Hispanic women tend to have a more negative experience with workplace DEI efforts, possibly because many say the planning of such training and other programs falls to them.
That’s according to a recent report from Kanarys, a platform that measures DEI efforts, and Prospanica, the Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business Professionals. The report examined diversity and inclusion trends for Hispanic workers across the U.S.
About two-thirds of Hispanic professionals feel burdened with having to educate colleagues on DEI, the report revealed. Although most said their company’s efforts to provide DEI training were laudable, much of the planning for the training and other DEI programs is put on them, even when it has no relation to their job or expertise.
Some women leaders, too, have said they’re spending a substantial amount of time on DEI work that’s not part of their job description, a recent McKinsey/Lean In report found. Companies should be careful not to assume underrepresented workers want to be involved in DEI efforts. Employer attitudes toward DEI training or other initiatives may influence how workers of color assess their workplace experience.
Kanarys also found Hispanic professionals are 53% less likely than non-Hispanic peers to feel included at work, and half have personally witnessed or experienced bias or discrimination at work. Latina professionals are 53% less likely to say they’re comfortable fully expressing their identities at work, and feel less empowered than non-Hispanic workers to share their ideas.
Despite the presence of company diversity initiatives, the report noted, only about 1 in 4 workers from underrepresented groups say they’ve benefited personally. There may be an eagerness for faster results, but experts have said successful DEI training is ongoing and can feel something like a marathon, HR Dive noted.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice protests that followed in 2020, DEI training interest shot up. Even more companies planned to provide DEI programming in 2021, per HR Dive, and that focus on DEI is something that younger employees now expect companies to have.
Still, more than half of Hispanic professionals believe there’s lots of talk but little action when it comes to diversity in their workplace, recent LinkedIn polling indicates. Nearly 90% think DEI is important to their company’s senior leaders, but half don’t consider their workplace nurturing for employees who look like they do.
Similarly, the Kanarys report found most Hispanic employees polled believe companies have progressed when it comes to diversity, but have plenty of work to do regarding equity and inclusion.
In pointing out the pay gap for Hispanic workers, the Kanarys report noted Latina professionals are paid less than white men even in the same role. Today is Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day — the latest in the calendar year.
The day represents how many days into the new year a Hispanic woman needs to work to make the same salary a white man made in 2020. Latina women earn about 57 cents for every dollar white men make.
Hispanic women, in addition to Black women, faced disproportionate job losses early in the pandemic, and caregiving duties and Covid concerns have slowed their return to the labor market. Hispanic women have been most likely to provide care for others during the pandemic, especially for multiple generations. For women of color, lower earnings and job losses mean financially recovering from the pandemic could take years.
To work toward shrinking the pay gap, the Kanarys report urged employers “to implement a transparent compensation system with objective metrics for recruitment, advancement and compensation.”