Tackling Race Equality in the workplace
Tackling Race Equality in the workplace
As leader of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ‘centre of excellence’ within JourneyHR and as a black woman in a management position, the topic of race equality is one of great importance to me.
In February, thousands of organisations and individuals came together to celebrate Race Equality Week; an initiative designed to break down the barriers to race equality in the workplace.
The issue of racial equality has risen up the business agenda in recent years as companies increasingly recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and their need to do better.
The latest Government figures show that 76% of white people were employed, compared with 67% of people from all other ethnic groups, with the difference in employment rates between both groups decreasing by 7% between 2004 and 2021.
More positively, the IPA agency census 2022 found that the level of ethnic diversity in member agencies increased and share of individuals from a non-white background in C-suite jumped by 58%, representing a considerable improvement in the pace of change year-on-year.
But while great strides have been made towards racial equality, we’ve still got a way to go to ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Discrimination is still rife within the workplace, with 41% of Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers revealing that they have faced racism at work in the last five years.
While Race Equality Week is a fantastic event to raise awareness of the hurdles many employees face, it also serves as an important reminder that diversity and inclusion needs to be prioritised among employers all year round if businesses are going to make meaningful change.
Race remains a topic that many feel uncomfortable talking about but it is clear that this has to change and the importance of having healthy, thought-provoking discussions on this topic is ever growing.
The benefits of race equality are huge. Diverse organisations that support and actively champion diversity enjoy greater productivity, with racially diverse teams reporting a 35% increase in performance, compared to their competitors. Bringing people together with different experiences and perspectives means they can challenge one another, coming up with new ideas and fresh innovation, which is critical to a company’s ability to grow and remain competitive.
In a candidate-driven recruitment market, candidates are also increasingly expecting organisations to demonstrate efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion, with research showing that 67% of millennial and Generation Z employees value diversity when considering employment opportunities. It’s also vitally important for existing employees to be part of an organisation where race equality is at the forefront of its thinking.
In short, employers who take action to support efforts around race equality in the workplace will be those that boast the most fulfilled employees and have access to the widest talent pools.
How businesses can make an impact
There are lots of ways organisations can achieve true race equality. One of the first things a business needs to do is ensure that the organisation reflects what it’s saying. If a business wants to highlight how important DEI is, the make-up of the business must reflect this at all levels, from entry level roles all the way through to senior leadership.
A survey by Race Equality Matters found 63% of respondents said there had been little or no change in tackling inequality over the past 12 months. Only 38% said their organisation focuses on action not words and even fewer (26%) said their senior leaders are playing a key part.
In a world of rapid change and uncertainty, where employers face a number of different challenges, it can be all too easy to let DEI slide to the bottom of the priority list as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a must have. However, to make true, positive change, employers need to be intentional with their DEI efforts; race equality should form part of the key strategic objectives within any organisation and should be considered just as important as other priorities, for example profit creation.
To achieve this, leaders need to be willing to be open and honest about how the business is faring on diversity and the challenges they face. This involves gathering data and creating tangible actions, thinking about ways to measure outcomes to assess whether initiatives have been successful or not.
However, it’s important to be realistic about what’s achievable. Whilst DEI should be a priority, employers need to refrain from setting wildly unattainable goals. Rather than have 10 ambitious targets on the list that can only be partially achieved, employers should consider choosing 5 that can be delivered excellently. Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from employees about how they feel the company is faring against its goals and what changes they would like to see happen.
Ongoing commitment
It’s brilliant to see so many organisations support Race Equality Week but lasting change comes from ongoing commitment and this means building a workplace that is not only diverse but inclusive.
Businesses need to think carefully about ways to ensure that everyone feels safe, supported and given equal opportunity to progress. A report by the government found that BME individuals in the UK are less likely to progress through the workplace when compared with white individuals. This is not only unfair for those involved but also presents a huge missed opportunity for businesses themselves. The potential benefit to the UK economy from full representation of BME individuals is estimated to be a staggering £24 billion a year.
There is no one-size fits all approach when it comes to building diverse and inclusive workplaces and it’s important that employers build equitably, not equally. Everyone is different and requires different resources and support to succeed. Leaders need to consider what kind of learning and development opportunities works for their people on an individual basis, allowing them to bring their unique thoughts, contributions and ideas to the table.
It also pays to be part of a diverse network. Businesses are who their community is, so getting to know people from different walks of life, beyond their usual networks and community, can help to broaden their horizon and allow them to work with a more diverse range of people.
Additionally, the importance of offering guidance and support to employees cannot be underestimated and mentorship has a key role to play in achieving this. Mentors support employees as they look to develop their careers, helping them to identify their strengths, explore different skills and set goals for the future. They can also offer invaluable experience and advice and in many cases, can provide new connections and relationships with other industry professionals and networks. It is also worth considering reverse mentoring schemes, enabling ethnic minority employees to share their lived experience with senior leaders to improve understanding.
Organisations such as Media For All, Media Trust and The Taylor Bennett Foundation are doing excellent work to help give marginalised groups a stronger voice and a ‘foot in the door’ within the creative sector.
Finally, businesses should take accountability for their actions. Communicating to employees what the organisation wants to achieve, setting targets for what they expect the company to achieve in the future and measuring progress against those targets builds trust and sends out a clear signal that the company is fully committed to creating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace.
“Leaders need to be willing to be open and honest about how the business is faring on diversity and the challenges they face. This involves gathering data and creating tangible actions, thinking about ways to measure outcomes to assess whether initiatives have been successful or not. ”