Gatherings

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Advancing Women of Color: Addressing Bias and Barriers in the Workplace

It’s clear that the factors preventing women of color from advancing at work are quite different from those holding white women and even men of color back. These include microaggressions, double standards, and unconscious bias to name a few. A 2006 survey of employees from five large U.S. companies found that women of color are most likely to experience workplace harassment among all groups.

They are often held to a much higher standard than their white and male peers and presumed to be less qualified despite their credentials, work product or business results. Perhaps even more alarming, they receive less support from their managers, according to the same McKinsey and Leanin.org study. They are less likely to have bosses who promote their work contributions to others, help them navigate organizational politics, or socialize with them outside of work. Thus, they’re often left out of the informal networks that propel most high-potentials forward in their careers. They lack the kind of meaningful mentoring and sponsorship that is critical for getting ahead.

Take initiative

Being the only woman of color on a team can be taxing, torn between authenticity and assimilation. Women often opt out of social events, hesitant to share personal details. Managers can help by personally inviting them to gatherings, bridging the gap in socializing and making them feel valued. Despite the #MeToo movement, appropriate personal outreach, similar to interactions with colleagues of similar backgrounds, is crucial for inclusivity.

Give credit

Women of color frequently experience invisibility at work, supported by studies showing their statements are less remembered than peers’. Managers should address unconscious bias, openly acknowledging instances of underappreciation or neglect of their work. They need to emphasize these women’s contributions through formal and informal communication, ensuring recognition is documented.

Provide feedback

Sharing critical advice in real-time can be challenging, especially across differences like race or gender. Managers often hesitate, fearing appearing biased. Instead, they should provide feedback that balances care for personal growth with calling out areas for improvement. Using prompts like Dan Coyle’s suggestion from “The Culture Code” – “I’m giving you this feedback because you’re part of this group and we care about you and we think that you can do better at…”

Evaluating Potential Beyond Skills: A Shift in Perspective for Comprehensive Talent Assessment

In leadership recruitment, comprehensive competencies can be rare among executives. Often, hiring managers rely on their perception of who can excel, based on prior experience and qualifications. Yet, this approach inadvertently marginalizes women of color, who might lack similar opportunities as their white and male counterparts. To counter this, it’s crucial to expand the candidate pool by evaluating potential. For instance, Egon Zehnder introduced a model that objectively assesses curiosity, insight, engagement, and determination. These qualities, they argue, are key predictors of future leadership competence.

Measuring Diversity Progress: Tracking Intersectional Bias in Promotions for Women of Color

While 42% of companies check for bias in reviews and promotions by gender, only 18% track outcomes for the compounding bias of race and gender. Tracking the performance of women of color and the velocity and rate at which they’re hired and promoted versus their peers is the only way to measure progress in creating a more diverse leadership bench.