Despite calls for action within Corporate America and diversity and inclusion becoming central topics for employers in 2020, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) continue to feel unsafe, unheard and unvalued as employees. The Harris Poll, on behalf of Hue, a nonprofit social impact platform run by BIPOC, for BIPOC, and built to amplify voices of color working in marketing, conducted a survey among US professionals to find the current state of equity in the country. This survey was conducted online within the United States between October 20, 2020, and December 22, 2020, among 2,250 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The study found that more than 75% of Americans report a lack of meaningful progress towards building an equitable environment at their companies for employees of color, and 75% report a lack of investment in initiatives related to recruiting diverse candidates.
In 2020, a year defined by two pandemics — COVID-19 and systemic racism — brands across the nation made statements supporting equality for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Hue’s Inaugural State of Inequity Report highlights the disconnect between commitments made and actions taken — a clear demonstration that intentions do not create impact.
“The trends are clear. Black, Indigenous, People of color consistently report lack of access, heightened levels of stress, and ongoing battles to have their voices heard and humanity valued,” said Fahad Khawaja, Founder of Hue. “By outlining the evidence we unlocked, we aim to pave a new path for us all: a path that leads to equity and prosperity, for the collective health and wealth of our communities.”
“This groundbreaking research showcases valuable insights to understand the state of employee empowerment and lack of progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. It's a call to action for business leaders, HR professionals, and employees themselves,” said Dami Rosanwo, Director, Research at Harris Poll. "It also analyzes the intersectionality of employees, and in doing so addresses nuanced professional experiences across race, ethnicity, sex, and years of experience."
Topics amongst the insights from the research include the following:
Sense of Psychological Safety and Feeling Heard and Valued
The severity of discrimination takes a deep toll on employees, particularly when it comes to health and well-being. Across the board, health is valued by employees, including mental and emotional health, but there is a major gap between the experiences of BIPOC as compared to White Americans in terms of impact. Black Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans are more than three times (313%) and more than two times (225%) as likely, respectively, to feel physically unsafe at work compared to White Americans, and two times (200%) as likely to not feel safe at work mentally and emotionally. Furthermore, Black Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans are two times as likely not to be comfortable being fully themselves at work compared to White Americans. These gaps are yet another factor leading to burnout and attrition not just within companies but at an industry level.
Perception of Equity and Access to Opportunity
Recruiting talent of color is a necessary first step toward creating diverse companies, but equity is the destination, and there is a long road ahead. Inequity in treatment of employees is a multi-tiered problem, spanning issues of direct discrimination, inequitable pay, financial and economic hardship, job loss, and lack of access to opportunities at work. Nearly 80% of those surveyed reported a lack of financial investment in promoting racially diverse employees within their company. One in three (28%) say they have suffered financial or economic hardship at work due to their race or ethnicity, with Black Americans almost 3 times as likely to experience this and Hispanic/Latinx Americans two times as likely.
Two out of three (67%) Black American men, and one in three (33%) Black American women believe their employer has not addressed opportunities to advance, and nearly half (46%) of Asian women agree. Moreover, one in three BIPOC say they have changed career direction or industry due to lack of mobility or career growth.
Across all job functions, marketing (includes advertising, communications, and design)is the job function reporting the most severe struggles with discrimination, unequal pay, lack of access to opportunities, and disregard for their well-being.
Building a Stronger Talent Pipeline
The prevailing industry conversation focuses on the perception of there being an early career pipeline problem, when in reality there is a gap in support for mid- to senior-career levels.
Strong representation at work is a crucial motivator and even more critical for tenured employees of color: 78% of BIPOC employees with six to ten years of professional experience agree that seeing others who look like them or are from the same racial or ethnic background in the workplace is a motivational factor, with 74% also motivated by leadership who look like them. However, representation alone is not enough. Nearly 40% of BIPOC don’t feel heard or that their voices carry weight at work. This is true for nearly one in two amongst Hispanic/Latinx Americans. One in four BIPOC also don’t feel seen for who they really are, instead of stereotypical assumptions about them. Black Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans are nearly three times as likely compared to White Americans to consider leaving their employers due to the emotional burden related to their race at work.
About the Research:
This research was conducted primarily online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Hue between October 20, 2020, and December 22, 2020, among 2,250 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. For complete survey details, click here.
About Hue:
Hue is a registered nonprofit organization that exists to build equity and prosperity, for the health and wealth of our communities. As the first organization of its kind, our mission is to amplify voices of color in marketing, increase visibility, and pave a path for us all to rise. For Black, Indigenous, People of color, we are the industry-wide employee resource group and a space where they’ll know that they belong. Our community consists of experienced talent of color and supporters who aim to lift each other up, to help us all reach new heights. Our members have worked across category-leading Fortune 100 brands, unicorn tech startups, and the top marketing and advertising agencies. Our experience spans 17 areas across marketing, advertising, communications, & design. For employers, we are a targeted nonprofit platform to nurture and support talent, build relationships, showcase company culture and values, and recruit candidates with expertise across a spectrum of highly sought-after focus areas.
For more information, visit WeAreHue.org or follow on LinkedIn.