The report surveyed more than 1,400 tech workers across the US, and provides the first look at how tech employees perceive diversity progress in their industry after the 2016 presidential election, Atlassian claims.

Some 48% of tech workers said the recent presidential election made them care more about diversity. But 35% said they predict the election will hurt their company’s existing diversity efforts. Just 12% said they think it will help these efforts.

The election did spur positive changes in terms of diversity and inclusion (D&I) among colleagues: 57% of respondents said they learned more about the experiences of a colleague who was different from them, and 50% said they engaged leaders on how to create a more inclusive environment.

However, there also seems to be a discrepancy between tech worker perceptions of diversity and reality: While 83% of professionals surveyed said their company is already diverse, the fact remains that only about 2% of the tech workforce is black, 3% is Latino, and 24% is female, the report stated.

“In a nutshell, the data shows we’ve been effective at raising awareness, but not of deepening understanding of the fundamental problem and the ways to resolve it,” Aubrey Blanche, Atlassian’s global head of diversity and inclusion, wrote in a blog post accompanying the report. “But [it] also shows there is huge opportunity: Since the election, people are both more concerned about D&I and willing to take action to promote inclusion.”

Some 75% of tech workers said their company has a diversity program of some kind in place, while 17% said their company has no diversity program whatsoever.

The majority of tech workers said they believe a “bottoms up” approach to diversity and inclusion will be the most effective. When asked who are the biggest drivers of impact for diversity and inclusion, 57% said individuals, 54% said companies, and 36% said grassroots movements. Meanwhile, 22% said national government, 17% said local government, and 15% said the judicial system.

This is positive, because true diversity efforts require the help of frontline tech workers and middle managers, Blanche wrote in the post. “While it’s true we need support from senior leadership to make key investments in D&I programs, we’re never going to build truly inclusive cultures if we don’t have support and engagement from the people who actually make up those cultures,” Blanche wrote.

Atlassian offers the following tips for achieving more diversity in tech companies:

1. Companies must accurately analyze the diversity of their organizations, functions, and teams.

2. Companies must equip their employees with actionable strategies, to help them create inclusive environments that attract and sustain a diverse workforce.

3. Individuals must understand the state of diversity in tech, and contribute to practices that change their teams, companies, and industry culture for the better.

The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers

1. In a new diversity report from Atlassian, 35% of tech workers said they believe the recent US presidential election will hinder their company’s diversity efforts.

2. Three-quarters of tech workers said their company had a diversity program of some kind in place.

3. The majority of tech workers said they believe a “bottom up” approach to increasing diversity and inclusion, starting with individuals and companies, will be most effective.

Business Technology Weekly is TechRepublic’s news podcast, featuring tech headlines, trends, and stories. This week we discuss how to jump off a mountain, digital farms, and the PayPal Mafia.

This week on TechRepublic’s Business Technology Weekly podcast, hosts Dan Patterson, Bill Detwiler, and Amy Talbot discuss VR and wingsuit flying, advances in digital ranching, and how the PayPal Mafia continues to be a major influence in Silicon Valley.

Full Episode

Podcast: Business Technology Weekly — I believe I can fly was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On this episode of the TechRepublic podcast Enterprise Editor Conner Forrest explains the AT&T and Google Fiber fight in Louisville that could have national implications. Managing Editor Bill Detwiler brings us up to date with the latest in the Apple and FBI tussle. Finally, we share feedback on what TechRepublic readers think about encryption.

Links mentioned in this episode:
AT&T goes to war with Google Fiber in Louisville: Why Ma Bell could win and what it would mean

Apple’s FBI standoff: Why it’s a lot bigger than breaking into one device

Apple vs. FBI: TechRepublic members speak out, side with Apple

What the history of cyber war teaches us about Apple-FBI standoff and today’s security nightmares

Story

Thanks for listening.

Google and AT&T: Fighting fiber with fiber was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

From high-performance rigs like the Rift and Vive, to entry-level mobile sets like Google Cardboard and the LG 360, 2016 is the year VR became a reality for business and consumers. Nowhere is the reality of VR more apparent than 2016’s Mobile World Congress convention in Barcelona, Spain. On this episode of the podcast, TechRepublic’s VR expert Erin Carson fields questions from Jason Hiner and Dan Patterson about what VR headlines from MWC means for business and consumers.

Story

Why 2016 is the bloodsport year in VR was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Did social media kill the mobile news application? This week on the TechRepublic podcast we debate the innovations, failures, and future of mobile news applications.

Story

The mobile news app is dead. Long live the news. was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Apple has chosen not to meet the FBI’s demands to help reveal the information that is on the iPhone of one of the killers in the December 2015 San Bernardino shooting. Why is Apple being so intransigent and what are the larger implications for the tech industry? That’s what Bill Detwiler and Jason Hiner discussed in a special 30-minute episode of the TechRepublic Podcast.

Story

Apple’s FBI standoff: Why it’s a lot bigger than breaking into one device was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In the days just prior to the first primary of the 2016 presidential campaign, media companies, candidates, surrogates, protesters, and even livestock streamed through a radio row in downtown, Manchester, New Hampshire.

TechRepublic spoke with voters, elected officials, celebrities, and other reporters about the role of big data, cybersecurity, and social media in political campaigns. This is the third of a three part series about technology and politics. Our goal is to draw parallels with campaigns and startups, and illuminate useful takeaways that you can use in your business.

Story

Tech shaping the presidential race was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

During the 2016 campaign the smart money is on big data. Even old-school snail mail and robocalls are powered by cutting edge social media strategies and data analysis.

The winning candidates used big data effectively to target and activate voters.This season we’re on the trail, and deep in the data that matters. Episode 27 of the TechRepublic podcast is the second of our three-episode series about how technology is shaping the 2016 US presidential election, and what you can learn from it to improve your business.

Story.

Iowa: Big data, big win was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The 2016 US presidential race is in chaos because social media and big data enable fringe candidates to activate grassroots movements-and the party establishment on both sides is powerless to stop it.

Story.

Is tech breaking the 2016 election? was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was one of the biggest and most exciting shows in the history of the expo. It was also one of the loudest. On this week’s episode of the TechRepublic podcast our team of expert reporters help cut the static and dial-in this year’s essential business tech takeaways.

Jason Hiner:

• Self-driving cars won the week at CES 2016, with AI and big data the unsung heroes
• CES 2016: IBM one-ups AI with ‘cognitive’ solutions, Rometty declares dawn of new era

Bill Detwiler:

• CES 2016: LG Display shows off displays that you can roll up, see through, and use in your car
• CES 2016: NVIDIA Drive PX 2 supercomputer for self-driving cars like having 150 MacBook Pros in your trunk

Erin Carson:

• Hands on with the new HTC Vive Pre: Hardware improvements could keep you in VR longer
• VR and AR at CES 2016: 4 key takeaways

Teena Maddox:

• CES 2016: The future of smart fitness tech
• CES 2016 photos: Wacky, weird and over-the-top tech

The TechRepublic podcast is available for free in the podcast feed (subscribe via RSS or iTunes). You can also listen directly in the embedded player below.

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CES 2016: The essential stories was originally published in The TechRepublic Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.