The Bias in Corporate America
The last few weeks have called us to look at injustice and racism in a different lens. It’s always existed, but now we have the time, appetite and urgency to take action.
However, we need to address the bias that exists in corporate America.
Here’s what data says:
Black professionals are more likely to experience prejudice and microaggressions than other racial or ethnic groups
79% of Midwest Black professionals have experienced racial prejudice at work, the highest percentage of any US region
Yet and still black professionals are more likely than white professionals to be ambitious and aspire to a top job
All data provided by the Center for Talent Innovation
Why is this data a reality? Because there are many unconscious biases that exist in the workplace. An unconscious bias is a belief or attitude you may have about a certain group of people outside of your own awareness. Everyone has an unconscious bias, but the key is that you aware and check your bias.
The best way to be aware of your unconscious bias is to hear real life stories. To protect their privacy, I will be keeping the following identities of these experiences anonymous but the purpose still remains - we want you to hear our experiences so that you can empathize and conduct yourself differently in the workplace.
A couple of years ago I was “promoted” to a new job; however, my employer would not give me the title reflecting my promotion due to “HR issues”. Being new to corporate America, I thought this was odd; however, I didn’t want to cause any conflict being new to the position. As I began the role, I started to notice a few interesting things. First, I was the only employee on the team that didn’t have the higher title (coincidently, I was also the only black employee on the team as well). Second, I was doing just as much if not more work than my colleagues and often times getting assigned double the amount of work compared to my colleagues. Lastly, I was unable to enroll in career development trainings to enhance my skillsets because my title was not high enough. After much frustration, I escalated the issue to HR and senior management and after months of dialogue, my title was finally changed.
-Signed a black woman tired of fighting for what she earned
I always wondered why my path to the top is a matter of checking boxes when I look at majority colleagues and they skip the box and answer later. I found myself chasing boxes to fill them in and magically another two boxes appear. Why do I need to be married to make you feel I’m not a flight risk? Do I really have to brown nose and laugh at your kid’s soccer stories when you frown on me for not having kids? Yeah that’s the corporate America I live in. I’m never good enough for their boxes so why chase the things I don’t necessarily need to get what you have. Don’t worry I’m the box you need now to check, and if you aren’t ready for what my box means and brings.... Check for the next one!
-Signed a black man who is tired of checking fake boxes
Maybe you aren’t in a position to impact the stories I shared above. But maybe you have:
Touched a black colleague’s hair without their permission
Repeatedly told a black person they are articulate
Excluded a black person from a meeting that directly relates to their job
Asked a black person what it is like to be black
Mistaken a black person for another black person
All of these situations are considered microinsults or microinvalidations. In other words, racist behavior! This is real for us and more importantly we are tired. So, what can you do? Continue to learn and listen to experiences of others. Reading this article is already a great start! Because, when you know better you do better.
And if you want to learn more, listen to this podcast episode to understand other black experiences and ways you can make an impact.
