Roblox grapples with employee demands for more diversity

The company now embodies the massive economic opportunity and cultural influence of the video-game industry. But it also reflects some of its most conspicuous shortcomings, particularly around gender and racial diversity. — AFP

In the spring of 2021, the staff at video-game juggernaut Roblox Corp gathered for an all-hands meeting over the video conferencing app Zoom. An employee submitted by text a question to executives about why there were so few women at the top ranks of the company.

According to multiple people in attendance, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer David Baszucki accepted the query at the virtual get-together and responded by saying that Roblox has a very high bar in hiring.