The San Francisco–based visual social media firm Pinterest is one of the first Silicon Valley companies that recognized the dismal state of diversity in the technology industry. In fact, a former Pinterest engineer, Tracy Chou, is credited with starting the movement toward more data-driven diversity management. The 2013 blog post Ms. Chou wrote, titled “Where Are the Numbers?” motivated tech giants such as Facebook and Google to reveal the number of women and minorities in their workforce, particularly in technology and leadership positions. Pinterest’s own numbers were revealed in this management-authorized blog post, with the assumption that by releasing the figures and making a public commitment, its team of more than 700 employees would become more diverse.

One year into its commitment, the numbers had barely moved, even though the company had instituted several initiatives: mentored female programming students; recruited at African American, Hispanic, and female engineering events; and invested in unconscious bias training. What had gone wrong? Even though recruiters brought in a more diverse pool of candidates, hiring managers continued to use the same selection criteria, including prioritizing hiring from a small set of Ivy League schools (that happen to have a less diverse body of graduates). In retrospect, even though top management wanted to diversify hiring, they had not made a business case to everyone in the company. Thinking in terms of diversity had not become a part of a widespread mentality; it had remained an HR initiative.

Case Discussion Questions 1. What is the difference between diversity goals and diversity quotas?
Why do you think Pinterest was careful to distinguish between the two?
2. What are some of the challenges to diversity management in the technology industry? List and discuss what prevents companies from attracting and retaining diverse talent.
3. Consider the initiatives with which Pinterest is experimenting. Which ones hold greater promise? What else would you suggest it do?
4. What are your thoughts about the central roles of sex and racial diversity in the technology industry’s diversification efforts?