Dozens of current and former Dropbox employees allege gender discrimination

Greater than two dozen Dropbox staff say they’ve witnessed or skilled gender discrimination on the firm, in response to paperwork VentureBeat obtained and a number of present and former staff talking on situation of anonymity.

In December 2020, a supply acquainted with the matter despatched VentureBeat a doc containing nameless interviews with 16 present and former Dropbox staff who allege gender discrimination on the cloud computing firm. The report alleging discrimination started circulating internally after its creator despatched it to Dropbox staff all through North America on December 9. Compiled by a former Dropbox researcher, the report was not commissioned by Dropbox executives and is strongly contested by the corporate.

“Once I first learn the e-mail, when the report was despatched out, I began crying,” Supply 1, who mentioned she had skilled discrimination with regard to promotion at Dropbox, informed VentureBeat. “I used to be annoyed and virtually furious that so many different individuals had been experiencing it, too. I actually hoped that my private expertise was a one-off, and it was jarring and actually upsetting to see so many issues that would have been my story.”

The topics of the report alleging discrimination level to examples akin to “altering requirements for promotions, unequal compensation, being set again of their careers after maternity go away, and experiencing retribution once they take their circumstances to HR.” The report additionally detailed cases of alleged harassment and demotion after staff filed a grievance with Dropbox HR or returned to work following maternity go away.

Inside communications VentureBeat obtained point out that greater than a dozen Dropbox staff agreed with the report’s conclusions.

VentureBeat spoke with 5 present and former Dropbox staff, who all described experiences much like these detailed within the report. Individuals cited within the report and quoted on this story spoke on situation of anonymity resulting from concern of retaliation. Gender discrimination and circumstances of retaliation towards individuals who report discrimination — the sort that may breed poisonous office tradition and counteract positive aspects made by means of recruiting and hiring — have been reported at many tech firms, together with Google, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Uber.

In an interview with VentureBeat on Thursday, Dropbox officers mentioned the claims within the report alleging discrimination weren’t in keeping with the corporate’s knowledge. Following that dialog, Dropbox despatched VentureBeat the next assertion: “We might by no means need anybody to have the experiences described within the report, not to mention at Dropbox. We totally assessment all claims when they’re introduced ahead, and have discovered no proof of systemic discrimination.”

Shortly after talking with VentureBeat on Thursday about allegations of gender discrimination, Dropbox launched its 2020 diversity report, which it says again up its claims. In it, the corporate says that girls have been promoted at a better price than males for the fifth consecutive yr. The report additionally mentioned illustration for ladies on the managerial stage and above elevated from 35% in 2019 to 37% in 2020.

Stalled promotions and profession development

How firms select to advertise their staff is a significant influencer of firm tradition and employee sentiment. A 2018 Harvard Business Review survey of greater than 400,000 U.S. staff discovered that individuals who imagine promotions are dealt with correctly are twice as more likely to plan a long-term future with an organization and 5 instances as more likely to imagine firm leaders act with integrity.

Sources talking with VentureBeat criticized Dropbox’s promotion course of, which they are saying is basically depending on the temper and affect of their supervisor, somewhat than advantage.

A number of sources informed VentureBeat they believed their very own promotions had been delayed and claimed that individuals who establish as males are promoted at quicker charges than those that establish as ladies. The vast majority of ladies interviewed for the report alleging discrimination additionally recognized as ladies of coloration and talked a few must work twice as laborious to realize the identical stage of profession development as male colleagues, placing them at elevated danger of burnout. The report doesn’t focus on the experiences of non-binary Dropbox staff.

Dropbox makes use of a leveling system for promotions, from L1 for probably the most junior staff to L10 for cofounder and CEO Drew Houston. Individuals acquainted with the matter informed VentureBeat that based mostly on this technique, they imagine they need to have been promoted years in the past and that for some ladies, hiring and promotion appears to hit a ceiling round L3.

“I’ve persistently, in my promotion cycles, had documentation that I’ve overperformed however haven’t been given a chance for promotion based mostly on my time on the firm,” Supply 1 informed VentureBeat. “And that could be a widespread theme I’ve heard amongst different coworkers as properly, that oftentimes ladies are introduced in at decrease ranges and have a more durable time shifting ahead to the suitable ranges even when they’re acting at or above their stage.”

A Dropbox spokesperson informed VentureBeat it has been firm coverage to verbally disclose leveling on the time an individual is employed for not less than two years, however the majority of ladies interviewed for the report mentioned Dropbox didn’t disclose their preliminary stage on the time they had been employed.

Supply 2 described discovering out she was under-leveled. “About six months in, I spotted that I used to be severely under-leveled. I used to be doing the identical work because the individuals subsequent to me, however was paid a full stage beneath, most likely popping out to love an $80,000- or $100,000-a-year distinction,” she mentioned. “It appears like this actually bad-faith factor to say, ‘OK, simply since you don’t learn about leveling, we’re gonna screw you over.’” She added that she couldn’t discover a approach to treatment the state of affairs as soon as she grew to become conscious of it: “Nobody was keen to assist me rectify it.”

“Finally, there are two blockers to profession development for ladies at Dropbox: management accountability, and HR accountability,” the report reads.

Lack of HR help

The report consists of 15 accounts of alleged discrimination that staff say had been reported to HR however left unaddressed. And the ladies interviewed for the report unanimously agreed that cases of discrimination staff witnessed or skilled firsthand went unaddressed after being reported to HR.

Whereas their experiences diverse, a number of present and former Dropbox staff who spoke with VentureBeat additionally mentioned the corporate didn’t provoke significant motion in response to discrimination complaints dropped at the HR group.

Supply 3 mentioned they felt supported when in direct conversations with HR however that they’ve but to see actual change following these conversations.

Supply 4 advised that the corporate tended to see reported incidents as anomalies, somewhat than proof of a systemic downside.

“I personally suppose that the way in which HR handles these points [is] an enormous a part of the issue,” Supply 4 mentioned. “It form of goes again to even you probably have dangerous seeds or no matter and the corporate doesn’t wish to blame it on a cultural situation — I believe that HR permits these dangerous seeds.”

Lots of the present and former staff VentureBeat interviewed mentioned the report made them really feel seen.

“It was like being un-gaslit, I assume,” Supply 2 mentioned of studying the report. “I’ve been telling individuals, you realize, I’ve this bizarre expertise with HR, I had this bizarre expertise with a supervisor. And other people would all the time say — like HR or different males I labored with or extra senior ladies would all the time be like, ‘I believe you misinterpreted the state of affairs’ or ‘you realize, are you positive that it wasn’t your conduct’? All of us have a narrative,” she mentioned.

To deal with accountability issues, the report advisable that Dropbox implement quite a lot of modifications, together with an exterior investigation of HR practices and the formation of a board of staff who are usually not in senior management positions to information and monitor HR processes.

Dropbox’s variety initiatives

Dropbox launched a program referred to as Undertaking Maia in July 2020 to extend retention charges amongst feminine and underrepresented minority (URM) staff. The grievance report says Dropbox recognized 200 ladies as excessive flight dangers and had their managers host “keep interviews.” The report claims these interviews put the workers at additional danger since many already felt they might not brazenly share issues with the managers accountable for their efficiency evaluations and potential promotions.

Present and former Dropbox staff who spoke with VentureBeat additionally agreed with the report’s conclusion that the corporate’s variety initiatives have required underrepresented minority teams and ladies to do extra, unpaid labor to make Dropbox a extra inclusive firm.

For instance, the corporate’s LEAD program identifies high-performing staff involved in changing into leaders for profession improvement {and professional} development programs. However individuals who spoke with VentureBeat and people cited within the report about gender discrimination at Dropbox mentioned this system gave certified ladies extra work commitments and stretch targets as an alternative of merely selling them, as they imagine male colleagues tended to be.

“The initiatives that I’ve been part of really feel like they’re asking [women] to tackle extra work to be able to, say, discover influence of their profession, search mentors, and many others., somewhat than placing the duty on others, like the massive variety of white males in management,” Supply 3 informed VentureBeat.

Supply 4 didn’t take part in LEAD however mentioned that whereas they like that persons are given assets to assist them excel, such a program doesn’t get to the foundation of why ladies at Dropbox aren’t getting raises and shifting up of their careers in an equitable method.

“I would love there to be much less dialog about what the person does and extra about what the corporate can do, and I believe that kind of dialogue is missing,” Supply 5 mentioned.

Supply 5 was additionally skeptical about LEAD’s worth, telling VentureBeat, “If you wish to provide an empowerment program, it ought to be to someone who wants assist leveling as much as get on that taking part in subject. However these individuals [in LEAD] are displaying that they do the identical work as their white male colleagues, and also you’re telling them they’re nonetheless lacking one thing.”

“It’s avoiding the precise downside,” Supply 5 continued. “They don’t want mentorship. They want sponsorship.”

Dropbox executives’ preliminary response to the allegations

In response to inner paperwork obtained by VentureBeat, the report on gender discrimination was first shared with Dropbox executives on December 8, and with all Dropbox staff in North America on December 9. Within the days following the discharge of that report, senior Dropbox staff responded in quite a lot of methods.

In an e-mail on December 9, Houston informed Dropbox staff the corporate takes discrimination claims critically however that for the reason that quoted sources are nameless, Dropbox wanted to “observe up and study extra.” He then urged anybody with discrimination claims or the power to substantiate nameless claims within the report to come back ahead utilizing third-party worker whistleblower service Convercent.

Supply 3 informed VentureBeat that Houston’s statements got here off as an try to undermine the outcomes of the report as an alternative of taking steps to defend staff. Supply 1 referred to as Houston’s response tone-deaf and a missed alternative to say one thing significant concerning the gender discrimination documented in that report.

“It was horrible. It was patronizing,” Supply 2 informed VentureBeat. “It simply felt dismissive and virtually intentional in its making an attempt to discredit [the author of the report]. And it’s irritating as a result of that’s the lived expertise of loads of us at Drew’s firm, and right here he’s saying this isn’t the way in which to unravel your issues.”

In an interview with VentureBeat Thursday, Dropbox head of DEI Danny Guillory defended Houston’s response.

“My understanding was that the objective was to have extra data to have the ability to act on it, to have the ability to examine immediately, as a result of until it’s truly dropped at us as a declare, we’re not in a position to examine,” Guillory mentioned. “So, that’s my understanding. Drew, truly, I believe, takes this actually critically.”

Individuals VentureBeat spoke to for this story took situation with the corporate’s request that they share discrimination claims or issues with Convercent. The report concerning the expertise of ladies working at Dropbox doesn’t point out Convercent, however present and former staff informed VentureBeat they had been skeptical {that a} service supplied by their employer would result in significant motion or guarantee them privateness.

“I don’t belief it,” Supply 3 informed VentureBeat. “I don’t belief HR. I imagine that the attorneys, that the [whistleblowing service] would reject you or are right here to guard enterprise, and so is HR.”

The day after Houston emailed staff concerning the discrimination allegations within the report, Dropbox chief authorized officer Bart Volkmer and chief individuals officer Melanie Collins shared the corporate’s subsequent steps in a message to Dropbox’s inner #ladies channel in Slack.

Their message reiterated Dropbox’s acknowledged dedication to creating the corporate a “truthful place to work” and asserted that claims made within the grievance report weren’t mirrored in attrition or promotion knowledge or worker surveys.

In addition they outlined extra steps the corporate deliberate to take to handle points raised by the grievance report, together with internet hosting small espresso chats with the workers and starting a quarterly assessment course of for discrimination and harassment claims led by DEI, authorized, and folks groups with “staff-level visibility.” Dropbox additionally claimed it might convene focus teams led by an unbiased third celebration to assemble insights from feminine staff, with a concentrate on L3 staff. Dropbox mentioned data shared in such focus teams could be collected anonymously.

Dropbox’s DEI City Corridor

A day after the report alleging gender discrimination was despatched to all Dropbox staff in North America, executives held an annual city corridor assembly to share the newest firm variety statistics and deal with the report.

Houston talked about how the corporate has three full-time workers members devoted to variety recruiting at universities and conferences and the way distant hiring may open new avenues for various hiring practices.

He applauded the work of the DEI group and praised worker useful resource teams for ladies and Black Dropbox staff. He additionally conceded that Dropbox “nonetheless has loads of work to do on a number of fronts.”

Alluding to the report, Houston mentioned the objective of this city corridor was to “stage set the information to offer individuals a full image of what’s happening.”

“As a result of what tends to occur is, as I see items, if I’m not likely concerned on this work like we’re, we don’t essentially see the total gestalt. And in order that’s what we’ll hope to offer and share with you right here,” he mentioned.

Houston additionally mentioned he was happy with the DEI pilot Undertaking LEAD, regardless of criticism of this system within the report.

“Thus far, of the 42 individuals who began this system in April, 100% of them are literally nonetheless right here at Dropbox, which to me is an efficient signal,” he mentioned.

Guillory informed VentureBeat in an interview Thursday that roughly 330 staff had been eligible to take part in this system.

On the city corridor, Dropbox additionally took the chance to share its newest annual variety knowledge. As a part of the presentation, a DEI workers member mentioned ladies presently characterize 39.3% of staff, up 0.8% from 2019, and URM illustration is 12.5%, up 0.3% from 2019.

In response to knowledge shared in the course of the city corridor, 21% of ladies at Dropbox obtained promotions versus 18% of males in 2020, whereas self-identified members of URM teams had been promoted at a price commensurate with non-URM staff.

The corporate additionally mentioned that about 37% of Dropbox staff who rank L4 and above are ladies, up 1.5%, whereas 18.5% of tech roles ranked L4 or above belong to ladies, up 3.7% from 2019.

“It’s attention-grabbing as a result of the premise of what was mentioned [in the report alleging discrimination] was that the promotion charges are much less, and the information is definitely telling us that the promotion charges of ladies are literally increased,” Guillory mentioned in the course of the assembly. “So there appears to be a disconnect that, frankly, we’re form of scuffling with a little bit bit. And so I believe we’re gonna must do some qualitative analysis as a result of the quantitative analysis doesn’t truly match up with what was acknowledged there. And in order that doesn’t imply that there’s not one thing we have to seize, it simply means we’re going to must discover a totally different approach to seize it.”

Dropbox Q&A

The report alleging gender discrimination at Dropbox was the first subject of dialog in a question-and-answer session with Dropbox staff after remarks by Houston and DEI workers, which included a comparability to variety knowledge from different tech firms like Fb, Google, Netflix, and Slack.

Collins mentioned in the course of the Q&A that almost all of promotions at Dropbox are for L2 and L3 staff and dealt with by M3 and M4 managers. Collins cited coverage stating that managers are anticipated to “current a balanced and fact-based case” for promotions and mentioned the corporate evaluations promotion metrics based mostly on race, gender, area, and particular firm group.

“I believe there’s a notion that there’s simply loads of subjectivity, proper? If my particular person supervisor doesn’t agree that I ought to be promoted then I’m being held again indirectly,” Collins mentioned.

Going ahead, Collins and Guillory mentioned, Dropbox staff will even be capable of see all suggestions from colleagues, somewhat than having that data submitted to a supervisor who summarizes suggestions tied to promotions.

Dropbox’s response to VentureBeat’s request for remark

In an interview Thursday with VentureBeat, Guillory mentioned Dropbox worker suggestions didn’t mirror the discrimination detailed within the report alleging discrimination, although an worker survey shared in the course of the city corridor confirmed a slight decline within the variety of staff who imagine they’ve an equal alternative to succeed.

When requested whether or not Dropbox doubts the validity of any of the report findings, Guillory mentioned “I can’t converse to the experiences, ones that had been by no means reported on to us. We didn’t have a chance to analyze. As soon as the report did come out, we invited individuals to both report on to the group or to make use of our third celebration, our impartial third-party hotline to report, and sadly, we weren’t in a position to act on that.”