Black Tech Talent Is Often Discriminated Against Long Before Interview Process

According to recent findings, Black people and women are excluded from tech job interviews.

In 2022, 38% of tech job opportunities sent invitations for interviews to men only, according to a study by Hired. Moreover, TechTarget reported that 12% of jobs sent invitations to white people only.

The obvious bias in the low number of invitations sent to Black and women candidates is reflected in the small population of each group in the tech industry. In 2021, Black people made up just 7.4% of tech employees, and Black women accounted for 1.7%, CNBC reported. Although diversity in the tech industry still seems discouraging, some progress has been made. In 2018, interview figures were even worse, with 45% of tech job interview invitations being sent to men only and 26% to whites, according to TechTarget.

Josh Brenner, CEO of Hired, said, “There has been a more dedicated focus between 2018 and now toward including a more representative set across races.” However, he also noted that “representation still remains an issue for women and nonwhite individuals,” TechTarget reported.

If a Black person or woman breaks through all obstacles and lands a tech job, there is still a difference in pay. According to the Hired study, Black men make $0.93 for every $1 a White man makes, and Black women make $0.90.

BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported how Black women have dealt with underrepresentation in tech. The co-founders of Black Women Talk Tech told Built In in an email last year, “It is our mission to close the gap between Black women and their peers who are in the same workspace, yet do not have equal playing field in terms of wages earned and received.”

Some organizations are trying to diversify the tech industry. In June 2023, BE reported that the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI) committed to supporting Blacks in tech with $300,000 in grants.