"The State of Black Professionals in Tech" Report by Info-Tech Research Group Highlights the Unique Experience of Black Employees in the Tech Industry

When an organization's workforce is not reflective of the community it serves, it may risk losing the opportunity to hire great employees or tap into new or growing local and global markets

TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Although Black History Month is drawing to a close, it is important to remember that the minority experience is not a monolith. The barriers that Black professionals encounter are not limited to the same barriers as their colleagues. To offer an in-depth, data-backed look into the unique Black experience in the technology industry and to support organizations seeking to improve their intentional DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives, Info-Tech Research Group has published its highly anticipated report, The State of Black Professionals in Tech.

"Diversity in tech is not a new topic, and it's not a secret that technology organizations struggle to attract and retain Black employees," share Info-Tech research directors and leads on the report, Allison Straker and Ugbad Farah. "Current events have once again brought diversity to the forefront for many organizations. The pandemic, along with preparations for a recession and talent trends such as 'the great resignation' and 'quiet quitting' have not only impacted diversity at large, but also Black professionals in technology."

While there are a variety of diversity dimensions, the new report emphasizes the importance of understanding what makes up a "multicultural workforce," as there is more to diversity than gender, race, and ethnicity. Organizations need to understand that there is diversity within these groups and that Black professionals have their own unique experience when it comes to entering and navigating the tech industry.

Over 600 individuals were surveyed for the report, the majority of which indicated they were born or are living in the US, Canada, India, Nigeria, or the United Kingdom. Follow-up interviews provided additional insights on the data collected.

The respondents identified several overarching themes and shared experiences when examining the experience of Black professionals in the tech industry. The key themes revealed by the research are as follows:

• Black professionals feel unsatisfied – Only 23% of Black respondents reported feeling very satisfied in their current role, compared to 34% of all other professionals.
• Barriers to career advancement are more likely for Black professionals – 54% of Black respondents reported facing microaggressions in the workplace, followed by 50% reporting racism, 39% reporting gender-based bias, 18% reporting accessibility issues, 13% reporting religion bias, and 14% reporting other discrimination.
• It takes Black professionals longer to find technology jobs – 29% of Black respondents said it took seven months or longer to find their tech job, compared to 19% of all other professionals.
• Advancement opportunities are more difficult to achieve for Black professionals – Black respondents were 55% more likely to report that they had no career advancement or promotion opportunities in their career than all other professionals.
• Many Black professionals feel unable to be their authentic selves – Only 75% of Black respondents reported feeling able to be their authentic selves at work, compared to 86% of all other professionals.

Info-Tech's report highlights good news: there are various actions organizations can take to help address these barriers. One particularly notable takeaway from the firm's research is that Black professionals reported that working from home or remotely has reduced the impact of racial incidents in the workplace, leading to improved mood and sense of safety. Remote work also led to feelings of opportunities for career advancement, an important consideration when many Black professionals report challenges in achieving career advancement or promotions.

Research participants were also asked to distribute points across five potential solutions that could lead to improved job satisfaction. The findings showed that there were common solutions that could be leveraged to support the rectification of the identified issues. These solutions, ranked in order of importance, include:

1. Mentorship/sponsorship – While mentorship and sponsorship opportunities are important for all employees, they are especially helpful in closing the job satisfaction gap for Black IT professionals. The percentage of satisfied Black employees almost doubles when they have a mentor or sponsorship, moving the satisfaction rate to closer to all other colleagues.
2. Training – Much like mentorship and sponsorship, training is universally beneficial for all employees but was ranked as highly important by Black respondents.
3. Employee resource groups (ERGs) – ERGs enable employees to connect in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences and generally focus on providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment. Some ERGs provide advice to the organization on how they can support their diverse employees. ERGs were rated significantly higher for Black professionals compared to all other professionals.  
4. Internal discussions around diversity – Discussions around diversity were ranked higher by other professionals compared to their Black colleagues. This may be because other groups feel a need to learn more about diversity, whereas Black professionals live this experience on a day-to-day basis, so it is not as critical for them. 
5. External acknowledgment – External acknowledgment was ranked similarly between both Black respondents and all other professionals.

"The report acknowledges that resolving the barriers that Black employees often face is not easy," continue Straker and Farah. "Although senior executives are recognizing that a diverse set of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds is crucial to fostering innovation and competing on the global stage, organizations often don't take the extra step to actively look for racialized talent. Leaders should look at a variety of solutions that can be implemented within the organization, keeping in mind that the experiences of each demographic vary."

In the report, the firm reminds organizational leaders that when implementing measures to support Black professionals within an organization, it is critical to ensure they are not put in place as Band-Aid solutions but are carefully thought-out and layered.

For the full scope of insights, areas of opportunity, and suggested solutions in combatting the unique barriers Black professionals face in the technology industry and workplace, download and read the complete The State of Black Professionals in Tech report.

To learn more about Info-Tech Research Group, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.  

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. 

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group