Why corporate diversity statements are backfiring
Publisher |
The Conversation
Media Type |
audio
Publication Date |
Nov 30, 2022
Episode Duration |
00:30:44

We’ve all heard the buzzwords: Equity, diversity, inclusion.

For some, these terms evoke social change but for others, they conjure empty promises on a glossy corporate brochure or a workplace’s ineffective policy statement at the bottom of a job listing.

In 2020, when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, worldwide protests against anti-Black police brutality and racism prompted corporations across the world to rush to address anti-Black racism with statements of solidarity and, in many cases, affirmations of their commitment to anti-racism in the workplace.

But University of Toronto Professor Sonia Kang says that without action plans to back up those ideas, those statements can actually lead to greater blocks to success for racialized employees and job seekers.

Join us and listen to Don't Call Me Resilient as we speak with Prof. Kang to discuss tokenism and how institutions uphold institutional racism. Kang is a Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity and Inclusion and host of the podcast kang.com/podcast">For the Love of Work.

From performative allyship in the workplace to resume whitening practices in job applications to the grey area between being a diversity hire or the first racialized employee, explore the many facets of tokenism and how we can challenge and reshape the institutional practices that keep racialized employees from succeeding in the workplace.

Follow and Listen

You can listen to or follow Don’t Call Me Resilient on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/">wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. We’d love to hear from you, including any ideas for future episodes. Join The Conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and use #DontCallMeResilient.

Transcript

The unedited version of the transcript is available call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/tokenism/transcript">here.

Companies have amped up their rhetoric about equity and inclusion, many churning out diversity statements. But Vinita’s guest today says their promises to promote anti-racist cultures without action plans can lead to greater blocks to success for racialized employees. Sonia Kang is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management - and one of Canada’s leading experts on identity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

We’ve all heard the buzzwords: Equity, diversity, inclusion.

For some, these terms evoke social change but for others, they conjure empty promises on a glossy corporate brochure or a workplace’s ineffective policy statement at the bottom of a job listing.

In 2020, when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, worldwide protests against anti-Black police brutality and racism prompted corporations across the world to rush to address anti-Black racism with statements of solidarity and, in many cases, affirmations of their commitment to anti-racism in the workplace.

But University of Toronto Professor Sonia Kang says that without action plans to back up those ideas, those statements can actually lead to greater blocks to success for racialized employees and job seekers.

Join us and listen to Don't Call Me Resilient as we speak with Prof. Kang to discuss tokenism and how institutions uphold institutional racism. Kang is a Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity and Inclusion and host of the podcast kang.com/podcast">For the Love of Work.

From performative allyship in the workplace to resume whitening practices in job applications to the grey area between being a diversity hire or the first racialized employee, explore the many facets of tokenism and how we can challenge and reshape the institutional practices that keep racialized employees from succeeding in the workplace.

Follow and Listen

You can listen to or follow Don’t Call Me Resilient on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/">wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. We’d love to hear from you, including any ideas for future episodes. Join The Conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and use #DontCallMeResilient.

Transcript

The unedited version of the transcript is available call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/tokenism/transcript">here.

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