Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Salesforce has long been a pioneer in championing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and the company’s outstanding commitment to driving not only the Salesforce ecosystem but the wider world forward has inspired countless organizations to strive for the same goal. And Mason Frank is one of them.
Since we started working in the Salesforce space almost 15 years ago, we’ve followed Salesforce’s lead in operating with inclusion in mind.
Every day, our Women in Tech practice works to empower female Salesforce professionals, connect them with career opportunities, and advocate for greater inclusivity. Every year, we celebrate examples of industry-wide change through the Digital Revolution Awards, lifting up outstanding EDI initiatives and inspiring others to take action. And since 2013, we’ve published this annual report into the current state of diversity and inclusion in our industry, highlighting what’s working, where we’re lagging behind, and what Salesforce professionals on the front lines believe needs to be done to make the space a great place to work for everyone.
Throughout all our work on EDI in the Salesforce universe, we’ve learned that one thing in particular is critical when pushing to get to a better place: transparency. Because only when we’re all on the same page, with a thorough understanding of the goals we’re working to achieve and why they’re important, can we make real progress.
That’s why it’s particularly concerning that this year’s results highlight a lack of transparency around the gender pay gap.
Just 55% of our respondents said they thought their employer pays men and women equally for equal work, with only 42% of female respondents believing this to be true.
Where transparency is lacking, mistrust grows. And we cannot allow even more already-underrepresented technologists to give up hope that they can be treated fairly in our ecosystem.
We still have so much more to do to achieve true inclusivity and equality in tech, but being clear and honest about where we are now and where we’re working to get to goes a long way towards building trust, especially for those Salesforce professionals from marginalized backgrounds.
Salesforce is for everyone, and we hope that by sharing this data, we can address our collective failings and create a Salesforce ecosystem where everyone has a fair shot at success.
Zoë Morris
President
Mason Frank
What do equality, diversity, and inclusion look like in the Salesforce universe?
Does your employer have a policy on either of the following?
Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
-
Yes, there is a clear policy 66% - Yes, but the policy has not been formalized 9%
- No 7%
- Not sure 18%
Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
- Yes, there is a clear policy 49%
- Yes, but the policy has not been formalized 11%
- No 11%
- Not sure 30%
EDI Initiatives
Over two-thirds (67% ) of organizations have invested resources into EDI initiatives, down from 75% in our previous survey.
What are organizations' top EDI priorities?
Are employers providing equal pay for equal work?
| Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally | 55% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 7% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all | 6% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all | 5% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 3% |
| Not sure | 24% |
| Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally | 63% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 6% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all | 4% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all | 4% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 4% |
| Not sure | 19% |
| Yes, I believe my employer pays men and women equally | 42% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as men are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 9% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as men are paid equally, but not all | 7% |
| Some of my colleagues who identify as women are paid equally, but not all | 7% |
| No, I believe colleagues who identify as women are better rewarded despite being of equal skill and experience | 2% |
| Not sure | 33% |
Are organizations championing equal rights?
Almost three-quarters (74%, up from 72% in our previous survey) of professionals believe their employer champions equal rights, while 15% (which matches the percentage last time) still think more work needs to be done, and 11% are unsure.
What are employers doing well in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization?
“We hire diverse talent.”
Solution Architect, United Kingdom
“My organization communicates the importance of managing bias.”
CEO, United States
“We have a Head of EDI who is actively working to improve EDI within our culture.”
Systems Administrator, United States
“My employer offers training, hires a diverse workforce, communicates the importance of diversity, encourages employees to consider diversity and reflect on their biases, and promotes critical thinking about our likely biases.”
CRM Manager, Sweden
What do professionals suggest employers could do to become a better champion of equal rights?
“Organizations should have a clear gender gap policy.”
Product Owner, Switzerland
“I believe that EDI and equality programs are often designed to enhance reputation first and promote equality and inclusion second. Teams should be given more resources and support to effectively pursue these programs.”
Developer/Programmer, United States
“Companies should have an equitable compensation model and standardized interview and hiring processes.”
Administrator, United States
“Discrimination against women and people of color remains a problem. Although we have EDI programs and groups, I feel they are not taken seriously by leadership and are not effectively demonstrated.”
Business Analyst, United States
Diversity in the workplace
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued in my organization | 82% | 10% | 6% | 3% |
| My employer promotes racial and ethnic diversity in their workforces | 68% | 18% | 9% | 6% |
| There are policies in place to support employees' mental health | 64% | 18% | 11% | 8% |
| My employer recruits and retains mature-aged staff | 62% | 24% | 8% | 7% |
| Promotion decisions are made fairly in my organization | 51% | 19% | 14%* | 16% |
| The workforce includes disabled and neurodivergent people | 47% | 21% | 12% | 21% |
Diversity in the workplace
People of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued in my organization
| Agree | 82% |
| Neutral | 10% |
| Disagree | 6% |
| Not sure | 3% |
My employer promotes racial and ethnic diversity in their workforce
| Agree | 68% |
| Neutral | 18% |
| Disagree | 9% |
| Not sure | 6% |
There are policies in place to support employees' mental health
| Agree | 64% |
| Neutral | 18% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Not sure | 8% |
My employer recruits and retains mature-aged staff
| Agree | 62% |
| Neutral | 24% |
| Disagree | 8% |
| Not sure | 7% |
Promotion decisions are made fairly in my organization
| Agree | 51% |
| Neutral | 19% |
| Disagree | 14%* |
| Not sure | 16% |
The workforce includes disabled and neurodivergent people
| Agree | 47% |
| Neutral | 21% |
| Disagree | 12% |
| Not sure | 21% |
*Why do respondents question the fairness of promotion decisions within their organization?
| The promotions process lacks transparency, with no clear standards or procedures | 71% |
| Decisions are based on personal relationships, favoritism or nepotism | 57% |
| Promotions are not based on merit, meeting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), or management targets | 37% |
| Discrimination based on class, religion, ethnicity, schooling, disability, sexuality, gender, or another characteristic | 29% |
| Promotions are offered as part of a counteroffer to retain employees | 14% |
| Other | 6% |
Diverse Salesforce talent at your fingertips
Our Women in Tech practice can help you to:
- Find and attract highly-skilled women from the Salesforce ecosystem thanks to our global candidate networks
- Enhance your equality, diversity, and inclusion recruitment strategy by accessing our in-depth market trend insights
- Improve onboarding and retention through our customer-focused, post-placement care model that keeps you and your new recruit happy
Gender diversity in the workplace
All respondents
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 78% | 10% | 11% | 1% |
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 75% | 11% | 11% | 4% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 59% | 13% | 26% | 3% |
Men
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 79% | 11% | 8% | 1% |
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 78% | 9% | 8% | 4% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 63% | 13% | 21% | 4% |
Women
| Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce | 77% | 7% | 14% | 1% |
| Men and women are treated equally in my workplace | 68% | 14% | 14% | 3% |
| There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level | 53% | 13% | 34% | 0% |
Gender diversity in the workplace
All respondents
The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce
| Agree | 78% |
| Neutral | 10% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Not sure | 1% |
Men and women are treated equally in my workplace
| Agree | 75% |
| Neutral | 11% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Not sure | 4% |
There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level
| Agree | 59% |
| Neutral | 13% |
| Disagree | 26% |
| Not sure | 3% |
Men
The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce
| Agree | 79% |
| Neutral | 11% |
| Disagree | 8% |
| Not sure | 1% |
Men and women are treated equally in my workplace
| Agree | 78% |
| Neutral | 9% |
| Disagree | 8% |
| Not sure | 4% |
There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level
| Agree | 63% |
| Neutral | 13% |
| Disagree | 21% |
| Not sure | 4% |
Women
The organization is gender-diverse, in that different genders are equally represented in the workforce
| Agree | 77% |
| Neutral | 7% |
| Disagree | 14% |
| Not sure | 1% |
Men and women are treated equally in my workplace
| Agree | 68% |
| Neutral | 14% |
| Disagree | 14% |
| Not sure | 3% |
There is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level
| Agree | 53% |
| Neutral | 13% |
| Disagree | 34% |
| Not sure | 0% |
Does gender inequality exist in the tech industry?
- Yes, there is gender inequality 57%
- Neither agree nor disagree 24%
- No, there is no gender inequality 12%
- Not sure 7%
- Yes, there is gender inequality 49%
- Neither agree nor disagree 25%
- No, there is no gender inequality 17%
- Not sure 9%
- Yes, there is gender inequality 71%
- Neither agree nor disagree 20%
- No, there is no gender inequality 3%
- Not sure 6%
Under two-thirds (57%, down from 62% in our last survey and 67% in the one prior) believe there is an imbalance between the genders working in the tech industry.
Conclusion
Though progress is being made, significant gaps still exist between the experiences of male and female Salesforce professionals. Just 42% of women believe that all genders are paid equally for equal work in their organization, for example, compared to 63% of men. This perception may illustrate why 71% of women in the Salesforce universe believe gender inequality is an issue, whereas only 49% of men feel the same way.
Gender parity is especially poor in the boardroom, with only 59% of respondents believing there is an equal balance of men and women represented at the senior executive level in their organization. Career progression has long been an issue for women, people of color, and those from marginalized backgrounds alike, with many of those entering the field finding it difficult to rise through the ranks due to gender discrimination and bias.
Poor standardization is one key reason that this kind of inequity is allowed to continue. Without transparency, clear standards, and universally-applied procedures, bias and favoritism is able to go unchecked. This remains a prominent obstacle to achieving greater inclusivity, cited as the top reason employees doubt the fairness of the promotion process within their organization.
MASON FRANK’S
CAREERS AND HIRING GUIDE
KEY FINDINGS 2025
