4 ways to cultivate an anti-racist work culture

How to run an anti-racist business — a DEI expert gives her 4 top tips

June 6, 2022 5:30 AM

While diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging have been big buzzwords for employers in the last several years, those words are not always accompanied by effective and lasting changes. What are employers missing?

According to a Gallup survey, only 42% of managers feel they are prepared to have a meaningful conversation about race. For Trudi Lebrón, a DEI business coach and creator of the Institute for Equity Centered Coaching, this survey spells trouble — if managers cannot have a conversation centered around people of color, then it’s likely they’re approaching DEI for every other marginalized group, be it women, LGBTQ-identifying, those with disabilities or veterans, from the wrong lens, she says.

“You don't get the benefit of all of the DEI initiatives that you might be rolling out, unless you have an anti-racism approach,” says Lebrón. “Anti-racism work at its core is about changing life outcomes for Black and brown folks, and in the process of doing that, creating better life outcomes for everyone.”

Lebrón defines anti-racism as the antidote to racism, meaning it’s an active policy, practice or protocol that works to resolve the roots of inequity. While anti-racism focuses on people of color, Lebrón believes it provides a strong foundation for other undervalued groups, since at the core of anti-racism is equity for all. Here are four ways companies can begin adapting an anti-racist framework for their business.

Encourage pay transparency

Lebrón stresses the importance of pay transparency. Essentially, workers should be able to discuss their pay with colleagues without fear of punishment — Lebrón describes any discouragement of talks about pay as an inherently oppressive practice. Pay transparency allows employees to know of any disparities in salaries between themselves and their colleagues while keeping employers accountable for wage gaps, she explains. And considering that Black men make 87 cents for every white man’s dollar, and Black women only make 63 cents, companies do need accountability.

Lebrón also encourages some companies to establish non-negotiable starting salaries.

“No one applying for that job ever has to wonder if their identity was impacted by the offer they received,” she says. “The job will pay that no matter what, and there’s always room to increase people's salary later on.”

Get rid of education requirements

While no one wants a heart surgeon who didn’t go to medical school, many job roles do not especially benefit from college degrees, explains Lebrón. Instead, hiring managers and recruiters should prioritize relevant experience and skills.

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“Are there certifications or educational requirements that are arbitrary and minimize your pool?” says Lebrón. “If you took that restriction out, you probably would have a lot more candidates with nontraditional experience.”

This helps level inequitable playing fields for candidates of color, who are less likely to have the educational and financial resources to go to a four-year college. Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce found that white students made up 75% of the enrollment in 468 of the best-funded and most-selective four-year institutions. White Americans are 14% more likely to hold a degree at 25 years old than Black Americans, and 17% more likely than Hispanic Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Change starts at the top

If a company wants to cultivate an anti-racist work environment, then the executive level leaders have to be willing to invest in making that a reality, says Lebrón. This means executives have to hold themselves and their managers accountable.

“It's not enough to just do a day-long workshop or a couple of trainings — anti-racism has to be built into the way the company runs,” she says. “This requires top-level leadership to make sure every manager is maintaining equitable cultures for their teams.”

Reflect on your values

Lebrón encourages company leaders to consistently reflect on what they value in their business and if it’s upholding an inequitable status quo or contributing to inclusion.

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“Evaluate your values, because your values are reflected in your business,” she says. “Think about, ‘What are the things that I learned about race and identity? What kind of biases am I holding onto? What kind of assumptions am I making?”

For Lebrón, an anti-racism work culture has to start with company leaders, rather than solely left to employee-driven initiatives.

“It is a very personal journey that leadership needs to go through,” she says. “The work has to be driven from those who have the power and the institution.”