Say hi to the Spotify diversity data!
We’ve been wanting to share this for a long time
We are very pleased to tell the world that our Diversity Data Report is finally in a place where it makes sense for us to publish it. As Spotifiers, we are always striving for transparency and accountability, and we believe this is another step in that direction.
Like many other companies before us, this is not a ‘shout it from the rooftops’ event but rather a way for us to get real about our current status, what we’ve been working on to get there and where we’re headed with this data. Nonetheless we are proud of the strides we’ve made, and even more committed to changing the areas we need to do much better in.
This is how we are faring
All these figures are from our June 2018 Diversity Data Report.
Collecting the data
Being a Swedish born and globally raised young company, one of the challenges when it comes to collecting and sharing diversity data has been the differences in both regulations and context between all the different parts of the world where we operate. What makes sense to measure and report on in one part of the world may not make sense, feel honest, or even be legally possible in another.
We set out to collect this data in the most respectful way possible, through self-identification via our HR data tool, and anonymous self-identification via our annual Inclusion Survey. Both of these methods mean that we simply ask our employees very nicely to share this information. And we have had a great response by any comparison, but we still have 14 – 20% blank or missing data (depending on the demographic category). So improving the self-identification rates is one thing we will keep pushing for next year – we want all of our people to feel comfortable to share this information, as this data is vital input to all the diversity and inclusion work we do.
Digging into the results
It’s always a big day when you get your survey numbers back and this year we got a little bit of everything. Some results were expected for example our global representation of women (38.7%). Some are encouraging, for example increasing our US black employee representation by 3.6%. This is exactly why we need this data, to know where to direct our efforts!
“Our greatest asset is our people and we want to treat them all fairly”
Daniel Ek, CEO
But Diversity is still nothing without Inclusion
Diversity data aside, over the past two years since this collection began we knew the work is so much more than just the numbers for us. We want deep meaningful change and inclusion activities that seed both diversity and inclusion ubiquitously into everything we do as a company. Having the most diverse and included workforce is vital to our innovation, success and for having a lasting impact on the world. With that in mind, we have launched and run over 100 Respectful workplace and Unconscious Bias workshops in offices across the world. We’ve grown our Employee Resource Groups from 6 to 13 and they act as a critical vehicle for amplifying our culture and belonging. We’ve also held over 100 talent outreach programs in partnership with a vast array of talent experts to help us identify underrepresented talent we want to see at Spotify. We have developed unique diversity programs to attract top talent, like our US fellowship program and AMP Development (Business Marketing rotational program) initiative just to name a few. We have also taken very intentional steps to reduce bias at every stage of our candidate evaluation process.
In addition, we have also launched a number of prominent campaigns on Spotify (the service) to voice matters that impact us, our employees, the creator community and our users (Pride, Women’s History, Black History, Latin Heritage, the list goes on). Our focus was never just on reporting or even improving our diversity numbers, it’s on making sure that all diversity matters. That’s why we also measure inclusion yearly. Watch this space, we will share this year’s inclusion findings next month along with our planned actions!
This is just the beginning
While we are very happy to finally have published our data, this is really just the beginning. Our grand plan for the future is to step up as a leader in this space. We want our band members’ diversity to reflect that of the world around us, on all levels. And we want our employees to report a strong sense of belonging, regardless of which group they belong to. We want a climate in our organization and offices where everyone can feel welcome and valued; employees, guests, partners and creators alike.
Yet, for now, we have some serious work to do specifically around increasing the share of senior women leaders and focus on female representation in our technology organization, diversifying our racial landscape in the US, investing in the intersectional experiences of our employees, and ensuring our service is welcoming to all. That’s a lot of work that still needs to be done, so we’d better get back to it. Read more about the Diversity & Inclusion at Spotify here, where we will keep publishing diversity numbers annually from now on, and stay tuned for the results of our inclusion survey next month.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, or what music you love.
We depend on our diversity for innovation, progress and a great environment for everyone.
