1

Don’t edit photos to improve diversity

Last week, Buzzfeed reported that a photo of Silicon Valley executives visiting a designer at a small village in Italy looked doctored. Specifically, they uncovered that two female CEOs had been edited into the otherwise all-male photo.

While these two women did attend the event, they weren’t in the original photo. A spokesperson said they digitally added them so everyone was included. Fair enough.

Yet, it makes us wonder why weren’t the women in the photo? Had they not been invited to that particular part of the event? Did the men forget to tell them there was going to be a photo taken? Did the guys not notice they were missing?

Regardless of the reason, we shouldn’t edit photos to give the illusion of more diversity.

2

Fathers, be inclusive beyond your daughters

Many men say they care about diversity because they want a better future for their daughter(s). While that’s a nice start, it’s not enough. As we tweeted on the recent US Father’s Day, do these same men “need to have a kid who is LGBTQ to care about that demographic? Or, if they’re white, a kid of color?”

If you care about diversity because of your daughters, please make a commitment to learn to be a better ally for other underrepresented groups, too.

3

Add “Won’t speak on all-male panels” to your bio

Jeff Kosseff, a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, recently tweeted, “I added a line to my Twitter profile today. I ask all men who are invited to speak on panels to do the same.” And he included a snapshot of his Twitter bio that included, “Won’t speak on all-male panels.”

If you’re a man, consider following Jeff’s lead. On Twitter, LinkedIn, and other places where you list your professional credentials.

For white women, your version could be, “Won’t speak on all-white panels.”

4

Review your interview process

Concerned that there seemed to be a disconnect between people looking for jobs and those hiring, software engineer Veni Kunche crowd-sourced a series of tips for how to improve the interview process. She specifically asked people from underrepresented groups who work in tech for their ideas. And she got a boatload.

If you’re trying to improve diversity on your team, read Veni’s article. And then, before your next hiring push, ask the interview team to read it and identify improvements to make to your process.

5

Use your engagement survey to identify one action to support older workers

This week, Fast Company ran an article about how diversity and inclusion initiatives are ignoring age. And that women over 50 experience more bias than their male colleagues.

In your next employee engagement survey, ask to see the numbers by age demographic. And identify one thing you can do to be a better ally for older workers.