5 Ways to Boost your Organisation’s Antiracism Efforts in 2023
Jan 05, 2023If you’re reading this, I know you are keen on improving your company’s antiracism efforts, so let’s get straight into it.
- Be clear on where your organisation’s antiracism goals fit with the company’s mission and values (haven’t got goals, make some space to create them a.s.a.p.). Racism is systemic and woven into the fabric of society and organisations. To challenge this, leaders must ensure antiracism and antidiscrimination goals live within the ecosystem of a company. By identifying the corresponding values and tying the antiracism goal with the mission, companies can more easily identify where gaps lie and therefore work towards finding solutions.
- Start collecting data now! Data is needed to identify where problems lie, without this, it is guess work. Do you know the percentage of ethnic minorities that leave on a year-to-year basis? Are some groups leaving more frequently than others? Have questions been asked during the exit interview to find out where problems may lie? How much do ethnic minorities get paid compared to the white counterparts? How many current staff members feel the organisation cares about tackling racism? These are just a few questions that can be built into systems today!
- Acknowledge the journey will take time. There is no organisation that got this right first time, or within a short period of time. The mistake many organisations make is viewing this work as a short-term project. It took us centuries to get here, it’s going to take more than a few months or a year to do to undo this often unseen and unacknowledged problem.
- Be transparent about the antiracism work. Diversity, equity, and inclusion matter to many people who are seeking to work with a company. If when they browse the company’s website or social media feed and see no sign of this, red flags will appear! Check out Salesforce's Equality page, a global company that is shouting about its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
- Educate the workforce. I cannot drive this point home enough. I am regularly asked to consult with leaders of organisations who want to be antiracist but who have not had a basic education in antiracism. This slows the process down incredibly and makes it difficult to communicate and discuss strategy. There is no way around this. It’s like wanting to use your first SLR camera without reading the instructions first. It’s a nightmare!
The bottom line is, it is totally possible to improve antiracism and other DEI ambitions. Organisations like Salesforce have proved that. Like with any goal, action needs to be consistent and reviewed at regular intervals.
You can do this!
Of course, if we can help you along the way through our Time to Talk about Race antiracism online CPD accredited course or though antiracism consultancy, then set a meeting up with me here and let’s talk through the options.
Wishing you lots of success
Bye for now
Rebbecca Hemmings
Director
Strawberry Words
‘Creating Cultural Harmony’
Talking about racism can seem difficult and uncomfortable. This CPD accredited course provides a foundational education on racism to help to increase racial literacy which includes building confidence to speak about and deal with issues concerning race. It provides a language through which meaningful conversation can take place (particularly in the workplace).
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