Like many others, we’ve been learning more about what it means to embody and advance diversity in professional and educational settings as well as throughout the community in general. While diversity is something we should certainly be celebrating, we’ve also learned that simply wanting to create diversity isn't enough. Diversity should be created with intent and messages that elevate the thoughts, talents, experiences, and opinions of all people. As a STEM company, we’re also all aware that there isn't as much diversity throughout STEM as we'd like. So, we’re continuing to try to promote the importance of diversity in STEM, help others to see its critical importance, and continue to look for ways to better educate ourselves on diversity as well as how to maximize it.
Why Diversity Matters in STEM
Diversity matters in all placed and in all industries, but it’s a focal point in STEM and technology industries. Typically, we understand diversity as referring to different things or having variety in how they're portrayed. Diversity implies differences among each of us and, even when we’re separated into different groups, it still exists. Also, diversity only comes into play when groups of people are together. In other words, an individual person cannot be diverse. For everyone to embrace diversity, we must understand that the different traits that make each person unique are also linked to diversity itself, including race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability status.
In STEM professions, diversity comes into play when company leaders search for and cultivate talent and share notable achievements. Most of the time, company employees include mixtures of people from backgrounds that may traditionally be underrepresented in STEM professions and those who are better represented. It’s that resulting diversity from this mixture that’s important to company leaders and to the overall success of the company. In general, scientific discoveries and breakthroughs aren't usually up to one person. They’re often team accomplishments—a small group or a big one—with people who have greatly diverse points of view. These differing viewpoints and skill sets often help ensure nothing is overlooked and that creative problem solving is the priority.
With all the collaboration in STEM professions, the diverse backgrounds of people on a team can be invaluable. People from different social backgrounds have obviously had different life experiences. People from similar social backgrounds, however, may also have varied life experiences that can drive success. Too little diversity within a STEM organization can also lead to lost opportunities for individual and company growth and success. Enhancing diversity and diverse employee perspectives is key in cultivating long-term success and an employee-friendly culture. While diversity refers to the differences each one of us has, diversity in the world of technology and science involves discovering the right people, helping them cultivate their talents, and promoting full inclusion at all levels.
How People Feel About Diversity in STEM
That’s a pretty good question. How do people feel about diversity in the STEM industries? And, do they even think about it? Well, it all depends who you ask. You might think that white people would consider diversity to be less important than Black people and, to some extent, that’s probably true—at least according to research from the Pew Research Center. According to those surveys, Black workers in STEM companies feel that workplace diversity is more important than their white counterparts and they’re much more likely to feel that there is not enough racial diversity in their place of work than their white counterparts. It’s not even that they feel discriminated against—that could certainly be happening, but that's not the focus. It’s simply that they don’t always feel everybody is noticing the same slights or gaps between people of different backgrounds.
Knowing underrepresentation in STEM is common, this could be why Black people shy away from what could be lucrative careers. They also might not feel like they’re qualified or talented enough to be taken seriously at all times. This is a problem that often stems from the education experiences they have throughout their lives. The problem of unequal access to quality STEM education, hands-on experiences, internships, and college scholarships can sometimes contribute to Black people missing out on STEM career opportunities. In fact, according to the article, about half of STEM professionals believe this lack of access to high-quality education is a major reason for underrepresentation in the STEM fields. Whether or not this lack of mentorship is a factor, it’s certainly something we could collectively improve.
As for those who do secure an offer in a STEM field, that’s not always the end of the struggle. Rather than always celebrating diversity, more than half of Black STEM professionals have felt discrimination at some point, believing it was based on race. Of course, this tends to result in decreased morale, poorer performance, delayed success, and, ultimately, many people leaving the field. Additionally, the writer stated that one in five STEM workers who believed their race hampered their success indicated that the way in which co-workers treated them was the biggest factor. The way we treat peers is 100 percent something we can control and embracing diversity is the No. 1 way to celebrate differences rather than using them to create distance.
The Importance of Diversity in STEM
We can reference statistics about white people making up the majority of STEM professionals but that’s not really our message. It also is logical that, if the country has more white people than Black people, these figures make sense. However, even if there are fewer black people as well as people of other ethnicities in STEM roles than there are white people, those with lower representation still need to feel welcomed, valued, and included. But, this isn’t always the case. People from other parts of the world and other cultures even within our own country come from different experiences. They assess problems differently and they even identify issues in unique ways. Bringing these different points of view and intricacies to problem solving and team success is crucial in any STEM environment.
In professional STEM environments—like in any professional environment—employees from different backgrounds can learn from each other. They should also look for opportunities to do so rather than avoid getting to know new perspectives. People from different cultures have different types of resourcefulness and ways of problem solving whether that’s drawing on past experiences, employing the scientific method, or developing a team chemistry with various elements that work. In STEM roles, it’s important to understand reasons behind why they can solve a problem instead of simply finding solutions. They say the journey is often more important than the destination and this is a great time to remember that. Spreading the word about the importance and value of these diverse perspectives is one of the best things company leaders and employees can do. That's how we start ensuring that everyone hears and shares different points of view.
Diversity in STEM fields shouldn’t only include racial diversity, but also gender, ethnic, geographical, and socioeconomic diversity. Welcoming people from different groups helps create a more favorable environment and also shows prospective future members of the STEM workforce—like college or high school students—that knowledge about the importance of diversity does exist. Not only could this make them confident about a STEM future, it could help them see the importance of contributing. Essentially, promoting diversity in STEM works both ways, helping minority members to feel welcomed and helping majority members learn why it’s so important to create an inclusive environment. Simply acknowledging that we can do something is one way to move past the disparity in STEM.
Addressing the Culture in STEM Industries
Even before the events of 2020, advocates had spent so much time and money on shifting patterns and promoting STEM diversity. While progress is evident, in the grand scheme, the percentage of BIPOC adults in STEM is still low. According to Higher Ed Today, of all the Black, Latino, and Native American students who enter college majoring in a STEM field, only 16 percent of them go on to get a degree in that field, leaving a steady disparity in the STEM workforce. While it's discouraging to think about a lack of progress, we can do more to understand why this is. Rather than trying to solve the problem by forcing more minority members into STEM, we're better off re-evaluating our approach. It's best to start working to eliminate behaviors, traditions, and norms that might be exclusionary.
Those ‘norms’ are typically values or behaviors that have permeated a group, a company, or an entire industry. It could be something as simple as not quitting until the job's done or not working past 5 PM to ensure for personal time. In this case, success in STEM careers is often seen as more likely if new team members adopt these values. If they’re adopting the wrong values, however, it could create exclusions or unintended biases. For those who may not find themselves in the majority, striving to feel included is sometimes an unfortunate norm. Working towards full inclusion often begins with talking with peers, participating in group projects, and even spending time together outside of work—all of which foster greater togetherness. In making these efforts, people tend to develop a deeper understanding of each other and use these connections—as well as their differences—to move forward.
Teaching students how to adapt to a culture that might not be totally inclusive isn’t the best solution. That’s partly because telling them this in high school or college could shy them away from a career in STEM. It’s much more practical, in our opinion, to avoid fostering these types of environments and help those who are already a part of them recognize behaviors that contribute to it. People often show their lack of a desire for diversity unintentionally and must know this is harmful and why. It comes back to not being fully aware of people from other backgrounds or being in tune with different cultures. Addressing these problems and providing actionable alternatives is the best way to create a culture that’s as inclusive as possible.
Moving Towards More Diversity in STEM
Whether it's college students majoring in a STEM field or working professionals, we can always work towards improving diversity. Paying close attention to the habits and apprehensions of people new to the industry is a good starting point. Helping to model positive examples of inclusion can also go a long way in creating the right environment. Even though a minority member may feel like they belong in society in general (hopefully all do), they may not feel fully accepted within their company or direct team. Obviously, no one should want this and everyone should do enough so everybody, especially people who are traditionally underrepresented, feels valued. In all honesty, we’ve arrived at a point in which passively not being inclusive isn’t all that acceptable, leading to more efforts of active inclusion.
The experiences of minority members in STEM fields can potentially align with the experiences they’ve had in the past. They may feel discriminated against, ostracized, and not accepted by the general group of peers with whom they work. Since the STEM industry thrives on diversity and diverse opinions, it’s not like the presence of people of different ethnicities is going away—nor should anybody want it to—but it also, unfortunately, means that issues of feeling unwelcome could come up. In order to try to prevent these issues, everyone first needs to educate themselves. This includes company executives and employees at all levels. Everybody needs to understand how a company's climate looks to people from different backgrounds and how it could be contributing to retaining employees in the short and long term.
Next, employees must understand the culture that’s emerged in STEM—whether intentionally or unintentionally—and pinpoint problematic values. This could help identify areas in which some of the industry’s minority members may feel marginalized. From there, everybody can work together to develop some comprehensive initiatives to ensure everybody feels included. This can range from professional to personal support and be based on first-hand suggestions from anybody who can offer insight. Finally, it’s key to acknowledge that anybody can transmit certain vibes and behaviors. Even the most subtle acts can be offensive or make others feel uncomfortable. Remember, STEM professionals should see their diversity as an opportunity—not something they have to think could create issues.
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