The racial representation gap in UK organisations is influenced by historical, social, economic, and institutional factors.
To start to understand it (and then tackle it) requires and exploration of each part of the structural inequalities that exist to produce the sustained gaps and inequalities facing our communities.
Historical and Structural Inequalities
The UK's colonial past has left a lasting legacy of racial hierarchies and inequalities, with people, particularly Black and South Asian communities facing systemic marginalisation.
As a result of this legacy, there are long-standing institutional biases within many sectors that disproportionately affect Black and racially minoritised communities. For example, regular reports such as the one released this week from the General Medical Council (GMC) highlight that British doctors of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic origin and overseas-trained medics working in the UK experience “persistent and pernicious” inequality throughout their careers.
Discrimination and Bias in Recruitment and Promotion
Hiring practices often reflect biases, where decision-makers may consciously or unconsciously favour candidates who "fit" a certain cultural norm. For instance, studies have shown that applicants with “ethnic-sounding” names are less likely to be called for interviews compared to White counterparts, even with identical qualifications. Furthermore, when in roles, racially minoritised colleagues often lack access to informal networks, mentoring, and sponsorship that can fast-track career progression within organisations.
Educational and Employment Disparities
While many racially minoritised groups on average had a similar combined English and maths pass rate to those in the Mixed, Other, and White major ethnic groups, (and some outperform e.g. especially those of African and South Asian descent), this does not always translate into equitable opportunities.
For instance, Black people are more likely to go to University, but less likely to obtain the higher grades and go to the prestigious universities and end up in prestigious jobs.
Black and Pakistani communities are overrepresented in low-paid service roles, and underrepresented in professional, managerial, and executive positions. Discrimination and other barriers undermine the access to jobs that match qualifications for some groups, and this must be recognised and addressed.
Socioeconomic Factors
Racially minoritised people, particularly from Black and Pakistani/Bangladeshi communities, are more likely to experience poverty, impacting access to resources like high-quality education, training, and professional networks. This socioeconomic disadvantage translates into fewer opportunities to enter well-paying jobs or leadership positions. In addition, many of our minoritised communities live in economically disadvantaged areas where there are fewer high-quality employment opportunities.
This affects the ability to access jobs in key sectors and locations with higher upward mobility.
Lack of Representation in Leadership and Role Models
A lack of visible role models and leaders from people of different backgrounds can create a "glass ceiling" for aspiring professionals. It also leads to a lack of policies or initiatives specifically designed to support the advancement of groups that face structural inequalities within organisations. Even when individuals are appointed to senior positions, they may face tokenism, where their presence does not translate into systemic changes or better representation across the organisation, and they can often face the “Glass Cliff” e.g. being promoted when the risk of failure is high.
Cultural and Organisational Barriers
Many organisations may not have inclusive environments that recognise and accommodate cultural differences. This can create environments where ethnic minorities feel marginalised or unable to fully contribute.
For example, The Broken Ladders Report by The Fawcett Society and The Runneymede Trust (2022) highlighted when studying women of colour in the workforce, that 61% report changing themselves to ‘fit-in’ at work, from the language or words they use (37%), their hairstyle (26%) and even their name (22%).
Organisations often hire or promote people based on "cultural fit," which tends to favour those from similar backgrounds (usually White, middle-class), leaving minorities excluded from key roles. Some organisations do not adequately collect or report data on racial diversity within their workforce. Without data, it's difficult to measure progress or hold organisations accountable for addressing racial representation gaps.
In addition to the above reasons that contribute to the representation gap in most sectors, we must also acknowledge the need to measure the impact of our equity, diversity and inclusion strategies as a way to take action.
Key questions to ask regularly include:
Are we making a difference to our recruitment and promotion pipelines?
What do our staff think of our strategy and action plans?
Is our EDI work leading to visible shifts in culture?
What do we need to refresh/shift our focus onto for the next 12 months as a result of feedback?
It is also important that organisations address any resistance to equity and inclusion efforts, where leaders and employees may see initiatives as a threat to the status quo or dismiss the need for proactive measures to ensure representation.
This requires a strong and specific reason for your efforts and for this to be spoken about regularly and backed up with evidence and leadership from the top.
Top tips for addressing the representation gap
Build your understanding for the reasons (avoiding assumptions)
Plan and deliver actions to address the representation gap
Collaborate with partners to dismantle these structural barriers.
Promoting inclusive cultures,
Addressing biases in recruitment and promotion,
Create transparent pathways for career advancement,
Hold your organisations accountable for their outcomes.
Want to learn more?
Join us as we participate in the Panel of the below event.
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