New Research Reveals Unique Challenges Faced by Black Women in the Workplace

Introduction

New research from Harvard Kennedy School provides more insight into the unique challenges that Black women face in the workplace. Researchers Elizabeth Linos, Sanaz Mobasseri, and Nina Roussille investigated how having more White coworkers influences Black women’s retention and promotion rates in the workplace.

The Study

The study examined how the racial composition of employees’ first teams affects their later career outcomes at a large professional services firm. The researchers analyzed over 9,000 new hires from 2014-2020, tracking who gets promoted, who leaves, who works with whom, and a series of other measures, including performance evaluations, time on the project, and other key indicators of success.

Key Findings

The results of their research revealed the unique challenges faced by Black women at work. When Black women start their careers working with more White coworkers, they are less likely to stay at the company and less likely to get promoted. Specifically, the study found that increasing a Black woman’s share of White coworkers by about 20% at the start of her job leads to her being 16% more likely to leave the company and 12% less likely to get promoted.

Understanding the Findings

The study highlighted some important findings, including the fact that performance evaluations play a significant role in these outcomes. The data showed that when a Black woman has more White coworkers early in her career, she is more likely to be labeled a low performer at her performance evaluations. Additionally, she is more likely to log more training hours.

The Impact of Intersectionality

Scholar Kimberlé W. Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality highlights how the overlapping forms of oppression that Black women face simultaneously make their experiences of discrimination unique. This research elucidates one of the many ways that this can show up in the workplace.

Addressing Systemic Barriers

Organizations and institutions must take deliberate action to ensure that their workplaces are built on equity and fairness. Mobasseri emphasized the importance of examining how work practices create disparities and redesigning organizational practices and systems that may produce racially disparate outcomes.

Conclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts must go beyond simply inviting people from historically marginalized backgrounds into the workplace. It is essential to set up systems that ensure fairness and equity and to mitigate harm, exclusion, and bias.

FAQs

• What is the main finding of the study?
  The study found that when Black women start their careers working with more White coworkers, they are less likely to stay at the company and less likely to get promoted.
• What are some potential reasons for these findings?
  The study suggests that performance evaluations and work assignments may play a significant role in these outcomes.
• What is the importance of intersectionality in this context?
  Intersectionality highlights how the overlapping forms of oppression that Black women face simultaneously make their experiences of discrimination unique.
• What are some key takeaways for organizations and institutions?
  Organizations must take deliberate action to ensure that their workplaces are built on equity and fairness, examining how work practices create disparities and redesigning organizational practices and systems that may produce racially disparate outcomes.