Photo by Christina Morillo

Addressing Pay Equity in Tech

Despite earning more STEM degrees than their male counterparts, women of color face the largest pay gaps in STEM fields. This study proposes a systematic employee lifecycle audit methodology to identify and address structural inequities in organizational advancement systems.

  • Women of color in STEM experience significant pay inequities despite strong educational credentials. Black women earn 68% of STEM Master's degrees compared to 39% for Black men, yet earn the lowest wages ($57K vs $103K for Asian men). This suggests systemic barriers beyond individual qualifications.

  • Organizations can identify how to increase pay equity outcomes by conducting an audit of the employee lifecycle (attract → hire → develop → advance) to examine the decision-making process across:

    • Recruitment and hiring practices

    • Performance evaluation systems

    • Promotion and advancement criteria

    • Compensation philosophy implementation

    • Mentorship and development opportunities

  • Companies with equitable ladders are 1.6x more likely to exceed financial targets, 2.1x better at attracting talent, and 1.7x more innovative. This means companies get both individual career growth and organizational competitive advantage.

The Pay Gap .jpg
A focus on women of color.jpg
Elements to Address.jpg
A systems approach.jpg
An Audit of the Employee Lifecycle.jpg
Project Plan and Timeline.jpg
The Impact.jpg
[Final]_ A Path to Progress.png
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