31 what gets counted gets done. If you do not take on that responsibility and opportunity of being able to share and be heard, then we are continuously at Groundhog Day trying to get this agenda moved forward. So, participate, speak up, go to network meetings as networks are only as strong as the numbers. If you do not participate, how can a network speak on your behalf or support amplify agendas if they do not have your participation, support or your input? With regards to budgets, the hospitality, travel and leisure industry has been decimated by Covid-19 and D&I budgets and teams have been cut significantly. Do you have any advice for companies and leaders that are truly committed to change but are struggling at the moment to provide a significant financial commitment? Commitment and trust start from the top. Putting D&I, and race in particular, high on the business agenda does not cost anything. For example, it is common for gender statistics to be fed into the board on a regular basis. Race also needs to have the same weight. Employees – and leaders, too – need to see that those above them are active sponsors and champions, whilst listening and engaging with people from across the organisation. For example, if a company has an employee resource group, members of the Executive Board need to join meetings regularly to effect real change. You need those with power and influence present to hear the reality of shared experiences and suggestions to make progress. In other words, the minority need to influence the majority. Leaders also need to be made accountable for change, whether through the achievement of targets or the success of initiatives implemented to make a difference. You can also be creative. For example, for employee networks that may have seen their budgets reduced, join and collaborate with networks from other companies. This can include working together to run an event, including the offering of food which is still the best way to get people to turn up to a network event!
We can see from the research, many companies in our sector do not feel they have responded to the BLM movement properly. Is it now too late for them to respond in an authentic way? Some companies chose not put a statement out or post the black square on Instagram on ‘black out Tuesday’. The reasons for this ranged from companies being honest they had not done the work, to companies not knowing what to do at this critical point. For any company, it is not too late to respond effectively and authentically. There are many quick wins so start now, do the work and gather your learning. Start with listening to your employees through doing focus groups and listening sessions. Start employee networks and join them to hear their worries, concerns and ideas. You can also conduct a staff survey and diversity audit. All of these are quick wins and have a minimal cost apart from time and commitment. On the back of the listening and internal learning, look to create an action plan that is specific and targeted. Share these plans with your employees and get their thoughts. Once an organisation has gone through these steps, it can plan its internal and external response. Any action plan must have depth and not become a ‘tick box’ exercise and initiatives must be considered holistically and not in isolation. For example, many companies will roll out unconscious bias training to leaders to show action, but not measure whether the training has had impact, like if a team has become more diverse or if the attrition of employees from an ethnic minority background has reduced. Also, I believe it should be called ‘conscious’ bias training as that’s what it is. This also means ‘safe’ spaces need to be created for leaders to work though potentially difficult conversations or themes that arise from the training. So, if you do (un)conscious bias training, I always say challenge yourself and do the Harvard implicit bias test at least two or three times a year. When you’ve done the test, check to see if there are any changes in your score and whether you can see if the training has had an impact.
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EMPLOYEES FROM ETHNIC MINORITY BACKGROUNDS IN HTL
