Why Scaling the Corporate Ladder is a Steep Climb for Black Professionals
A 2019 study called “Being Black in Corporate America”, highlights perhaps the biggest disparity in representation for the Black community.
According to the study, less than 1% of the nation’s Fortune 500 CEOs are black. Kenneth Frazier, the black CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck, announced last year that he would be stepping down from his post. That means that just six of America’s top Fortune 500 companies have a Black Chief.
Although in recent years, the black community has made a lot of advancements when it comes to representation in the media, black leadership remains at an all-time low in Corporate America. A deeper look at the study’s key findings reveals the real-life obstacles black professionals must overcome to succeed in positions of power and how they compare to their white counterparts.
Barriers in the Boardroom
The study surveyed 3,736 full time professionals of all races and backgrounds. While nearly two-thirds of Black professionals agree that they must work harder than their colleagues to advance in their careers, only about 15% of white professionals see it that way. An overwhelming number of white professionals are simply unaware or uneducated about the unique set of challenges black professionals face to thrive in the workplace.
CEO of Jetsetter Consultants, Rese Smith, discusses the obstacles that she faces as a black woman forging her own path in a leadership role. “We are far from seats being created for us so making our own is a mandatory survival tactic in order to maximize our potential,” said Smith. “Black women are disproportionately at a disadvantage when it comes to economic factors, earning gaps, social aspects and education. Imagine how it effects black women, who are heavily underrepresented and when at the table are viewed as less than their counterparts upon taking a seat although we have the same cognitive ability.”
Climbing the corporate ladder can be difficult enough on its own but when you pair that with the experience of being black in corporate America, that ladder seems to just keep getting taller and taller.
Racial Prejudice & Microaggressions
Almost 60% of Black professionals surveyed admitted to having experienced racial prejudice in the workplace, while only 15% of White employees surveyed can say the same. The study suggests that black employees even experience microaggressions from colleagues and managers at significantly higher rates than all other groups surveyed.
The effects of experiencing prejudice in the workplace can be disparaging. According to Dr. Natasha Thapar-Olmos, licensed clinical psychologist at Pepperdine University, prejudice has lasting effects on the victim. “People of marginalized or discriminated groups can develop negative beliefs towards themselves,” said Thapar-Olmos. “That gets in the way of all kinds of things — relationships, functioning, recovery.”
In this case, the amount of prejudice and microaggressions black professionals face in an everyday corporate setting can even negatively affect how they view themselves which in turn could lead self-stigmatization, or when people internalize public attitudes about an aspect of their identity and suffer numerous negative consequences as a result.
Low Retention & Slow Advancement
The study reveals, black professionals are more likely than their white counterparts to be ambitious in their careers and to aspire to a top job. Despite this positive statistic, 1 in 5 black employees do not feel someone of their race or ethnicity will ever achieve a top job at their company. This is largely due in part to the lack of access to senior leaders at work making it more difficult for black employees to forge the professional relationships necessary for career advancement.
The lack of access to leadership and limited opportunities for advancement, make black professionals more likely to leave their positions at higher rates. The study shows 1 in 3 black employees intend to leave their current positions with black men being more interested in pursuing their own ventures. Entrepreneurship offers a more tempting opportunity to black professionals to gain a sense of autonomy over their work.
Melody Reyne, black Creator of an LA based event production firm, started her own business and emphasizes the importance of representation especially when it comes to black leadership. “Everyone needs representation, and everyone deserves to be heard,” said Reyne. “To accomplish that you need leaders from all backgrounds and all walks of life.”
It is evident now more than ever that transformative solutions are required to generate meaningful change. Although there have been efforts in more recent years to increase black representation in media and film, black leadership remains at an all-time low where it matters most. The study offers some possible calls to action that could help bridge the gap between black professionals and achieving success in the workplace.
Improvements to diversity and inclusion efforts that prioritize employee needs and satisfaction have proven to increase retention among black employees. The study shows that among the most effective diversity and inclusion initiatives, is the decision to clearly communicate how promotions work and clearly outline expectations for inclusive behavior.
Forbes contributor, Bianca Miller Cole, wrote an article detailing the importance of creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. “Diversity and inclusion are essential in business today as a healthy variety of people from different backgrounds and cultures provides us with the balance of voices and diversity of thought that we need,” said Miller Cole. “It is time organizations took more of a proactive stance on employing a diverse workforce that reflect the real people of society.”
