3 tips to improve ESEA recruitment and representation in the workplace

One of the questions I get asked a few times in my talks - this is true, by the way, not one of those clichés some people are accused of using just to say something - is “how can we improve recruitment processes to be more inclusive and equitable for ESEA candidates?”

For those of you who are interested, here are three ways that can help organisations that truly want to include and hire more ESEA people into their workforce…

1. Learn what the Model Minority Myth and Bamboo Ceiling are and how they affect perceptions about ESEA people.

The Model Minority Myth is drawn from both stereotypes and data about (predominantly) ESEA people that while on one hand appears to perpetuate them in a positive light (e.g. hard-working, high earners, highly educated, etc.) but on the other puts them on a pedestal that can negatively affect those who do not adhere to these standards and also pits them against other ethnic minority groups.

Meanwhile, the Bamboo Ceiling spins the Model Minority Myth on its head by preventing ESEA people (and more so women) from reaching higher positions in the workplace based on stereotypes and perceptions around their attitude or demeanour (e.g. quiet, unassuming, unassertive, etc.). Limited research has been done on ESEA experiences in the UK yet but you can read more about Asian American experiences, in which we share some similarities with in this report by 麦肯锡 .

One statistic I always share is that just 0.27% of ESEA people are in positions of power at work. If the Model Minority Myth was correct, why does this extremely low number say otherwise? Additionally, preliminary research Voice ESEA conducted showed that 54% of respondents said they or their ESEA colleagues were NOT in senior management or in the C-Suite with only 8% at C-Suite level.

One exercise I have previously done in talks is ask the audience what perceptions they are aware of about ESEA people and the answers often include some of the above. If you're a hiring manager or a HR, recruitment or talent specialist, do you think any of these might feed into your biases and decisions when you come across ESEA candidates? The fact is, many of us do not fit the so-called Model Minority Myth and it is harmful to paint a million-plus-strong group with the same brush.

2. Do you know how many ESEA people work in your organisation? How are they included in your race equity efforts?

Time and time again, whenever I research the ethnic makeup of a company that I am applying for a job at, the number of ESEA employees they have is negligible or near to. That is often understandable if disappointing. But what’s less understandable and more disappointing is how there is often little mention of them in their plans to increase race equality and improve race equity.

There are at least 1 million ESEA people living in the UK and they are the third largest pan-ethnic minority group. That’s 1.49% of the entire population. So if ESEAs don’t make up at least 1.49% of your workforce, they should absolutely be a focus point of your targets. If the number of your ethnically diverse employees overall has increased since the last time you checked, what is the breakdown of those by ethnicity? And how have you done this or focused on certain groups if you did? Can you apply the same or similar efforts to ensure ESEA people are getting equal equitable treatment?

3. Check your talent pool. How diverse is it and what are you doing to reach ESEA people and get them into your talent pipelines?

From where you advertise job roles - such as on websites aimed at ethnically diverse candidates (like Race Equality Matters ' job board) - to if you exhibit at colleges or universities to try and appeal to new graduates, these are avenues where ESEA talent can be part of your target audience. Particularly with the latter, it’s worth knowing that more than 150,000 international students from China attend universities in the UK and students from other ESEA countries are numerous too. Also, more than 70% of 18 year olds from the Chinese ethnic group are accepted to higher education in the UK, continuing to prove the size of the ESEA talent pool available to tap into.

There are also, for example, websites such as Jobs for Hongkongers, set up by The Growth Company: Employment , which specifically helps Hongkongers with job hunting and up-skilling. Following on from that, you may want to think about the feasibility of offering visa sponsorship for international candidates. While a number of large companies can offer this, not many others do - which again can narrow the talent pool - especially when there is a growth in East and Southeast Asian citizens coming to the UK to live and work.

ESEA people are numerous and diverse. By implementing the above three tips into your recruitment processes you can hopefully help them feel more seen, valued and included.

For more ways in which I can help you better understand all things ESEA, please consider booking me as a speaker or consultant here.