FTSE 100 directors named Dave and Steve outnumber women or ethnic minorities
Equality Group report finds 55% of ethnic minority Brits advised to be ‘more realistic’ about their career aspirations
More than half of British ethnic minority workers have been advised to be “more realistic” about their career aspirations compared to just 19% of non-minority ethnic citizens, a new survey which shines a light on the UK’s professional arena has found.
An investigation by the Equality Group consultancy has revealed almost two-thirds of ethnic minority workers, around 3 million employees, aspired upon leaving school to securing a senior management, director or board level role, but only 2% achieved their goal.
46% were encouraged to commence their career in a role that did not reflect their career aspirations or academic credentials at the time, while three quarters of respondents attributed their professional success to personal merit, conviction and perseverance not the guidance of academic or professional support.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“It is no secret that a diverse workforce is a healthier one” says Forbes.
One of the key findings of this year’s McKinsey Report, Delivering Through Diversity, was that companies with a diverse leadership continually outperform those without.
Yet, despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits, in 2017 just 6% of FTSE 100 directors were from ethnic minorities.
Put in context, it means there are more directors called Dave or Steve within the UK’s biggest firms than there are women or ethnic minorities.
Worryingly, this figure has actually decreased this year, with just 84 ethnic minority directors of FTSE 100 companies out of a total of 1,048.
The Equality Group says the underrepresentation of relevant role models and the subsequent lack of identification that ethnic minority citizens have with people in positions of authority, largely contributes to the underrepresentation of ethnic minority citizens on boards.
The group’s founder and chief executive, Hephzi Pemberton, says: “It is a shocking reality that in 2018, the workplace does not nurture and support BAME talent in a manner that reflects the undeniable aspirations prominent in this community”.
“As a society of business leaders, decision-makers, professionals and commentators, we have an obligation to ensure that intention is met with action to ensure the UK’s workforce – in its entirety – has access to a democratised career ladder that promotes inclusion for all at every level”, she added.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Restoring life to an ancient watershed'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: March 26, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: March 26, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
The birth of the weekend: how workers won two days off
The Explainer Since the 1960s, there has been talk of a four-day-week, and post-pandemic work patterns have strengthened those calls
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
2023: the year of rising child labor
The Explainer Because of a tight job market, some employers broke rules to find cheap child labor
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The nightmare before Christmas: is the party over for the office festive do?
Talking Point Seasonal cheer and morale-boosting benefits under threat from economic woes and employee disinterest – or dread
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
The jobs most and least at risk of being replaced by AI
Under the Radar AI could affect roughly 300 million full-time jobs if it reaches its full potential
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet Published
-
Britain’s missing workers
In Depth A large number of working-aged people are ‘economically inactive’ and putting a strain on the UK workforce
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The pros and cons of a four-day working week
Pros and Cons Think-tank says shift in working patterns could help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis
By The Week Staff Published
-
What is ‘quiet quitting’?
In Depth Movement centred around doing bare minimum at work has been gaining traction on TikTok
By Kate Samuelson Published
-
Should the UK introduce a maximum working temperature?
Today's Big Question Workers will suffer as UK heatwave is forecast to hit 35 degrees next week
By Richard Windsor Published