Every year companies spend about $8 billion on DEI initiatives in the United States, according to research conducted by the consulting firm McKinsey.
With all this money and attention given to DEI efforts we need to ask ourselves an important question: Who benefits?
A 2019 report entitled Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration released by the consulting firm Coqual, finds that black professionals are more likely to encounter prejudice and microaggressions than any other racial or ethnic group.
They are less likely than their white counterparts to have access to senior leaders and to have support from their managers.
Yet few white professionals see what their black colleagues are up against. 65% of black professionals say that black employees have to work harder in order to advance, but only 16% of their white colleagues agree with that statement.
The study also finds that black professionals are more likely than white professionals to be ambitious, and they are more likely to have strong professional networks.
In this episode, Lanaya Irvin, CEO at Coqual, explains Coqual’s report findings in more detail.
Coqual recently launched a study around black talent in the UK. We saw a similar perception gap. There's this material gap in perception that makes overcoming this, these hurdles of retention, development, advancement that much more difficult. This happens because the gap between what employees are experiencing and what their peers or their managers understand or believe, is really wide.
The starting point is recognizing that we must account for all areas of difference and different lived experiences in understanding inequality and addressing the issues it creates.
Here Lanaya shares with us three actions we can all use in bridging this gap:
Action One: Lift up the ideas of others in order to foster a sense of belonging.
Action Two: Have clear expectations around how you can advance or gain promotions at work.
Action Three: Embrace all differences of those around you whether it be a person’s skillset, their unique contributions to work or their challenges.
Lanaya Irvin
Coqual
If You Can See It You Can Be It - Dr. Tarika Barrett and Denise Lintz
Why the future of gender is non-binary : Christy Pruitt-Haynes
Empathy: How to build and use it at work – Rob Volpe
How to be anti-racist in business – Trudi Lebron
Why AI treats men and women differently and what to do about it - Alexandra Ebert
The Pro’s and Con’s of Diversity Targets: Michelle King and Kelly Thomson
If Companies Want To Keep Black Employees They Need To Support Their Side Hustle - Rosanna Durruthy
How To Check Your Privilege - with Myisha T. Hill
Why more men than women have opportunities and are rewarded for being creative at work - Eve Rodsky
The Real Reason You Are Struggling To Hire Diverse Candidates - Michelle King and Kelly Thomson
You are closer to being homeless than you think – Regina Jackson
Equality Won’t Be Achieved With The Passing Of Time: Why Younger Generations Hold The Least Progressive Views – with Michelle Harrison
10 DEI Lessons for 2022 with Michelle King and Kelly Thomson
What you need to know about the future of leadership: Jennifer Jordan
Communication Agility: How to talk to anyone - Felicity Wingrove
How to stop hating your job - Dr Kathryn Owler
How to move from being a bystander to an upstander – Rohit Bhargava and Jennifer Brown
The Status of Fatherhood – Gary Barker
The Wellbeing Case for DEI - Dr Marlette Jackson
How To Deal With Burnout - Ashley Morgan
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