Improving outcomes for women of color in the workplace

Companies are finally waking up to the realization that a successful DEI strategy improves business outcomes. It’s about time!

But achieving a truly equitable company where people belong requires more than just table stakes policies. It requires digging deeper into your employees’ actual experiences and using technology to make a meaningful difference.

The latest and greatest L&D solutions are making great strides here, allowing people within an organization to better understand the unique daily obstacles that employees from underresourced and underrecognized groups experience — namely women of color.

Fortune 100 companies turn to immersive learning

Companies are piloting immersive learning programs as a way to train, develop, and address skills gaps that help employees work better across differences; skills like giving feedback, inspiring peak performance, and inclusive leadership.

Within contextually relevant, simulated environments, learners can take on the perspective of those facing mistreatment, as well as those perpetrating bias or acting as active bystanders. Research shows that immersive learning supports better memory retention, building an automatic response that changes how learners react in real life.

For example, my company Praxis Labs recently launched an immersive learning program for over 4,000 learners at a major Fortune 100 Tech company. Our program included scenarios that span inclusive hiring, mentorship and sponsorship, inclusive leadership, and career advancement. By the end of the program, the company saw significant improvements across key skills and competencies. Seventy-eight percent of learners could better identify bias, 80% built empathy, and 77% felt more confident taking informed action. In turn, the company has since seen positive, measurable change across hiring practices, team management, overall employee engagement, and general sentiments toward the company.

Especially at a time of skyrocketing burnout, stress, and disengagement, these results show promise that dedication to effective DEI and skills training can relieve some of this burden. It starts with effectively diagnosing the problem.

Improving outcomes for underrepresented groups

Despite progress made in recent years, there is evidence that shows women of color still face significant barriers in the workplace.

We recently examined employee experience data from over 12,000 learners on our learning platform. At first glance, when we only considered gender differences, it seemed like we were making progress toward greater equity. However, things took a significant turn when we started factoring in variables like race. The picture became much more complex and highlighted the need for further attention and action.

When we asked learners the question, “There is a clear and defined system for evaluating my performance at work,” a balanced 69% of all men and 68% of all women agreed with this statement. After layering on race, we found that 70% of white women, and a close 69% of Asian and Latina women agreed. When we specifically looked into Black women’s experience, there was a sharp drop down to 57%.

When it comes to pay equity, 68% of all men and 62% of all women learners agree with the statement that they are “adequately and fairly compensated” for their work. Again, there are similarities between white women and Latina women at 67% and 65% respectively. Agreement declined to 58% for Asian women. Only 49% of Black women feel they are adequately compensated for their work.

For hiring, 75% of all men and 63% of all women learners agreed that, at their organization, there are systems in place to ensure equity and inclusion in the hiring process. While the overall gap between men and women is significant here, we also see different breakdowns by race: 67% of Asian women agreed, similar to the 65% of white and Latina women, and the number plummets to 44% when you ask Black women.

Additionally, we reviewed learner sentiment surrounding leadership development support through agreement with the statement, “My organization provides mentorship and sponsorship.” Again we see an overall gap here between gender identities with 71% of all men and 63% of all women learners agreeing. Sixty-eight percent of white women agree, closely followed by Latina and Asian women (67%), but only 49% of Black women agree.

Intersectionality of race, gender and identity data

The data presented above reveals the intricate nature of inequities when it comes to crucial milestones in an employee’s journey — those pivotal moments like career growth, salary, and the hiring process. Simply examining gender alone falls short of providing a comprehensive understanding of the employee experience.

However, when we take an intersectional lens, the data uncovers how certain demographics consistently face barriers. It emphasizes the importance of addressing these unique challenges head-on to foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

The lesson here is that data can help business leaders pinpoint hotspots and spot trends where certain demographic groups experience bias at work. But the work doesn’t stop there.

Once identified, you can orchestrate curated learning initiatives and programs that directly speak to the issue at hand. When tracking progress over time, you can then better understand whether your interventions had a meaningful impact.

The time for change is now

In today’s business landscape, every company is contending with the potential impact of economic challenges. Those that weather the storm will be the ones that understand the intimate links between connection, belonging, innovation, and resilience.

The challenge is that status quo DEI and ‘soft’ skills training don’t work. Given the urgency of our current moment, I encourage Learning and DEI leaders to focus their efforts on programs proven to affect measurable impact. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that effective training paired with actionable insights can be a potent combination for leaders who are dedicated to providing real value for their people and business.

Related: Females in benefits talk changes, challenges, opportunities

The data we’ve gathered is one of many calls to action to improve outcomes for women of color. Working together, I know that we can effect change and foster real inclusion, belonging, and collaboration within our workplaces.

Sabrina Ronningen is the Head of Client Impact & Program Deployment at Praxis Labs, which works to improve workplace inclusion and equity by combining the power of immersive learning with evidenced-based curriculum and actionable insights.