Addressing Race in the Workplace: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Abstract

Global companies realize the strength that comes from recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive workplace. Diversity encompasses many visible and invisible aspects of identity, but in 2021, it is clear that race continues to be an issue of particular concern. While many White Americans believe the United States to be a post-racial society, citing such events as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s or the election of the first African-American president in 2008, tensions and inequalities persist. The events of 2020 made clear what people of color have always known; society has not come as far as many Americans believe. Recent events have highlighted the ways that centuries of systemic racism continue to shape our society, from our schools to our neighborhoods to our workplaces. At the end of 2018, less than half of the companies in the S&P 500 had a Chief Diversity Officer or similar position, according to a study by Russell Reynolds. With the economy in flux and the future unknown, many companies are struggling to stay afloat and may not have the financial or management resources necessary to dedicate to diversity programs. And yet, most recognize that diversity and inclusion efforts must remain a business imperative. This paper focuses on the state of diversity in the workplace, the organizational impediments to implementing inclusive policies, and suggestions for building and maintaining diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.