Even when companies realize the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workplace, getting there often takes a deliberate, comprehensive, and multipronged approach. Marc Benioff, the CEO of cloud-based software company Salesforce.com, summarizes this as “there is no finish line when it comes to equality.” Benioff is among a growing cadre of tech CEOs tackling the lack of diversity and pay inequity in their companies. In 2015, Salesforce.com spent $3 million to tackle gender imbalance in pay.
The company examined the pay of men and women across the company, and in cases in which pay differences were not explainable by factors such as job function, location, or level, adjustments were made for both men and women and affected 6% of the workforce. A second global assessment in 2017 affected 11% of employees and again cost around $3 million.

CEO Marc Benioff sees addressing gender gaps in pay as only one piece of Salesforce.com’s Women’s Surge initiative. The company ensures that women are at least 30% of the attendees at every meeting, and their High Potential Leadership Program works to ensure fairness in advancement opportunities. Salesforce.com also started granting millions of dollars to the San Francisco school district in support of computer science and science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) programming with the goal of increasing the diversity of kids exposed to computer science at an early age and possibly consider a career in STEM.

Questions 

1. Why do you think Salesforce.com decided to tackle pay inequity between men and women?
2. Why do you think pay inequity exists?
3. Why do you think organizations may benefit from having systematic programs in place to monitor and intervene with pay inequity?