The Fallacy of Diversity in the American Workplace

“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
- Verna Myers

Research on C-Level minorities in homogenous workplaces show that although a significant portion of them feel obligated to sponsor employees of the same gender/ethnicity, they are hobbled by the concern that their sponsor may not be able to conform to the set of lofted expectations that comes with diversity hiring.

“More than 35% of African-Americans and Hispanics and 45% of Asians say they “need to compromise their authenticity” to conform to their company’s standards of demeanor or style.” This lack of organizational inclusion results in a product where consumers in a global market aren’t benefiting from innovations and products tailored to their needs and even more dangerously, a workplace where cultural differences between employees aren’t accounted for.

So how do we create a diverse AND inclusive organizational culture?

1. Build processes that empower all team members to be able to share novel ideas, take advice, implement feedback and be able to share credit for team successes. Of employees who report that their team leader has at least three of these traits, 87% say they feel welcome and included in their team and 74% say they feel that their ideas are heard and recognized.
2. Provide mentorship. For those who feel marginalized by their gender, ethnicity, age, sexual identity, or educational and economic background, sponsorship is particularly crucial in invigorating ambition and driving engagement. Lack of sponsorship increases someone’s likelihood of quitting within a year.
3. Understand the fundamental concept that there are differences in perspectives, cultures, and work processes with each of them being valuable. Explore and identify the range of barriers that may be inhibiting the effectiveness of minorities in your organization.
4. Expand your recruitment strategy to global non traditional talent pools. McKinsey found that the most ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform their peers in profitability and long-term value creation. Companies performed best when they embraced diversity in absolute representation and celebrated a variety of ethnicities and cultures within the workplace.

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Sources

1. Diversity Doesn’t Stick Without Inclusion (hbr.org)
2. How Gender Stereotypes Kill a Woman’s Self-Confidence — Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (hbs.edu)
3. What well-meaning U.S. companies get wrong about diversity — MarketWatch
4. Vaulting the Color Bar: New Study Finds Why Multicultural Talent Aren’t Making it to the Top of Corporate America (prweb.com)
5. delivering-through-diversity_full-report.ashx (mckinsey.com)