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This new Gallup Poll is proof that discrimination in the workplace is alive and well. Last summer the national conversation on racism and injustices in America hit the forefront in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbery, and countless others who lost their lives all because of the color of their skin. Today, a study released by the Gallup Center on Black Voices finds that “about one in four Black (24%) and Hispanic employees (24%) in the U.S. report having been discriminated against at work in the past year.” The findings come from a large-scale Gallup web survey conducted from Nov. 6, 2020, to Dec. 1, 2020, with more than 8,000 respondents surveyed including over 3,500 white workers, more than 2,000 Hispanic workers, and over 2,000 Black workers. Studies show the experiences of Black men (27%) and Black women (23%) are close. Income also plays a part within Black employees in households earning less than $90,000 (24%) annually and even those earning...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Significant layoffs have been a consistent theme throughout the world of work for over three years. Whether you work in tech, media, or finance you have seen the news or know of those who have been impacted. Gone is the employment heyday of the pandemic, when firms across the board ramped up their hiring efforts in 2020 and 2021. This led to people embracing new opportunities and getting bumps in compensation that were not previously available. Unfortunately, when the boosts to businesses and balance sheets went away, firms started laying off their workforces in droves. Initially, the reasons behind the cuts were due to overhiring, and companies were looking to streamline their workforces and management in order to move the organizations more nimbly. The media started to refer to it as a “White-Collar Recession” because while other sectors like hospitality and health services saw employment...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has been in the spotlight since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, in 2020, which millions of people witnessed via social media. That reminded me of how the civil rights movement didn’t spark real change until people saw the violence against protestors broadcast directly into their homes. Similarly, in 2020, many witnessed injustice unfold in real time on their phones. We can draw parallels between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the events of the past five years. Just as some supported integration while others opposed it, there are divided views on DEI today. Gallup Inc. helps track public opinion on these issues over time. George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion, the precursor to Gallup. In 1935, they conducted their first political public opinion poll and have remained independent, never conducting surveys on behalf of...
By age 6, children already begin to associate boys with greater aptitude in STEM fields, including computer science and engineering, compared to girls. Such beliefs among girls tend to become deeply ingrained over time. The 74 reported these reports stem from an analysis conducted by the American Institutes for Research, released Monday. This comprehensive review examined nearly 100 studies across 33 countries. David Miller, the lead author and a senior researcher who launched the project five years ago, emphasized that without efforts to address such perceptions, girls may turn away from “fast-growing tech fields like artificial intelligence .” In elementary school, girls comprise about half of the students enrolled in foundational computer science courses. However, the participation drops to 44% in middle school and decreases to 33% in high school, according to The 74. Miller noted that these findings have significant implications for girls’ decisions regarding high school course...
In June 2024, AFROTECH™ Executive Newark engaged attendees on several of today’s hot topics in tech and business including AI. Helming the discussion “How Harnessing AI Could Potentially Future-Proof The Workplace” at the Newark, NJ, event were Sam Caucci, founder and CEO of 1Huddle; Michele Alcazar, vice president of workforce transformation strategy at Prudential Financial; and Daniel Adeyanju, director of partnerships at The Knowledge House. During the panel, Caucci shared a Gallup report, which estimated that 70% of skills and the tasks that make up work will change over the next decade. While there is set to be an increase in reskilling, Caucci believes that AI could not only help organizations improve skills mapping but also improve low rates of employee engagement. “I think the opportunity we have in this moment when I think about the opportunity for AI is, how do we tackle these really big community labor workforce opportunities that organizations have always struggled with?...
If you want to advance in your professional career, it is imperative to obtain guidance from the right supporter. Keith Chaney learned this while working at technology company Google as the strategy and operations lead of its global partnerships and at McKinsey & Co., where he served as a management consultant. That’s when he decided to exit those jobs to pursue his own career as a founder. During the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024 pitch competition, he recalls his experience as a first-generation graduate navigating the intricacies of post-college life. He later realized the importance of gaining peer support to be successful in the long term. “When I started my career, I was surrounded by an amazing family. Unfortunately, no one in my family had worked for Google, McKinsey, or any of the places I found myself during my career. So, despite their best efforts, no one was ever able to tell me the information that I needed to win in those spaces,” Chaney said at SXSW 2024. His desire...
More communities will have a pathway towards financial freedom. According to a press release, Wells Fargo and Operation HOPE, Inc. have partnered to support underserved households. Soon community members will have access to the HOPE Inside program which will provide access to financial coaches, financial education workshops, and free personal coaching. The resources will empower communities along their financial journey. “We know from our outreach and work with national and community stakeholders that financial education and guidance, and an individual’s sense of inclusion and trust, are all important factors in bringing more people who are unbanked into the formal banking system,” said Darlene Goins, head of Wells Fargo’s Banking Inclusion Initiative, according to a press release. “Working with Operation HOPE is one important way that we can remove barriers to financial inclusion and help empower people with education, resources and tools to manage their money, improve their credit...
Voicemails can hold us back from getting jobs now? According to Daily Dot, one TikToker claims that she learned that a voicemail greeting prevented her from landing a new job. With more than 8,000 followers (as of this writing), Zanaya Jones is no stranger to getting candid about her life on the social media platform. In the latest video, however, she recalls an incident where she claims she “didn’t get hired” because of her voicemail. @zanayajones8 #harristeeter #fyp #dumbmanagers ♬ original sound – zanayajones8 “Yes, Miss Jones, I recommend if you apply for a job and you expect somebody to call you that you have a more appropriate response on your voicemail,” said the prospective employer, according to the TikTok. “So thank you for applying, and no need to give us a call back.”
The feeling of imposter syndrome can come in many different shapes and sizes, especially for Black professionals working in tech. Christine (‘Tine) Zekis, a backend software engineer at Chime, has considered herself an “imposter,” and she has mastered how to conquer the feeling that most consider uncomfortable. Zekis plans to take a deep dive into this topic at the upcoming 2021 AfroTech Conference on a panel titled “Imposter Syndrome: Slaying the Beast.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) VeryWell Mind defines imposter syndrome as an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. People often feel self-doubt, sabotage their success, overachieve and set challenging goals when experiencing imposter syndrome. While Black professionals may experience imposter syndrome the most, the phenomenon doesn’t discriminate; it can affect anyone. Zekis said she feels imposter syndrome often, and overcoming it is a...
Remote work has skyrocketed during the pandemic. However, after the pandemic ends, most employees at major companies such as Twitter, Square, and Shopify will work remotely indefinitely. They aren’t alone. As many as one-third of U.S. companies may keep some or all of their employees working from home when the crisis ends. What might this mean for businesses and workers? To begin to answer this question starts with examining the impact of remote work on businesses today. Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work Pre-pandemic research found that remote work is correlated with 40% higher productivity, 40% fewer errors, and 21% higher profitability. And despite the challenges of the pandemic, some firms have recently attributed productivity increases to remote work, with managers also noting that it has provided them access to a broader pool of talent from which to hire. Further, many employees have found remote work satisfying, given the increased autonomy and scheduling flexibility it...
Whether you’re trying to make a little extra cash to help you get by until payday or you want to boost your savings to get one step closer to a major purchase, there are a host of opportunities in the gig economy to find a side hustle that fits your talents and schedule. Yet it’s important to remember that side hustles typically involve some expenses. For example, if you’re charging Bird scooters, that’s your electricity that you’re using to do so. Before getting started, it’s smart to tally up your total expenses and look for ways to maximize your time and funds. Not sure how to determine the costs of a side hustle like charging Bird scooters? Here’s everything you need to know. How to make money charging Bird scooters Charging Bird scooters is a gig that appeals to a lot of people because you can mostly be in charge of your own schedule — you pick the scooters up, charge them and drop them back in high-traffic areas between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. per Bird’s app. Bird refers to...
Transitioning from a solopreneur to a leader of a team can be a sign you’re on your way to building an empire. However, don’t get it twisted; while you may have built a solid reputation as a one-person show, poor team management can ruin it in seconds. When running a one-person business, you may be able to risk certain things like keeping all of your standard operating procedures in your head or waiting until the last minute to file your taxes. However, when you’re leading a team, who ultimately becomes the face of your business, you can’t leave anything to chance. Planning, identifying best practices, and maintaining documentation is key. One of the best ways to start documenting your processes and clarifying what you expect is to ask yourself: “If I went on a vacation for two weeks with limited or no access to the Internet, what would someone do each day to operate my business? ” Where would they find tools and resources to assist them with their day-to-day tasks? How would I...
The days where employees tiptoe on the outside of the inner circle of highly-ranked executives are long gone. Now, as founders, CEOs, and small business owners, let’s stay true to only being as good as our team by actively engaging with our employees. According to Gallup, employee engagement not only increases company morale but also increases productivity and boosts profitability by 21 percent. To began interacting with your employees, follow the tips below: Don’t Hide in Your Office Many CEOs have an open-door policy, but true employee engagement happens when you actually come out of your office. Sometimes an open-door policy is not enough, and in certain situations, it can be counter-intuitive to the CEO and employee’s relationship. According to CBS News , a Cornell University professor actually thinks an open-door policy could deter employees from communicating with higher-ups. Think about it — who would want to knock on the door of the boss who is rarely seen and gives off an...
October marks the beginning of the fourth quarter of the 2019 fiscal year. You know what that means — it’s clutch time. Big tech companies are making major moves in hopes of finishing the year strong and starting 2020 on a high note. For example, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg sold over 100,000 shares of the company for nearly $24 million. If your company’s third quarter wasn’t so great, don’t fret. There have been major comebacks for companies in the fourth quarter. In 2012, Netflix faced stiff competition from Amazon and Redbox. Then Netflix came out strong in the fourth, increasing its domestic streaming revenue from $556 million to $589 million. No matter how the rest of the year went for your business, here’s how you can make the most of the fourth quarter: Rally Your Team Morning pep talks, free coffee, donuts, and trap music in the office — do whatever you have to do to motivate your team. To make the most out of the last quarter, you are going to need your team to bring their...
If you’re a fan of double entendres and meatless cuisine, then you will love Slutty Vegan. The restaurant sits in the heart of Atlanta and offers plant-based burgers, sandwiches and milkshakes with names that could make a few people blush. The “Ménage à Trois,” “Heaux Boy,” and “One Night Stand” are just a few names on the Slutty Vegan menu that have been known to catch people’s eyes. Vegan bacon, burger patties, shrimp and cheeses are offered throughout the menu alongside fresh vegetables. Founded in 2018 by Clark-Atlanta University alum and former campus queen Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan was born out of tragedy. Cole previously owned two eateries in Harlem: a Jamaican restaurant and Pinky’s Juice Bar. The restaurant burned down and the financial strain led Cole to close the juice bar, forcing her to shift sights on Atlanta. As Cole’s third business venture, Slutty Vegan originally started in a shared kitchen in August. The Atlanta community quickly caught wind of Cole’s vegan...