Pinterest has drawn and revealed its diversity goals for 2016 that includes increasing the hiring rate of female employees in engineering roles to 30 percent.
Diversity is a hot issue in the tech industry. Companies are issuing their diversity data but not a lot of progress has been made. Pinterest suggests that for companies to be more diverse they need to set goals.
Pinterest highlights that the overall number of female employees in the company has increased from 40 percent in 2014 to 42 percent in this year. The number of female engineering interns hired from schools increased from 28 percent to 33 percent.
"But we have more work to do to increase the number of employees from all underrepresented backgrounds, which is why we're setting goals and taking the steps below," per a Pinterest blog.
The company also plans to increase the hiring rate for total number of full-time engineers to 8 percent and intends to spike the hiring rates for all non-engineering roles to 12 percent.
To meet the 2016 diversity goals, Pinterest will expand the number of universities from where they recruit. The company will also start an "early identification intern program" for sophomore and freshman.
Pinterest will also work with diversity consulting and research firm Paradigm to set up Inclusion Labs for experimenting on new ways for improving diversity in the company. To avoid unconscious bias Pinterest will also make all its employees participate internal training.
"I am thrilled to announce that Paradigm will be piloting a new initiative, Inclusion Labs, which will allow us to work together more comprehensively, and, we hope, to identify strategies that will strengthen the tech industry more broadly," says Joelle Emerson, founder and CEO of Paradigm.
The company will also create a mentorship and training program for Black students and software engineers.
Pinterest is also committed to interview at least one female and a person from an underrepresented background for all openings for the leadership position.
Photo: Mike Mozart | Flickr
