Microsoft’s 2019 Diversity and Inclusion report is the company’s sixth since 2014.

In the introductory letter, we learn about positive changes in demographic data:

In technical roles alone, we have 49% more women, 48% more Hispanic/Latinx, and 67% more African American/Black employees than we did three years ago. And beyond population growth, this year’s snapshot shows diversity representation has risen in every demographic category we track.

The report includes a few dazzling graphics, such as the one shown here.

Discussion:

• Read the entire report. What principles of business communication are followed?

• What suggestions for improvement would you suggest to the report authors?

• What’s your view of the graphic shown here? What is the main point? How else could the data be shown?

• Although the report writers acknowledge that some of the diversity increase in technical roles is attributed to employee growth, what other questions might a skeptic ask?