Biases I’ve experienced in the workplace as a woman of colour

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It’s seemingly atrocious how entering the corporate workplace as a young black woman can strip you of all your power. Unsurprisingly, the root of such evil - conscious and unconscious bias continues unchecked in most work environments. Writing this article now as an older version of that young black woman, I realise just how hard I’ve had to work to reclaim my power in a continued white-male-dominated workplace, rife with biases designed to exclude black women and other ethnic minorities.

Feeling powerless and psychologically unsafe

You might be wondering why I'd allow anyone to take my power. Well, research shows that only small portion (48%) of black women in the workplace feel like they are treated with courtesy and respect. In fact, the majority (66% of black women) feel emotionally unsafe at work. Emotional safety in the workplace is linked to psychological safety. It refers to the fear of experiencing microaggressions, such as being spoken down to, having your judgement undermined, or losing opportunities simply for being yourself. It is the aftermath of these experiences and feelings that leave young black women new to the workplace, feeling all sorts of feelings, but the greatest of all - powerless.

Feelings of emotional unsafety and the lack of representation for black women in the workplace are just some of the outcomes of conscious and unconscious bias. Biases have both career and psychological implications, but the latter receives less acknowledgement and remedial action. The limited attention given to the psychological effects of workplace biases on minority groups and black women, in my opinion, are more dangerous. Psychological issues have a compounding effect on things like confidence and mental health, which further exacerbate career stagnation for these women. We see this in recent research (2022) conducted by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, finding that black women are subject to 55% higher levels of their judgement being questioned, compared to 39% women from other non-minority races, and 29% of men. Imagine what this consistent high level of scrutiny and criticism has on a black graduate’s sense of overall confidence and ability to conquer what lies in front of her. Discriminatory treatment towards minority groups, arguably pose a bigger threat to young black women starting out in their careers than others, as they are yet to build resilience against workplace BS .

Representation is an outward manifestation that shows progress is possible

As an eager young woman of colour, with a truckload of smarts complemented by fancy degrees and an “I’m destined for greatness attitude“ - I was certainly dumbfounded by how unaccepting and unsupportive the work environment was when I landed my first few jobs as a professional. In contrast, my peers from non-minority backgrounds did not have the same experience. While things are changing, the pace is too slow for me. Research still shows that the majority (57%) of black women do not feel as if they are treated as part of a team at work. Granted, one might argue that this is because I work in what society has deemed a “white-dominated industry”. I hate this label. The very existence and acceptance of this language is a problem in and of itself. For the sake of progression let's call this the problem of young black women not seeing adequate representation across all organisational levels in the workplace and explore it further.

Come to think of it, after 8 years of working for multiple companies in various countries, I have never been managed by another black individual. This is not uncommon. In fact, (62%) of black women have never been managed by another black person. If you compare this to how many white or Caucasian managers you have had in your career, you really start to grasp the magnitude of this problem. Is the world of work saying that the majority of black people, let alone women, are unfit to lead? And non-minority ethnicities are somehow genetically more suited to the task? Surely, not. This is yet another data point telling us what we already know; black women remain underrepresented in management and leadership positions due to bias and are unlikely to break the cycle anytime soon, with the next generation of professionals still unlikely to be managed by a black woman during their tenure. The above illustrates how unaccepting, unsupportive, and uninspiring workplaces continue to be for ambitious black women.

We’re ambitious and change is moving too slow or not at all

And yet black women remain intent on getting a stake at the top of the corporate pie. Data from the Women in the Workplace 2022 report finds that black women leaders are more ambitious than other women at their level, with 59% of black women leaders wanting to be top executives, compared to 49% of women leaders overall. Are black women doing this because they have a point to prove? Is it more an inward motivation, where they feel they deserve a fair piece of the pie? Or do black women feel more capable of leading because of their exposure to these extreme levels of bias? It doesn’t matter why, because women of colour deserve fair treatment in the workplace.

Regardless of all the odds being stacked against them, black women in the workplace are showing signs of not backing down! Despite being part of unaccepting, unsupportive, and uninspiring workplaces that leave them feeling emotionally unsafe and powerless, black women are stepping up to make a difference for themselves and generations to come! I’m one of those women.

References:

Black Women Thriving Report: 2022 | Every Level Leads | https://everylevelleads.com/bwt/

Women in the Workplace 2022 Report | Lean In and McKinsey Consulting | https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace/2022/why-women-leaders-are-switching-jobs