The Experience of Arab Employees in High-Tech: Research Findings

In 2023, Tsofen-Tashbik (former Tsofen) commissioned a comprehensive study “Arabs in Hi-Tech: From Diversity to Inclusion” among high-tech employees from Arab society, alongside several employer representatives, to explore their experiences with the industry.

Following October 07 and the ensuing war, a supplementary study, “Arab Hi-Tech Workers in the Current War,” was issued in January 2024. Responding to concerns raised about fear and suspicion among Arab employees, Tsofen initiated a situational survey in December 2023, specifically focusing on the experiences of Arab high-tech professionals post-October 7. The study investigated perceived changes in their treatment and social status and provided recommendations to address the challenges. Overall, despite maintaining professional comfort, Arab hi-tech workers express increased fear about sharing personal views. Around 20% feel at higher risk of layoffs due to ethnicity. Findings also point to a shift in perceptions, with Arab respondents citing more callous and suspicious interactions. The quality of Arab-Jewish employee relations also declined, with 77% pre-conflict respondents rating them positively, dropping to 48% post-conflict, with 16% rating them negatively. 

Both studies were carried out by NAS Research and Consulting.

Study Sample

Pre-October 07 Study: Key Insights

Professional Advancement and Wage Gaps 

• The pre-war study revealed that a significant majority of respondents perceive the industry as meritocratic, with 75% reporting that their Arab identity either has no effect or positively influences their professional advancement. They often cite fair treatment, lack of discrimination, and opportunities for growth as evidence of this meritocracy. Despite this, challenges persist in expressing cultural identity and engaging in discussions about identity and Jewish-Arab relations, indicating a need for greater cultural sensitivity and inclusive practices within the organizations.

• Almost half of the Arab hi-tech employees have few to no other Arab colleagues in their daily environment.
• The report underscores wage perception bias. Studies indicate significant wage gaps between Arab and non-Orthodox Jewish hi-tech employees (18% among men, and 26% among women). Most survey respondents, however, perceived their salary to be similar to that of their Jewish counterparts.

Jewish – Arab Relations at Workplaces

• Regarding workplace accommodation, over half of the respondents indicated that their workplaces consider their cultural and religious needs to a significant extent.

• Additionally, the study explored employees’ sense of belonging and expression of cultural and political identities in the workplace, finding that 68% feel comfortable expressing cultural markers (e.g. speaking Arabic, listening to Arabic music), but discussions about identity and politics are significantly less common.

• Over 70% of Arab employees maintain few personal relationships with Jewish colleagues.

Networking Between Arab Professionals

• 81% of respondents have recommended an Arab friend or acquaintance for an open position at their workplace.
• Approximately 80% of participants expressed a desire to be part of a network for Arab hi-tech engineers.

Post Oct 7: Silence and Distance

• The heightened tensions between Jewish and Arab populations in Israel following the war have inevitably affected the workplace. The research conducted in the high-tech sector in December 2023, involving 333 respondents, further underscored these findings. While the majority of respondents (82%) felt that their professional status remained unaffected by the war, they indicate that the dynamics of relationships between Jews and Arabs have been significantly impacted.

  

• The workplace is perceived as safer than public spaces by respondents, with 56% feeling little to no fear of arriving there, compared to 28% for the public arena. However, about a fifth of respondents express high to extreme levels of fear about going to work, this is more evident among women.
• Regarding fear of layoffs or unpaid leave, roughly 40% are not or only slightly afraid, while a third are fairly afraid, and about a quarter are highly to extremely afraid. Additionally, approximately 40% of respondents do not believe being Arab puts them at higher risk of layoff, while 20% do.
• Around 49% of respondents feel that their workplace has made little or no effort to improve Arab-Jewish relations among employees.
• The study reveals that a vast majority of respondents do not feel fears about expressing their professional views in the workplace. However, a significant portion—56%—expressed being highly to extremely afraid to articulate their personal views. Additionally, more than two-thirds of respondents reported avoiding expressing their views on social media platforms.

  

Both studies highlight the crucial role employers play in fostering an inclusive environment for Arab employees in the high-tech sector. It shows that some companies have dedicated diversity and inclusion functions, with a focus on the Arab population. The findings stress the importance of creating a workplace culture that embraces cultural expression and addresses the specific needs of Arab employees.

Moreover, the research emphasizes the responsibility of employers during times of conflict to actively improve relations between Arab and Jewish employees.