QU reveals people of colour feel misrepresented in business due to severe lack of mentorship from leaders within their respective communities
- 28% of Asian Brits & 15% of Black Brits state they feel as if they’re taken less seriously as a leader
- 34% of Asian Brits & 17% of Black Brits state there are no mentors that come from the same background or look like them
- 29% of Asian Brits & 27% of Black Brits state they suffer from feeling underqualified to confidently own their job title of Director/ Founder/Senior Manager
- 28% Asian Brits & 20% of Black Brits believe they have been denied investment based on their gender, age, or race
A report by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that nearly 80% of Fortune 500 companies offer a performance related justification for promoting diversity, however the same report found that of three different ethnic minority groups surveyed, the respondents were less likely to want to be employed by those with a business case for diversity – fearing their work would be seen and judged based on their social identity. To better address these concerns, QU – leaders in business coaching for SMEs – commissioned national research which unveiled that counsel and guidance needed for People of Colour (PoC) from different backgrounds to successfully grow in UK businesses varies greatly and goes beyond Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) recruitment strategies. Serving as testament to this, a recent study by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has revealed that, despite UK organisations making promises for promoting equality and diversity, the employment of positive discrimination has led to complacency in terms of inclusivity – creating a barrier for future economic performance and organisational success.
Reflecting the notion of PoC employees feeling that amongst peers, their professional occupation does not reflect the merit of their work, QU’s research has revealed that 28% of Asian Brits state they feel they’re taken less seriously as a leader, with a further 15% of Black Brits stating the same. Furthermore, the research delves into the different perceptions for PoC within their organisations with 34% of Asian Brits agreeing that there are no mentors within business that come from the same background or look like them, while 17% of Black Brits found the same. In light of this, QU argue that there is a clear necessity for recruitment strategies to actively elevate PoC to positions of authority within firms with a view to provide counsel, rather than employing members of ethnic minority communities on the basis of appeasing minimum requirements within D&I schemes.
