It’s Black History Month, here are 5 proven ways employers can do better year-round

From the classroom to the break room, Civil War era stereotypes continue to keep a chokehold on progress with myths like the “Angry Black Woman” contributing to a workforce in which Black individuals are disproportionately underemployed(opens new window).

As others have put it(opens new window), Black people have been unjustly stereotyped since the day they stopped working for free. But after more than 400 years of discrimination, the Black community is defined by perseverance(opens new window).

An intentional shift in this narrative is long overdue.

At Multiverse, we’ve partnered with the leadership coalition at OneTen(opens new window) to support their mission to create one million new workplace opportunities for Black individuals over the next ten years.

By taking a skills-first approach to hiring and advancing talent, employers can break free of the “pipeline problem”(opens new window), stand up against centuries of systemic barriers, and take meaningful steps to ensure Black individuals access thriving careers.

In the spirit of less talk and more action, let’s take a closer look at five practical ways to elevate Black talent in the workplace — today and every day.

For too long, businesses have dismissed a lack of representation as a problem with the recruitment pipeline. The argument was, “How can we build a more representative workforce if there isn’t enough qualified talent in the market?”

In 2023, we know better.

A growing body of evidence reveals that there is plenty of available talent from historically underrepresented communities, but hiring biases, attrition at the entry level, and a lack of clear advancement opportunities continue to hinder organization-wide progress with DEI.

Here are some actionable steps to start changing the narrative:

Centuries of inequality have created a large generational wealth gap. The cost of a four-year degree only reinforces the barrier between high-potential talent and the many businesses who stand to benefit from their skills.

Recent research from OneTen has found that as many as 76% of Black workers(opens new window) in the US currently do not hold a four-year degree. For the thousands of talented Black individuals who do have degrees, mobility and growth barriers remain a very real hurdle within their companies.

To combat systemic barriers and build a thriving pipeline of future talent, employers must explore new ways to make the employee experience more equitable, from application to promotion.

Imagine showing up on your first day at work and being greeted by the wrong name.

Though mistakes and microaggressions often stem from unconscious bias rather than ill will, experiences like these are unfortunately a reality of many and these moments can compound quickly, creating a negative experience for Black employees.

“When you're in a situation where you're isolated, you feel conspicuous and uncomfortable. Being constantly aware of your differences from other people and working to navigate those differences is exhausting,” writes career coach Linda R. Taliaferro in her LinkedIn article on Being the Only Black Person in the Room(opens new window).

Past research(opens new window) from Korn Ferry found that people of color were three times more likely to leave a job due to unfairness. In the age of quiet quitting(opens new window), first impressions have never mattered more.

Before bringing on early-career talent, make sure you have the following support systems in place to set them up for success:

Equity doesn’t stop with a fair hiring process, it extends to your training systems and processes.

The right support and development opportunities can play a huge role in creating an equitable and inclusive environment that helps you retain and grow high-potential talent.

According to McKinsey’s findings, there are only four Black CEOs in the Fortune 500. In order to be at parity with the population, that number would need to be 60 or more.

Adding to the burden of having to work twice as hard for half the opportunities, many employers put their DEI issues back on communities of color to fix.

“It amounts to asking a person to relive [their] trauma, time and time again,” explains Rosalind Chow, associate professor of organizational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business for the BBC(opens new window).

Whether the added workload is physical, emotional or mental in nature — and often, it’s all of the above — invisible labor is a big reason(opens new window) employees disengage from DEI related work.

Sponsorship, advocacy and allyship can help to reduce the burden and augment well-earned promotions and leadership positions — but only one-third(opens new window) of Black employees report having even one workplace advocate.

To elevate allyship in the workplace, consider these key actions:

It’s important to point out that the responsibility to kickstart these initiatives always lies with the employer, not the employee.

Take responsibility for your diversity, equity and inclusion journey by creating a clear structure and framework that includes regular opportunities for mentors to gain insight into an employee’s background and experience through relevant work-related questions and development opportunities.

To measure your progress, outline clear accountability systems and milestones for tracking successful mentorships and their impact on your organization’s DEI efforts.

While the majority of the population is employed in high-paying directive roles, the majority of Black workers are employed in low-paying, low-growth roles — putting Black individuals at disproportionate risk(opens new window) of unemployment due to automation.

Organizations like Black Girls CODE(opens new window), S&P Global(opens new window) and OneTen are doing excellent work to help aspiring Black professionals transition into new roles, but employers can also step up with an active plan for on-the-job reskilling and upskilling.

These programs can help employees develop new skills to meet the requirements of existing roles (upskilling) or even evolving roles that don’t exist yet within the business (reskilling).

To ensure your reskilling and upskilling programs are effective, aim to keep them:

By arming Black employees with skills for the future, employers will not only reap the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce, they’ll also gain deeper innovation amidst an increasingly digital business environment.

“What the employer can do is understand the holistic opportunities and demands of the talent that are needed to really create an ecosystem where people are getting prepared, getting into employment and continuing to advance,” said OneTen’s CEO Maurice A. Jones in a recent episode of the Horizons podcast(opens new window).

Moving forward, real equity in the workplace will require employers to take tactical steps toward planning for the bigger picture.

The gap between entry-level and management opportunities for Black individuals has been called a variety of names — a broken rung in the corporate ladder, leaky pipeline, even a concrete ceiling(opens new window).

McKinsey & Co. found that while Black US employees make up a representative 12% of entry-level jobs(opens new window), a mere 7% are managers.

Whatever you call it, this lack of advancement isn’t going away unless we do something about it.

Once you’ve succeeded in bringing talented individuals into your workplace, the goal is to keep them there. Map out a clear strategy to :

With the skills gap widening across all industries, now is the time to reimagine how you hire, train and promote high-potential talent.

Data from Opportunity@Work(opens new window) shows that millions of Black talent without four-year degrees already have skills for high-growth roles. Data on 130 million US job transitions(opens new window) over a decade show that tens of thousands of workers have made transitions from customer service or support roles to higher-paying, in-demand roles.

Change will happen either way. The only question for employers is, will you be in the game or on the sidelines?

It’s time to make Black equity more than a month long affair. By helping talented individuals gain the relevant skills for a well-paying career without the requirement of a four-year degree, you can play an active role in achieving greater inclusion now and in the future.

Through our partnership with OneTen, Multiverse apprenticeships are helping organizations open doors to underrepresented talent while staying a step ahead in a rapidly changing business environment.

Learn more about our partnership with OneTen or contact us today to find out how we can help.