Want diversity? Focusing on “entry level” is no panacea

Many organisations searching for diversity focus on entry level opportunities: creating apprenticeships, internships, development programmes for young people from minoritized backgrounds etc. The aim is to bring minoritized young people in at the “front end” of the talent pipeline.

When asked why, the answer goes something like: “we want to bring diverse people into the organisation/sector/profession early so that over time we will become more diverse as they rise through the ranks; we believe having people with diverse characteristics will change the culture of our organisation.”

I always feel mean, but driven to point out, that this was the theory when I started work more than thirty years ago, and if that approach was going to be successful, it would have worked by now

I also point out that to succeed, people with minoritized characteristics often do their best to fit in with the prevailing culture because – like most other people – they want to get on. Besides, there is no way these young people will change an organisation’s culture in ways that matter. They simply don’t have the power.

I can almost hear hearts sinking.

Unless and until an organisation has created an inclusive environment where no-one with a minoritized characteristic has to contort themselves to fit in, where microaggressions do not exist, where people can genuinely contribute to the fullest extent of their talent rather than having to make judgment calls on when it is politic to speak up – until that environment has been created, efforts to recruit young people as a means of increasing diversity will fail.

This reality was brought out starkly in research published recently by the Youth Futures Foundation. Their research on racism experienced by young people joining the jobs market for the first time was shocking.

In a survey of 3,250 young people with ethnically minoritized backgrounds entering work, the Foundation found :

• 48% have experienced discrimination or prejudice
• 33% have experienced racist remarks, jokes, or banter directed towards?
• 66% have overheard a co-worker or supervisor say racist slurs or make racist jokes
• 20% have been referred to in a derogatory manner by colleagues

?These experiences have led to:

• 73% considering changing jobs due to the discrimination they have faced
• 71% considering changing industry
• 69% believing it was not worth reporting discrimination as they didn’t think anything would be done
• 41% experiencing a negative emotional impact on their day to day lives

The individual tragedies behind these stats are heart breaking. And given the most recent Census data that nearly a quarter of all under 25s are from ethnically minoritized backgrounds, the Foundation’s findings are deeply worrying.

This is why it is crucial organisations address issues that are creating these results. As well as causing psychological and emotional damage, the experiences reported in the research are setting up minoritized young people to fail.

These young people are:

• Having to waste effort contending with a corrosive work environment when they could be focusing on learning and contributing to their organisation
• Having their future career prospects put at risk, e.g. developing a poor performance record when in reality they are focusing on survival not productivity
• Having their confidence and self-esteem eroded, which will affect their subsequent roles and careers

I have a theory that organisations which focus most effort on entry level positions do so because they believe this is the easy option

…That somehow, their organisation can start afresh with bright eyed young people coming into the organisation

…That these young people will change their organisation from the bottom up (conveniently failing to consider how, given entry level people have no power)

…That people at entry level are less likely to make waves

These beliefs may not be consciously held, but I see signs of it all the time.

Initiatives on early career diversity also give organisations and their leaders the ability to convince themselves they are doing something to create change while ignoring the very issues that are holding them back.

I am not saying “don’t do anything to support young people to join your organisation.” I am saying think about the context and environment you are inviting them into. Uncover and address the issues that might damage young people with diverse backgrounds before you start to recruit them.

I am saying give minoritized young people a fighting chance

Can we help?

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