Trailblazer PACESETTER Late Bloomer
Company Narrative
Microsoft, a technology company, has been ranked as a PACESETTER on the Women’s Power and Influence Index.
Among its achievements, Microsoft has several community engagement programs for women, such as DigiGirlz Camp which encourages young girls to pursue a career in technology. In addition, Microsoft has recruitment programs and partnerships in effect, such as Girls Who Code, that inspire women to enter the technology field.
As for 2021, women make up 32% of Microsoft’s workforce and 33% of its leadership are women.
Sufficient information including Microsoft’s mentorship programs for women and a defined retaliation policy could not be found.
Workforce Profile
Equitable Pay
✓ Does the company demonstrate a clear and transparent commitment to equal pay?
“At Microsoft, we are committed to the principle of pay equity. Pay equity accounts for factors that legitimately influence total pay, including things like job title, level, and tenure.”
Ref: Pg 30, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company perform an annual analysis of gender pay equity and pay disparities?
“This pay equity data represents total pay. Our total pay analysis considers base, annual bonus, and stock awards at the time of annual rewards for rewards eligible employees.”
Ref: Pg 30, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Do female employees earn at least 95% of what their male counterparts earn?
“As of September 2022, inside the US, women who are rewards eligible earn $1.007 total pay for every $1.000 earned by rewards-eligible employees who are men and have the same job title and level and considering tenure. As of September 2022, outside the US, women who are rewards eligible earn $1.002 total pay for every $1.000 earned by men who are rewards eligible with the same job title and level and considering tenure in these combined geographies.”
Ref: Pg 30, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
Career Growth
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to actively attracting, retaining, and/or promoting women within the organization?
“Women now make up more than 30.0% of the core Microsoft workforce worldwide, ending the year at 30.7%. Over the past five years (since 2018), representation of women has grown at least 1.0 percentage point every year.”
Ref: Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for female employees?
“ERGs:
• Provide career development and networking opportunities
• Create spaces for connection, support, and celebration
• Drive activities that promote community engagement and cultural awareness
ERG: Women at Microsoft”
Ref: Pg 35, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for diverse employees?
“ERGs:
• Provide career development and networking opportunities
• Create spaces for connection, support, and celebration
• Drive activities that promote community engagement and cultural awareness
ERG: Asians at Microsoft, GLEAM (Global LGBTQIA+ Employees and Allies at Microsoft), HOLA (Hispanic and Latinx Organization of Leaders in Action)”
Ref: Pg 35, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✘ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of all female employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✘ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of diverse employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✓ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit female candidates?
“Through a range of initiatives and partnerships, we’re helping young people discover a passion for tech and envision a future filled with possibility. Through our partnerships with Technolochicas, Girls Who Code, and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing, we’re carving new pathways to opportunity.”
Ref: Microsoft Recruitment (Website)
“This year, we enhanced our interview and hiring processes with an updated inclusive hiring training required for all managers and available to interviewers.”
Ref: Pg 24, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit diverse candidates?
“Through a range of initiatives and partnerships, we’re helping young people discover a passion for tech and envision a future filled with possibility. Through our partnerships with Technolochicas, Girls Who Code, and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing, we’re carving new pathways to opportunity.”
Ref: Microsoft Recruitment (Website)
“This year, we enhanced our interview and hiring processes with an updated inclusive hiring training required for all managers and available to interviewers.”
Ref: Pg 24, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
Work-Life Balance
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to providing support and/or time off for women with children?
“We set standards with our employee experience so that employees feel supported and engaged in all the moments that matter at work and beyond. Our approach is informed by an evolving understanding of employees’ identities and needs across life phases, cultures, family structures, personal and career goals, and more.”
Ref: Pg 29, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company provide child care support for employees?
“We give you time away to focus on the people who matter most with leave for new parents and family caregiver leave, adoption assistance, parenting classes and family support programs, as well as subsidized and discounted childcare and back-up care for children, adults, and elders.”
Ref: Microsoft Benefits (Website)
✓ Does the company offer subsidized child care?
“We give you time away to focus on the people who matter most with leave for new parents and family caregiver leave, adoption assistance, parenting classes and family support programs, as well as subsidized and discounted childcare and back-up care for children, adults, and elders.”
Ref: Microsoft Benefits (Website)
✓Does the company offer paid maternity leave for birthing parents?
“We give you time away to focus on the people who matter most with leave for new parents and family caregiver leave, adoption assistance, parenting classes and family support programs, as well as subsidized and discounted childcare and back-up care for children, adults, and elders.”
Ref: Microsoft Benefits (Website)
✓Does the company provide paid parental leave that extends beyond birthing parents to include surrogacy, adoption, and paternity leave?
“We give you time away to focus on the people who matter most with leave for new parents and family caregiver leave, adoption assistance, parenting classes and family support programs, as well as subsidized and discounted childcare and back-up care for children, adults, and elders.”
Ref: Microsoft Benefits (Website)
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to supporting the health benefits of its female employees?
“We set standards with our employee experience so that employees feel supported and engaged in all the moments that matter at work and beyond. Our approach is informed by an evolving understanding of employees’ identities and needs across life phases, cultures, family structures, personal and career goals, and more.”
Ref: Pg 29, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company offer women-specific health benefits for female employees?
“Family planning, fertility, and adoption support.”
Ref: Pg 29, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
Workplace Standards
✓ Does the company have a policy listing prohibited behaviors, such as harassment and retaliation?
“The Company has an Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy that was most recently amended on March 5, 2021. Previously, the policy had been revised on June 3, 2019 to update the complaint and investigation process and the provision against retaliation. On March 5, 2021, the policy’s requirements were updated, examples of improper conduct were added, and manager obligations were clarified. Defining Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination The policy broadly prohibits sexual harassment and gender discrimination. With respect to sexual harassment, the policy provides several examples of improper conduct. However, it does not expressly include the definition of sexual harassment used by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”), which we often see in policies of other employers. That definition is set forth below: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.”
Ref: Pg 4, Microsoft Anti Harassment Policy
✓ Does the company mandate all employees to undergo harassment and discrimination training?
“Microsoft has robust policies, trainings, and complaint and investigation procedures addressing the issues of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and has made meaningful efforts to make improvements in these areas during the period covered by this Project.”
Ref: Pg 3, Microsoft Anti Harassment Policy
✘ Does the company have a defined harassment policy that includes promptly addressing reported incidents?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
Stakeholder Engagement
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping external stakeholders address gender equality issues?
“As part of pursuing our mission and our commitments, Microsoft has contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2015, when the United Nations (UN) created them. Today, we support the SDGs through our leadership and our investments in programs, partnerships, and initiatives—seeking to unleash the power of digital technology to advance progress across the 17 goals”
Ref: Pg 25, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company offer and support initiatives that promote gender equality in the community?
“Since its inception in 2000, Microsoft Corporation developed the DigiGirlz Technology Program series to inspire girls to explore careers in the technology field. Microsoft hopes that by introducing girls to the opportunities and career choices available to them, more college-bound young women will consider computing science and computer engineering majors and pursue degrees that will ultimately narrow the gender gap in the technology industry. Organized and run by Microsoft employee volunteers- the Microsoft DigiGirlz Programs have proven to be an invaluable tool for getting young girls excited about technology. Educating and inspiring the next generation of women IT leaders by introducing them to the considerable opportunities and career choices available to them.”
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping internal stakeholders/employees address gender equality issues?
“Employees at all levels know that D&I is central to our success and that it’s their responsibility to actively engage in our evolution by practicing inclusion, learning from failure, and accelerating our progress through their everyday actions. Four years ago, in alignment with our growth mindset culture, we embedded D&I as a performance expectation for all employees, to bring to the forefront our vision of a truly inclusive culture for all. Through our D&I Core Priority, part of our performance and development approach, we ask employees and managers to learn and practice the skills that create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. This often sparks difficult but crucial conversations that can challenge our fundamental view of ourselves and bring new awareness of others.”
Ref: Pg 9, Microsoft D&I Report 2022
✓ Does the company offer equity-focused trainings, speaker programs, or events for employees?
“Session 1: Equality in Action: Closing the Gender Gap in AI; Session 2: Equality in Action: Protecting and Promoting Gender Equality in Ukraine; Session 3: Equality in Action: Female empowerment in research and innovation”