How to tackle racism in organisations

Here, we will examine how policies can be implemented to tackle racism in organisations. A lack of racial awareness often leads to a breakdown in the policies needed to tackle racism in organisations, which are needed to work towards equitable workplaces.

Often when we address inequalities in organisations we refer to diversity and inclusivity policies. However, to have diverse and inclusive workplaces we need to ensure equity of access to services, tackle inequality and seek fairer equality of outcomes for all.

What to include

It is important for any organisation to include the following in any policies that they put in place:

• Offer employees a workplace where they can feel safe
• Have open engagement which should foster employee retention and reduce turnover rates
• Ensure the executive team is diverse and inclusive
• Acknowledge and honour multiple religious and cultural practices
• Foster a company culture where every voice is welcome, heard and respected
• Embrace a multilingual workforce
• Embrace diverse thinking
• Embrace a multigenerational workforce
• Illustrate a commitment to anti-discriminatory policies in leadership
• Eliminate bias in the interviewing process

Addressing the issues

To address ways in which gender and race intersect with economic status, organisations could:

• Hire underrepresented people at a high pay scale to close pay gaps
• Invest in training schemes for BAME staff to facilitate career progression

Policies should also be aligned to measurements that can capture these milestones. The need to review and refine is key, as policies need to evolve and grow to ensure that society changes should be reflected within an organisation’s culture.

Thinking about your workplace, what policies do you think worked? What policies do you feel would have brought about equality and equity for you?

Further resources

1. CIPD, 2020. Developing an anti-racism strategy.
2. The Whitehall & Industry Group, 2020. Tackling racism in Organisations – a three-part masterclass
3. Sandra Caballero, 2020. 7 ways to start to uproot systemic racism in the workplace World Economic Forum.