Corporate survey: Frequently asked questions
What is the Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Survey?
After three years working with executives from technology companies to identify important diversity metrics, the Women in Tech Initiative at UC (WITI@UC), in collaboration with the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley, has developed this simple “check all that apply” survey to provide greater transparency, to foster adoption of evidence-based best practices, and to empower students to make more informed decisions on corporate culture fit when evaluating job offers.
Why is the survey being done?
Berkeley Engineering is committed to ensuring its graduates will be able to move smoothly into companies where all employees are welcome, valued and included. Together with WITI@UC, whose mission is to promote the equitable participation, persistence and advancement of women in tech, and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, the college is promoting this survey as a foundational step to share employers’ adoption of metric tracking and inclusive policies, practices and benefits.
What will be done with the information collected?
This information will be shared transparently with students and the public. The initial focus will be on companies recruiting at Berkeley, but the responses will be easily shared with students at other UCs and universities. This information will be available online.
Which companies are participating in the survey?
All participating companies can be seen through the interactive portal, which will be updated as responses are provided. The goal is for all companies that recruit engineering students on the Berkeley campus to complete the survey and update information annually. All science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based companies are especially encouraged to participate. In the future, the survey could be made available to all employers.
How often is the data collected?
Updates will be collected annually. However, companies can contact Berkeley Engineering to submit updates as needed.
Will it be anonymous?
No, the data collected will be attributed to the company submitting the survey.
Why aren’t you asking for real numbers or percentages?
At this time, and after conversations with companies, we decided the most expedient way to get started is to simply ask “check all that apply” questions to establish a baseline. In the future, we will work with companies to share more data. We also invite companies to share a message to students and to link to specific data on their website.
Why would companies provide this information?
Sharing this data will help companies attract the diverse talent they are seeking. Technology companies are making efforts to improve workplace culture and to ensure everyone feels like they belong. This survey will give companies a platform to share their efforts, goals and commitment to inclusion. There has been a great deal of research that shows the return on investment for companies with diverse teams includes improved talent recruitment and retention, greater innovation and better financial performance.
Why would students care about this information?
This snapshot of data will help students make employment decisions that align with their values. Students are increasingly concerned about company culture and are seeking out workplaces where they can bring their authentic self to work, and where they can collaborate in an environment that deeply values everyone.
Why aren’t you asking about “X”?
We tried to keep this initial survey short, and we look forward to iterating based on feedback. For companies or students, if there is data, benefits, or processes that you feel are important and could impact employment decisions, please let us know.
Who fills out the survey?
The senior human resources executive at each participating company is responsible for ensuring the completion and accuracy of the information submitted in the survey.
