Dropbox has increased its workplace diversity numbers in 2016. In a celebration of its accomplishment, the company released a photo showcasing its commitment to diversity. Unfortunately the picture, at a glance, was not made up of diverse individuals.
When it comes to ethnicity, often times individuals are categorized by assumptions. If someone sees a dark skinned man they may believe he is black, and not realize that some Hispanics (which have African heritage) can have a darker complexion than blacks. In addition, just because you see women in a picture does not mean that all women in said picture are straight, or were born women to begin with.
As it turns out the picture Dropbox posted was diverse with an Asian woman, Iranian man, and lesbian all included in it. For those focused on the increase of darker individuals well, then the photo was a slight. But the organization seems to be trying. The recent photo wasn’t on the level of Paul Ryan’s Republican interns after all, and their released numbers have backed their efforts.
In 2016, the company has increased their workforce diversity including a 6% increase in women in leadership positions, and 1% increase in its black and Hispanic employees versus one year ago. While I agree more can be done, let’s acknowledge the efforts of the organization. They’re not reworking their diversity statistics or delaying their release by 10 months. Dropbox is giving an honest effort to improve and in my opinion that should count for something.