Race dialogues at work have the potential to leave minority employees feeling distressed, exhausted, or dismissed.

BY SHANNA B. TIAYON | SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

The year 2020 has been a rough one, especially for Black Americans. The global coronavirus pandemic’s disproportional impact, combined with multiple police murders of unarmed Black people, cast a brighter light on systemic racism in the United States. In many instances, the killings were caught on phones and the images repeatedly replayed on social media and the news.

Somewhere around the end of May to early June, corporations sent out public statements en masse in support of Black Lives Matter. Ironically, in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdowns, a couple of months prior, job listings for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles had fallen by 60%, but increased by 50% as Black Lives Matter protests spread. Corporations started to hold DEI dialogues inside their organizations to complement their external messaging—perhaps because 69% of Americans believe that corporate messaging about racism is more about pressure from the outside than a genuine commitment against it.

The belief that organizational dialogues on race are the way to go is widespread. When the Josh Bersin Pulse of HR Survey asked over 800 professionals about what their company could do to increase racial justice, the number-one response was to “encourage and engage in dialogue about systemic racism that holds back minorities and women.” Indeed, the DEI firm Vaya Consulting experienced a 1,500% increase in demand for their services in June 2020, compared to June 2019.

But how often do organizations engaging in race dialogues consider the potential harm such dialogues can cause for racial and ethnic minority employees? “First, do no harm” is an ethical principal in the medical field that guides doctors and nurses to pause and consider the potential harm of treatment before proceeding. This same principle could guide the corporate community, encouraging them to approach DEI initiatives, like race dialogues, in full awareness of the potential impact on minority employees. The cautionary principle of “first, do no harm” doesn’t mean that organizations should stop such dialogues, but instead invites a pause for organizational education, introspection, and commitment. Current research and experts in the DEI space support organizations taking a more informed and sustainable approach.

[Click here to continue reading full article]