eBay: Lack of diversity in leadership positions
Global e-commerce giant eBay still has few women in its leadership and tech positions, having made little progress in diversifying its workforce during 2020, according to its latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report.
The report details what the company has done, where it is headed and how it plans to “remain committed to becoming a richly diverse, equitable and fearlessly inclusive place to work.”
Little progress for women and minorities
According to published data, women represented 40% of eBay’s global workforce in 2020, with the percentage remaining unchanged from the previous year. Their representation in leadership positions decreased to 29% from 31%, while their representation in technical positions remained stable at 24%. In non-tech roles, on the other side, women accounted for 51% up from 49% in 2019.
In terms of race and ethnicity, the company’s workforce in the U.S. was mostly White (45% vs 48%) and Asian (43% vs 40%) in 2020. Black communities’ representation remained very low, at 3%, while Hispanic/Latinx representation slightly increased at 8% from 7% in 2019.
Lack of diversity in leadership positions
Leadership positions at eBay remained disproportionately white in 2020. The company’s diversity report showed that only 2% of people in leadership roles were Black and 3% were Hispanic/Latinx, with the vast majority being White (61%).
In tech roles, on the other side, most employees were Asian (70%), while White employees accounted for 26%, Hispanic/Latinx 2% and Black just 1%. Employees in non-tech positions were mostly White (63%), with Black and Hispanic/Latinx representation being slightly better – but still low – at 5% and 13% respectively.
Challenges faced during 2020
“2020 was a year like no other. Set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, significant loss of life and renewed calls for social justice for the Black community, we saw many difficult and important topics brought to light. Small businesses faced closures, and existing social disparities were heightened; COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on the wellbeing and economic stability of Black, Hispanic/Latinx and other ethnic minority communities; members of the Asian/Pacific Islander community were increasingly targeted with violence; and working mothers withdrew from the workforce in record numbers. These are real and troubling facts,” Jamie Iannone, President & CEO of eBay, wrote in his note.
The company remains committed to “becoming a richly diverse, truly equitable and fearlessly inclusive place to work, grow, buy and sell,” he added.
Beric Alleyne, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, said in his message: “It is imperative that we continue to evolve and accelerate the changes necessary to truly get us to a place where everyone feels welcomed, like they truly belong and can ultimately thrive. Bolstered by eBay’s purpose, we strive to create fair opportunities for those who work here, for those who may want to work here and for entrepreneurs around the world. We must deliver real and meaningful access to the same opportunities for all.”
Initiatives towards diversity and inclusion
During the past year, eBay says it initiated a deeper, more introspective look at its employee practices and recognized that there is much more work to be done in order to build a company that is truly for everyone.
The company launched several global initiatives, some aimed at moving the organization toward conscious inclusion while others were aimed at recognizing its Communities of Inclusion (COIs) leaders for the role they play in strengthening the organisation’s culture.
“We continue to focus our DE&I efforts across three areas — our workforce, which looks at who and how we hire; our workplace, which focuses on leading inclusively and building a sense of belonging; and our marketplace, which ensures that the more than 185 million buyers and over 19 million sellers who experience our platform as well as the local communities we serve are included in our journey. Moving forward, we will apply a stronger equity-focused lens across all three areas to ensure that eBay becomes a truly welcoming, fair and inclusive place for everyone,” eBay says in its diversity report.
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