Voca’s Life@Work Series
Every year VOCA asks “How is work going?” We do this to keep our content and programs fresh. We work to listen and understand before we speak.
In this installment, we look at ethnicity and how it impacts our lived experience at work.
Ethnicity connects us to others who share a cultural background, nationality, or descent. It can be a helpful way to understand shared experiences too, in this case at work.
Key Finding: All ethnicities consistently cite the importance of a supportive team at work.
The importance of a team and co-workers is consistent across all ethnicities. Being on a good team is important for all, and it is a significant finding for this project.
Helping others as a source of joy is strong across all ethnicities but is noted more often by Latinos and White/Caucasian employees and less often for Black/African American employees.
Nearly one-third of Latinos (29%), one-fourth (25%) of White/Caucasians, and 23% of Biracial/Multiracial said their greatest joy source is helping others.
Cultural Assimilation
It is an unfortunate reality that Black and Brown professionals often feel the need to work twice as hard, and assimilate to the majority culture in the workplace, as VOCA coach Liz Sastre shared.
One of her clients, a former partner at a large national law firm, learned early to adjust her personality as one of a few women of color in her office. She made the conscious decision to "work hard, observe, and not ruffle feathers."
Despite making partner, she never felt the confidence to entirely be her authentic self in the workplace. It's worth considering how her career path might have been different if she had been able to be herself, fully and confidently.
Ultimately, creating a workplace where Black and Brown professionals can be their authentic selves requires a sustained effort from leadership, a commitment to addressing systemic inequalities, and a genuine willingness to listen to and support underrepresented voices.
Want More?
This is just one of 100s of insights from our annual study of life at work. If you’re trying to navigate the dynamics of a changing workplace, lead others well, and understand your colleagues, our full report will provide you with the data you need to be wise at work.
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