July 10, 2020
We’ve recently been thinking a lot about the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others that are tied to the pervasive system of racial inequity in America.
We recognize that racism in hiring is only one small part of a problem spanning policing, housing, education and beyond. All of it needs to be addressed - and we all have a role to play in building the kind of equitable, inclusive society we believe in.
We believe the area where Golden Gate Recruits can make the biggest contribution is increasing representation in the workplace. It has taken too long for us to recognize and act on this. But we are pledging to do our part, starting today.
There is a major problem.
Hiring practices are unfair and discriminatory. They both reflect and magnify the broader inequality in our society. You only need to consider the current state of affairs to see the need for change.
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Only 3% of Silicon Valley workforce is Black and only 1% of execs are Black
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77% of VC-backed startup founders are white, and 91% are male
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For every dollar white men earn, Black women receive $0.62 and Latinas receive $0.54
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78% of startups have no policies to promote Diversity and Inclusion (D&I); 15% have no plans to adopt one
Starting today, we are making a commitment.
We know there’s more we can do to increase representation. We are starting with an immediate commitment to the following:
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Hire a person of color in the next role at Golden Gate Recruits
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Provide a candidate pipeline to our partner companies that has at least 10% Black, 10% Latinx, and 45% female candidates
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Donate $1,000 per employee ($4,000 for 2020) every year for the next 5 years to one organization that supports Black Lives Matter (for 2020 we chose Color of Change from this list)
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Develop a “pledge” that commits companies to increase diversity - starting with those we work with and hopefully expanding to more
We are hoping as many companies as possible will join us in this pledge (sign up if you’re interested). We will send another message in one month more concretely outlining these goals and commitments.
We don’t have all the answers, but we believe this process starts with asking questions - and listening. We want to approach this authentically, so are working with Black colleagues and diversity experts to further develop our plans to facilitate change on a larger scale.
Want to join us?
We’re trying to get many companies involved, so forward along to anyone that you think would be interested in participating:
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I work at a company that wants to participate in the pledge.
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I have an idea for what the pledge should include.
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I (or someone I know) would be a good advisor.
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I can help spread the word.
Real change takes time and this is just the start. We’re committed to pursuing longterm change and excited to work together to get there!
Take care,
️ ❤️ Phil and Golden Gate Recruits