How can you empower underrepresented employees to advance their careers?

Trust stems from respect. Being respectful to every act and every action is a very important factor in being trusted. The right amount of compassion while communication is an underappreciated parameter while building a relationship, especially at work.

It's essential to recognize that building trust is an ongoing and multifaceted process. To enrich the culture of trust, fostering an environment where open dialogue is encouraged, and diverse perspectives are not just welcomed but actively sought out is vital. This can be achieved when we create forums for honest conversations about experiences and challenges faced by underrepresented employees and take concrete steps to address any issues raised. Another way is to provide opportunities for collaboration and inclusion, giving underrepresented employees to actively participate in decision-making processes and initiatives.

Trust can also be established by ensuring that the subtle (or not so subtle) acts of exclusion are unwelcome in the workplace. Where employees are encouraged and trained how to have open, honest, courageous conversations when they do experience them. This is different from bullying, harassment, and discrimination that should be clearly not tolerated. These help create an environment where people can bring their best authentic self without fear or the need to assimilate.

Increasing the representation of diverse voices in leadership and senior career roles is so vital. A great low-cost way to do this is by creating opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship for employees from underrepresented communities. Allow opportunities for company-wide networking so new employees and senior career staff can meet and connect organically. This is a great way to foster opportunities for career growth within your company and expose staff to different departments which can boost cross-team collaboration. Additionally, mentorship and sponsorship programs increase employee retention by creating pathways for growth and development in-house.

Culture comes from the top. Have a leader who embraces DE&I and this will permeate through the business. Dependent on company size, Business Resource Groups are key for representing ethnic, women, LGBTQ+, disability etc. Not all from these groups will engage, my sister for example who is gay says, “I don’t get involved in all that gay shXt”. The point is you’re creating a space with ally’s involved if they choose. With a BRG a leader is saying we welcome all. We recognise your individuality and we know you can make us better. It’s important to back this up with a variety of training for management I.e. unconscious bias etc. it takes time, but it makes a business better, more profitable and generally happier.

Many moons ago when I joined the police service, a lesson I quickly learned was not to promise things that are beyond my control. Because people never forget when someone lets them down. Therefore, consistently demonstrating reliability, honesty, and integrity is crucial for building trust. When people can rely on us to follow through on our promises/commitments and be honest in our interactions, they are more likely to trust us. Actions matter more than intentions.

Start by giving them real opportunities! In my own experience, I worked in an institution for over 15 years and they never gave me the opportunity. They “gave me opportunities for learning and development,” but they never gave me the opportunity to grow professionally. That was never their intention, they were just creating check marks, for the institution's statistics and to look good on papers.

Something I have done with many teams and individuals is to first find out where they want to go and why. Sometimes where they *think* they want to go doesn't align with their idea of success. I can then work with them on training opportunities. When someone completes a training task, I ask that they present what they have learned to peers in a presentation format. This helps them in multiple ways: 1. They learn the material better (Feynman technique) 2. They being to learn how to organize technical ideas into simpler terms 3. They get "facetime" with peers on technical topics. 4. They can see if they like the topic and can dive in more.

In addition to the other expert comments here, avoid providing these opportunities only to ‘high performing/potential’ employees - studies have shown this could demotivate anyone not selected and therefore may exacerbate an organisation’s issues if those people leave.

This demands robust learning and development opportunities, tailored and accessible. It’s not just about generic training programs; it's creating pathways that resonate with their unique experiences and aspirations. This means offering mentorship, sponsorship, and targeted skill-building resources that acknowledge and bridge the gap in opportunities they've historically faced. It’s about dismantling systemic barriers, not just offering a one-size-fits-all solution. Leadership needs to invest genuinely in these programs, recognising that fostering diverse talent is critical for organisational resilience and innovation. It’s strategically imperative.

Incorporate DEI-related objectives into performance reviews and feedback processes. And encourage peer-to-peer recognition by providing platforms or channels where employees can acknowledge and thank their colleagues for their diversity contributions. These and other similar initiatives not only recognise individual efforts but also reinforce the importance of diversity and inclusion as core values of the organization.

In addition to recognizing and rewarding contributions, it's crucial to ensure that the recognition and rewards are equitable and unbiased. Recognize that underrepresented employees may have unique challenges and barriers to overcome, & their accomplishments may require even more effort and resilience. Therefore, take a proactive approach in assessing and addressing any systemic biases in your recognition and rewards systems. By ensuring that rewards are commensurate with their contributions, we demonstrate a commitment to their success and well-being, reinforcing their trust in the company. This not only benefits underrepresented employees but also enriches the entire workplace by fostering a more inclusive & supportive environment.

One of the key areas of recognition, especially for underrepresented employees, is finding out HOW they would like to be recognized. If the employee is more shy, having a big public announcement may backfire for the manager and employee, further separating them from their peers.

Empowering underrepresented employees means recognising and rewarding their contributions authentically, not as a tokenistic gesture. It’s crucial to move beyond superficial acknowledgements to meaningful recognition that reflects the real value of their work. This involves equitable access to promotions, bonuses, and high-visibility projects, not just occasional shout-outs. It's about evaluating and rewarding performance based on clear, unbiased criteria. Leaders must actively seek and celebrate diverse perspectives, ensuring that rewards aren’t just for those who fit a traditional mold. True empowerment comes when recognition is a reflection of merit and impact, not a diversity checkbox. It's about recognising excellence in every form.

This isn’t just about inclusion policies; it's about embedding these values in every aspect of organisational culture. It's creating an environment where differences are not just tolerated but celebrated. This means going beyond diversity quotas to ensure that everyone feels genuinely welcome, heard, and valued. It’s about dismantling cliques and challenging the status quo. Leaders need to actively listen and respond to the unique experiences of underrepresented groups, making sure their voices shape the organisation's future. True belonging arises when employees see themselves reflected in their company's values, leadership, and growth opportunities.

As a leader, it's your responsibility to show by example that all voices need to be heard. For example, asking the quiet person in a brainstorming session what they think can lead to fantastic discussions and bring in views/ideas that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. This also shows your teams that it's not just the loud voice that gets to contribute.

Unrepresented employees can be empowered through mentorship programs, skill-building initiatives, team huddles, and inclusive workplace policies that promote equal opportunities. Inclusivity in particular, plays a vital role here as it acts as a paradigm of value addition in workplace to foster diverse perspectives and lessen the differences.

In my experience, a sense of belonging can be achieved once diversity is recognized, respected and accepted. A sense of belonging demands a psychologically safe space, whether work or personal. Once employees begin to feel disconnected and unappreciated, productivity naturally drops. Conversely, encouraging individuals of all backgrounds to participate in decision making and problem solving leads to increased collaboration. It is important to note DEIB must be at the core of all organizational processes, in order for all individuals to consistently be heard and valued.

Very important that this sense of belonging and inclusion is aimed at EVERYONE - particularly, ensure the dominant groups in your organisation are included as well by providing transparency on the benefits for all. This will help the dominant group become allies and sponsors for underrepresented groups as well.

Empowering underrepresented employees to advance their careers involves several key steps: — Combination of Mentorship and Sponsorship programmes — Training and Development opportunities — Creating inclusive Policies and Practices — Promote Visibility and Representation — Advocate for Equity to address the fear of reverse discrimination Don't try to fix the minorities instead focus on fixing the system.

In addition, leaders, managers, peers need training and examples on how to give clear, actionable feedback that is based on observed behavior and not on bias. Too many people don’t know how to give good feedback and/ or shy away from giving “tough” constructive feedback to members of underrepresented or marginalized groups for fear of being labeled or “cancelled.” As Brené Brown says, “clear is kind.”

I totally agree with @Tanya E. Spencer who noted that leaders, managers, and peers need training on how to give clear actionable feedback that is not biased. Giving constructive and unbiased feedback requires a multifaceted approach that combines self-awareness, communication skills, and a commitment to fairness. Such training for leaders, managers, and peers should focus on developing the ability to assess one's own biases and understand how these biases can influence evaluations. It's crucial to provide practical tools and techniques for delivering feedback that is specific, objective, and actionable, ensuring that it addresses behavior or performance rather than personal characteristics.

I believe this one maybe the elephant in the room. Underrepresented employees are less likely to receive critical feedback from their peers and managers. This can be detrimental to growth and a poor workplace experience when the feedback is only given during performance reviews or when they ask for a promotion. Treat them just like everyone else give them a chance to hear critical feedback early so they can make the necessary improvements.

To empower underrepresented employees it is important to create a culture of trust and belonging, whereby employees feel safe to share their ideas. Look to your organisation and see whether it tackles the issue of a lack of representation from ethnic minorities and other minorities in leadership positions. Provide coaching and mentoring support to nurture talent. It also includes teaching managers by providing: - Unconscious bias training - There being an audit process in place for promotions. - Training on how to use coaching as a management style. Taking the above steps will ensure that the employee is not only empowered, but that they also have a safe and supportive environment, in order to thrive.

Agreed that some of the strategies offered can be helpful. However, often the biggest barrier is not lack of empowerment, it is biased systems, processes, and people—especially people managers. We often discuss pay inequity but promotion inequity is equally, if not more, prevalent. - Conduct a promotion equity audit - Create inclusive processes for performance reviews - Work with managers to reduce their biases in reviews and calibration discussions - Train managers to provide better formal and informal feedback - Train managers to better coach and mentor their teams - Work with teams to reduce biases and microaggressions

Think about assigning underrepresented team members on high profile projects. Often companies have special limited engagements— such as sprint teams formed to work on a particular issue— that are great opportunities to showcase talent. The person will learn a lot— and get noticed. If the person lacks confidence, provide a coach!

Empowering underrepresented employees involves creating an inclusive environment that values diversity. Provide mentorship opportunities, actively listen to their ideas, and ensure fair access to resources and development programs. Recognize and celebrate their achievements, advocate for equal opportunities, and address unconscious biases. Establishing a supportive culture where everyone feels heard and valued can contribute significantly to career advancement. Let's champion diversity and inclusivity together!