The Power of Efficacy for Under-Represented Employee Groups

Did you know:
• Only 21.7% of all management, professional, and related occupations are held by people of color?
• At Fortune 500 companies, women of color hold only 1.7% of corporate officer positions.
• Men of color hold only 6.4% of all corporate officer positions at Fortune 500 companies.
• In 2008, there were 22 people of color CEOs at Fortune 1000 companies.
And despite the advances women have made professionally:
• Only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women
• Women make up less than 3% of Fortune 1000 CEOs
• 23% of presidents at US universities and colleges are women
• Less than 2% of presidents in the world’s top 100 universities are women

We have all heard these stats hundreds of times but they remain horribly shocking every time we look at them. I have been working in the field of diversity for over 10 years now and although I have personally seen powerful changes in the right direction, these stats have not moved much. It seems that despite the efforts many organization have made towards diversity and inclusion, frustrations grow as it appears seemingly impossible to crack the highest ranks of corporate America. It is time to take a hard look at the barriers that are preventing more progress. Clearly much more work needs to be done with a shift in focus.
Women and professionals of color continue to face unique obstacles in the workforce that impact their development, engagement, and contribution. It is not about fixing these individuals or for that matter the organizations for which they work. It is about leveling the playing field. We need to invest in the development of women and people of color earlier in their careers and in ways that enable these underrepresented employee groups to drive their own career success. Culture change is not enough. Organizations must simultaneously empower under-represented employee groups to advance while working to create a more inclusive organization.
That is why we partnered with Global Novations to bring to the 2011 Leading Diversity Summit The Power of Efficacy for Under-Represented Employee Groups Career Advancement Workshop. While we see countless conferences, summits and workshops designed to help women advance their careers, we see very little designed to address the challenges face by people of color and other underrepresented employee groups. Yet, clearly there is a need.
Efficacy is what empowers individuals to produce a desired effect on their careers. It’s about helping participants be as effective as possible at navigating their organizations and careers and maximizing engagement. The above stats clearly demonstrate that while all individuals would benefit from efficacy training, it is critical for women and people of color.
Do you agree there is a need for change? Take the first step and send your high-performing employees from underrepresented employee groups to this workshop. To learn how visit us at www.linkageinc.div.
To learn more about bias in the workplace and how to address it download this free research study, Ethnicity: Reducing the Effects of Bias in the Workplace. (CAN WE MAKE THE TILTLE THE LINK?)