is not a personal failing.
This is not sustainable. Living on defense—hackles up, seeing colleagues as enemies—is exhausting. It burns us out and makes us cynical.
And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t even work.
Scroll down on the site to sign up for the Active Voice newsletter.
Saddened by the tech industry
This post from Jean Hsu, VP of Engineering at Range a team communication app, resonated heavily for me. We had started to embrace better ways to work. Was people-centered leadership a shallow recruiting tactic?
And I feel sad. It puts a lot of the positives of the past few years into perspective. I would have liked to believe that the industry had shifted its collective values, but the cynic in me now wonders if that was all just to be competitive in the market, not because it was really recognized as a better way to work. Now that companies have more leverage, there’s a feeling of “people should be happy to even have jobs” so let’s cut out all the things we don’t need anymore to retain people.