Do Millennials Hold the Key to End Gender Discrimination in the Workplace?

Sabrina Macias (right) discusses working in the male-dominated sports industry.

This past Monday, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a panel that included Sabrina Macias, Vice President of Global Communications at DraftKings. A large portion of Macias career has been spent in the sports communication world, having previously served as the Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing Communications at NASCAR. During the panel, a variety of industry topics were discussed, from biggest challenges to diversity and inclusion. However, the most interesting part of the evening for me came when Macias was asked about the challenges she has faced working in the male-dominated sports world.

As someone who has been interested in sports from an early age, I ultimately ruled out pursuing a career solely in the sports world due to its strong masculine culture. It has always been a stereotype that women know nothing about sports, and because of that, women in the field must work infinitively harder to not only get a seat at the table, but have her voice be heard. I have heard other female panelists who work in sports communications detail the obstacles they have overcame to be successful in the field. However, last night, I was given a breath of fresh air when Macias tackled this question.

While at NASCAR, Macias cited the family-oriented culture of the organization as one of its greatest strengths in terms of inclusion. Macias happily recalled how many of the drivers would travel the circuit with their wives and children, which created a homey work culture. In family-driven industries, there is often a heightened sense of inclusion and making sure all voices are heard. The workplace is run more like a family than a traditional agency. When switching over to her experience thus far at DraftKings, I expected the tone of Macias story to change. However, she described how she was welcomed to the team with open arms.

Within a younger office setting like DraftKings, I expected the sentiment towards female workers to be the opposite because the world of sports betting and fantasy leagues tends to be targeted more towards men. In reality, the younger average age of workers is more welcoming of all genders in the office. Macias says that the younger the organization, the more refreshing and open it feels. So, does this mean that a turning point in inclusion initiatives in the workplace lays with the new and emerging generations of professionals?

Young and emerging professionals get slack for being lazy, entitled and technology obsessed. What is often overlooked in this demographic is their ambition and acceptance. Let’s take a recent college graduate who is 23 years old. In her lifetime, she has seen the election of the first African American president, the rise of social media and instant communication, the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationally and the first female to win a major party’s presidential ticket. Schools have also launched initiatives for students to learn about others who may look different from a young age to foster acceptance and understanding. Because of this, inclusion and tolerance has become almost second nature.

Popular to widespread believe, DraftKings may not be a fluke but instead a pioneer in eliminating gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Hopefully, the communications and public relations world can be a leader in this trend and make all people–regardless of gender– feel welcomed, accepted and listened to. Because at the end of the day, we are all human and more alike than different.