As organizations adopt more diverse hiring practices, it’s often overlooked that building an inclusive workforce takes new awareness, insights and communication.
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder and CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) and Hewlett Consulting Partners LLC, states “Overall, people of color are 37% more likely than whites to feel that they need to compromise their authenticity at work in order to conform to conventional standards of executive presence.”
Hewlett also notes, “when people of color feel that they have to mask a rich cultural heritage or other aspects of difference, CTI research shows they are apt to feel isolated at work, and mistrustful of and less loyal to employers. That, in turn, leads to disengagement and a greater likelihood of leaving.
Other research shows:
-
Top leaders influence the whole climate of their teams as much as 50-70%. (The Hay Group)
-
50% of time wasted in business is due to lack of trust. (6seconds.org)
-
Approximately 40% of a person’s time is spent managing issues around feeling unwelcome – race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability. (Edward E. Hubbard)