At Diversify Tech, we spend a lot of time vetting companies before working with them, and it’s challenging – they do a pretty good job hiding issues through marketing and branding.
My advice: Don’t pay too much attention to DEI statements. I know that might sound strange coming from someone who runs Diversify Tech, but companies making statements for or against DEI is mostly performative marketing. Actions speak louder than words. As you are job searching, here are some approaches to research companies.
Know What You’re Looking For
Before you start researching, get clear on what matters most to you. You might not find a perfect company. The key is knowing which trade-offs you’re willing to make.
Write down what matters most to you:
- What are your core values? Do they match the company’s?
- What’s your minimum salary? Your ideal range?
- Location needs – remote, hybrid, or in-office?
- Work-life balance or high-growth environment?
- Being the “only one” from your background comes with extra burdens – mentoring, representing your entire community, educating others. Are you up for that, or do you need a place where you won’t be alone?
This way, when you spot red flags, you can decide if they’re deal-breakers or things you can work with.
Check How They Treat Their Employees
Now that you know what you’re looking for, let’s start digging. Marketing can say whatever it wants, but nothing reveals more about a company than how they treat their people. Reading employee reviews is one of the best ways to peek behind the curtain.
These review platforms can show you different perspectives:
- Glassdoor for general reviews, salaries, and interview experiences
- Inside Voices for reviews from employees of color
- InHerSight to understand women’s experiences, including things like parental leave and promotion opportunities
- Comparably for workplace culture insights and compensation data
- Blind if you want the unfiltered scoop – people get pretty honest when they’re anonymous
- Key Values to see how engineering teams actually put their values into practice
Don’t just look at star ratings. Pay attention to:
- Do you see the same issues coming up again and again?
- Are recent reviews better or worse than older ones?
- What are people saying about pay?
- How does management responds to problems?
- Is there room for people to grow, especially for people from underrepresented groups?
Look at How They Pay Their Employees
Another big tell about a company’s real values? Money. It’s one thing to talk about fairness and equity – it’s another to actually pay people what they’re worth.
Start with their careers page. Do they list salary ranges upfront, or do they play the “competitive salary” game? Do the salaries actually match market rates? Check out these salary comparison sites: levels.fyi, Built In, Comparably, Salary and Glassdoor.
Look at Who Actually Works There (and Who Gets Ahead)
Beyond pay and reviews, who’s in the room – and who gets to move up – tells another big part of the story.
LinkedIn can show you what’s really happening. Head to the company’s page and check out their People tab. Look for:
- Who’s in leadership?
- Are underrepresented folks mostly in non-technical roles?
- Do people stick around?
- Who’s getting promoted?
Try filtering for specific roles like “Software Engineer” to examine diversity within specific teams. Filter by senior positions to see who advances within the organization. This can tell you a lot about who actually moves up in the company.
Check the News
While you’re researching, don’t forget to look beyond the company’s walls. Search for the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google News – especially with keywords like “discrimination” or “lawsuit” added to the company name. This can tell you whether they’re making headlines for the wrong reasons, and how they handle problems when they come up.
Ask Current Employees
After doing your research, it’s time to get some inside perspective. You can reach out to current employees on LinkedIn or ask about the company in online communities that you may be part of. A good question to ask is “I’m considering applying to [company]. As someone from an underrepresented group in tech, I’d appreciate your honest thoughts about the work environment. Happy to keep our conversation private.”
Check Their Ethics
Don’t forget to look at the bigger picture. What does the company actually build and who do they work with? Actions speak louder than words here too.
Companies might say they support immigrants while working with ICE and Border Patrol. They might present themselves as progressive while supporting apartheid in Palestine. Look beyond their marketing and check:
- Boycat app – An app and browser extension to stay informed about companies that are violating ethics.
- #NoTechForIce campaigns via Mijente – Shows companies working with ICE.
- BDS Movement – Keeps track of companies supporting apartheid in Palestine.
- DEI Watch – Lists companies that have ended or scaled back their DEI efforts and companies that have active DEI initiatives.
This tells you a lot about how a company makes decisions when money is involved – and whether they’ll actually stand by their stated values.
Don’t Be Loyal to Companies
Even with all this research and good intel from employees, remember – company cultures can change fast. New leadership comes in, budget cuts happen, and suddenly those inclusive practices aren’t so important anymore.
Keep an eye on things even after you join. Build your network, save up for an emergency fund, and know when it’s time to leave. Companies will always put themselves first – you should do the same.
Final Thoughts
Want to know if a company really cares about diversity and inclusion? Skip the fancy statements and marketing. Look at what they actually do: how they treat their people, who they hire and promote, and whether they pay fairly.
And remember – even good companies can change. Keep watching out for yourself and be ready to move if you need to.