Twitter aims inclusion at work yet some gaps remain

As Twitter aims to build a more inclusive workforce in 2017, under-represented minorities and women still continue to lag despite some progress, the micro-blogging website said in its latest diversity report.

According to Twitter's September 2016 EEO-1 report, released on Thursday, nine of 10 employees are white or Asian and about two-thirds are men.

Twitter is now 57 per cent white, 32 per cent Asian, three per cent black, four per cent Hispanic/Latinx, three per cent multi-racial and less than one per cent American Indian or Native Hawaiian, media reports said.

"We are also focused on sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2016 for the first time, we gave all US new hires the opportunity to self-identify as LGBTQ," Jeffrey Siminoff Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity at Twitter, wrote in a blog post.

"While this data collection is new and therefore limited, we wanted those who chose to identify to be counted. Of employees answering, 10 per cent identified as LGBTQ. As more employees respond in 2017, we expect to have a more complete picture," Siminoff added.

Twitter's female employee population grew from 34 per cent to 37 per cent worldwide.

Throughout 2016, the company implemented practices that advanced its commitment, identified and acted on vulnerabilities that prevent it.

"We facilitate trainings at a lot of companies. Twitter had a unique interest in tracking the long-term impact of their trainings, allowing us to learn that content designed both to raise awareness and to manage bias resulted in actual behavioural change in employees," Siminoff noted.

Twitter also saw the expansion in leadership team and the Board with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey being named the "Thurgood Marshall College Fund CEO of The Year".

Siminoff pointed out that the effects of the actions -- many of which were new for 2016 -- could not be immediate but the company was focused on sustained efforts that would help Twitter "draw more diverse talent, create great experiences and careers and foster a culture of belonging that fully lives up to the spirit of community on Twitter itself."

--IANS

sku/na/dg