{"id":464511,"date":"2022-06-17T19:59:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T16:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-metas-maxine-williams-thinks-diversity-is-a-business-imperative\/"},"modified":"2022-06-17T19:59:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T16:59:15","slug":"why-metas-maxine-williams-thinks-diversity-is-a-business-imperative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-metas-maxine-williams-thinks-diversity-is-a-business-imperative\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Meta&#8217;s Maxine Williams thinks diversity is &#8216;a business imperative&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3eaea17d61c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3eaea17d61c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-metas-maxine-williams-thinks-diversity-is-a-business-imperative\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Metas_Maxine_Williams_thinks_diversity_is_%E2%80%98a_business_imperative%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Meta&#8217;s Maxine Williams thinks diversity is &#8216;a business imperative&#8217;&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-metas-maxine-williams-thinks-diversity-is-a-business-imperative\/#Having_trouble_growing_your_audience\" >Having trouble growing your audience?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1>&#8220;Why Meta&#8217;s Maxine Williams thinks diversity is &#8216;a business imperative'&#8221;<\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2022%2F06%2FMaxine-Williams-TNW-Header-Image.jpg&amp;signature=990a277d1648413ef02293e08129bf81\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            If a company wants to offer great products and services, it\u2019s important to hire the smartest people. But it\u2019s also important that these people don\u2019t all look and think the same \u2014 that they bring their own unique backgrounds and experiences to the table as well.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s even more true if your company\u2019s products are used by literal billions of people around the planet. It\u2019s a matter Maxine Williams, Chief Diversity Officer at Meta, is intimately familiar with.<\/p>\n<p>At Meta, Williams\u2019 team works to support the growth of underrepresented people at the company and improve cognitive diversity; she believes people with varying backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge help create a stronger company. Prior to her talk at TNW Conference 2022, I was able to ask Williams a few questions over email about Meta\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach to diversity, both in hiring and the workplace.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Having_trouble_growing_your_audience\"><\/span>Having trouble growing your audience?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>5 omnichannel strategies that actually work<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>What follows is a transcript of that exchange, lightly edited for clarity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Napier Lopez: To start broadly, some people see diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as superfluous. Why is it important for companies to make DEI a core part of their business, and how can a lack of it be detrimental?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Maxine Williams:<\/strong> The most successful businesses are diverse \u2013 so it\u2019s a business imperative, full stop. There are countless benefits including building a company that is engaged and inclusive and a place where people can grow their careers \u2013 which is extremely important in today\u2019s hyper-competitive market.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/featured-insights\/diversity-and-inclusion\/women-in-the-workplace\">2021 report<\/a> by McKinsey and LeanIn called Women in the Workplace found that women showed up as better leaders, more consistently supporting employees and championing DEI. Female managers invest more than their male counterparts in helping employees navigate work\/life challenges, ensuring workloads are manageable, and providing emotional support \u2014 and they\u2019re also more likely to speak out against bias towards women of color and advocate for opportunities for them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On that note,<\/strong> <strong>DEI initiatives often seem reactionary \u2014 corrections after people speak out about problems. Being able to admit and correct mistakes is important, but how can a company take preemptive steps to make the workplace fair and welcoming from the get-go?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is a lot of research which shows that diversity and inclusion will provide the cognitive diversity that companies who are serving diverse populations need in order to be successful.\u00a0 Companies should not wait until people speak out about problems in order to act if success is their goal. Meta began prioritizing diversity and inclusion shortly after we became a public company many years ago. We invested in hiring people with expertise to develop strategies that would drive progress in our space and they have done so.<\/p>\n<p>We created channels to garner diverse perspectives and employees and made DEI ownership clear and visible in the organization with actionable KPIs. Our company has grown in diversity and in the strength of this focus which puts us in a strong proactive position.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diversity in the workplace starts with hiring people from under-represented groups, which can be tracked with some accuracy. But what about other aspects that are harder to quantify?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To be effective in quantifying progress, you have to make a habit out of it. And at Meta, we are intentional about it.<\/p>\n<p>We track our numbers consistently, but we need opinions from people on the ground to help us fill the gaps that aren\u2019t quantitative.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you point to some more subtle examples of initiatives at Meta that have helped foster inclusion in the workplace?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We have a\u00a0<em>Be the Ally<\/em>\u00a0course, for debugging real-life situations where allies are needed at work. Another useful course is <em>Managing Bias<\/em>, which unearths the prevalence of unconscious bias at work and provides tips for how to navigate through it. It\u2019s not only a foundational course for us, but we\u2019ve open-sourced the content so it\u2019s accessible to everyone at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/managingbias.fb.com\/\">managingbias.fb.com<\/a>, where you can watch a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of video modules.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also especially proud of Meta\u2019s microphone tool. Like most companies, we have policies in place that dictate what is and isn\u2019t acceptable workplace behavior. But discrimination can show up in subtle ways that may not violate any official policies but can have a negative effect on the person who experiences it and, particularly when compounded over time, can drive them to quit.<\/p>\n<p>The Microphone tool is a way for people to report unfair treatment. Microaggressions can come in many forms: having someone else take credit for your work, a manager\u2019s assumptions on how well you can balance your personal time as a parent, backhanded compliments based on stereotypes, being left out of meetings when you\u2019re an expert \u2014 these are just a few of many examples. And these behaviors are often committed unknowingly by well-intentioned people.<\/p>\n<p>In order to learn from this and drive change, twice a year we publish a Micro-phone Report. This report compiles detailed, anonymized accounts of the microaggressions people shared. Our goal is not only to raise awareness of these issues but also to supply better ways to handle these situations if they arise again with behavior we call \u201cmicro-allyship.\u201d Because these microaggressions are often not intentional, surfacing them alongside corrective actions helps everyone become more vigilant so they can identify the conditions that create a sense of unfairness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Those sound like excellent initiatives. <\/strong><strong>Beyond the well-being of employees, how can companies make sure DEI extends to the products their customers use?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re intrinsically tied \u2013 diverse employees build products with their communities in mind, too. This is especially important at Meta, where our products touch billions of people, from every walk of life imaginable.<\/p>\n<p>We know the best products are made with inclusivity and equity in mind. So to accomplish this, we focus on bringing a diverse range of ideas and viewpoints to the table when designing\u00a0products to capture the needs and wants of a broader user base.<\/p>\n<p>For instance,\u00a0we created a tool on Instagram that allows a user to identify their pronouns in their bio on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>And of course, there is your digital self \u2014 avatars. The next phase of online identity is an even more immersive and complete digital presence that can move with you across today\u2019s internet and eventually the metaverse. That begins with your appearance, which means better avatars for representing how you want to be seen. We\u2019ve brought more face shapes, skin tones, and hearing assistive technologies \u2013 combining in over one quintillion different combinations already across our apps.<\/p>\n<p>And as we develop future products, we continue to remain focused on ensuring that they are inclusive, fair, and equitable, and also reflect the full range of the diverse communities we serve. Because this is an ongoing process, we introduced the Responsible Innovation Dimensions and Inclusive Product Councils to guide our teams in building more accessible and equitable products.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On a related note, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> tends to reflect the (often unjust) world we live in, but Meta is building an infrastructure for the future with the metaverse. What does building DEI into the metaverse look like right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a long road ahead \u2013 and we\u2019re years away from the metaverse you\u2019re probably envisioning. Currently, we are asking lots of questions, building a network of diverse architects and builders, breaking down language barriers, looking at broadening access to leverage existing hardware, and creating a dynamic experience where <em>everyone<\/em> can express themselves. We\u2019re building transformative technology,\u00a0so we acknowledge that it\u2019ll take a while for everything to come together, but an inclusive metaverse benefits everyone \u2013\u00a0so it\u2019s important to think of these things now.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly, Meta isn\u2019t going to build, own, or run the metaverse on its own. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tech.fb.com\/ideas\/2022\/02\/being-intentional-about-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-metaverse\/\">This will be a collaborative effort<\/a> at every stage \u2014 with companies, developers, experts, and policymakers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thank you for sharing your perspective and insight. To close things off with another broad question, what\u2019s one thing you wish more people would understand about DEI?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>DEI progress is not something that happens with passion as the only ingredient. It\u2019s a constant, multi-year journey that must be driven by those with expertise, approached strategically, and tied to the organization\u2019s mission in order to be sustainable and deliver results.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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But it\u2019s also important that these people don\u2019t all look and think the same \u2014 that they bring their own unique backgrounds and experiences to the table as&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":464512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/06\/Maxine-Williams-TNW-Header-Image.jpg&signature=c0157d3fef52874071d065c32a4a34ff","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-464511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}