On average, it takes Black and South Asian women in the UK at least two months longer than their white colleagues to secure their first job after leaving education – research from Totaljobs has revealed.

The research found that after leaving education, it took Black women, on average, 5.1 months to secure their first role, and South Asian women 4.9 months. This is in comparison to 3.4 months for white men and 2.8 months for white women.

An equal path to career progression: an employer’s guide to uplifting Black and South Asian women in the workplace, is a new report* assessing the career journeys of Black and South Asian women in the UK.

Progression paradox
The research found higher levels of confidence and optimism among Black and South Asian women upon leaving education. Before stepping into the world of work, 66% of Black women and 62% of South Asian women believed they could achieve anything in their future career; compared to just 38% of white women and 46% of white men.

Further into their careers, 64% of Black women and 62% of South Asian women are confident in their career trajectory – compared to 53% of white men and 43% of white women. While these levels are still higher than their white colleagues, it shows that the levels of confidence felt by Black and South Asian women starts to wane when they enter employment; in comparison to the confidence of white colleagues, which increases drastically after they leave education.

Despite high levels of confidence, and the fact that three-fifths (59%) of Black and South Asian women believe their employer supports their ambitions, two thirds of these women at managerial level believe that their ethnicity and/or gender has impacted their progression into a position of leadership. With this, 30% of Black and South Asian women at managerial level felt they had to work harder to reach their position than their colleagues and a fifth feel pressure to act as a role model.

Discrimination and associated pressures
The research also highlights the pressures and discrimination faced by Black and South Asian women as they progress throughout their careers. Two thirds of Black and South Asian women (70% of Black women, 63% of South Asian women) felt the need to “code-switch”[1] at work, i.e feeling the need to change the language they use, appearance, tone of voice, name, and mannerisms.

In addition, four fifths of Black and South Asian women (79%) admit they have faced discrimination in the workplace, with less than a fifth of these women (17%) reporting it.

The research found that many Black and South Asian women felt unable to report incidents of discrimination because they didn’t feel comfortable in doing so (29%), had a lack of confidence in a resolution (25%), felt they would be penalised themselves for reporting it (13%), and did not believe the business would take the report seriously (16%).

Wellbeing
These incidents of code-switching and discrimination at work are taking their toll, with the majority of Black and South Asian women (62%) saying that their wellbeing has suffered at work.

Of those who have struggled with their wellbeing at work, three in ten (29%) Black and South Asian women say have received good levels of support from their employer (defined as paid time off, access to a counsellor, reduced workload or other related actions) and have felt comfortable reaching out (31%). However, one in eight (13%) say they have reached out for support but have not received it.

Over a third (35%) of Black women and 34% of South Asian women are part of an employee-led network; but only 12% of these are funded by their employer. An additional 12% are not endorsed by their organisation and are part of an external network. Over half (55%) believe such groups can help to make the workplace more inclusive.

Jon Wilson, CEO at Totaljobs said: “A person’s career journey should see their confidence building over time, as their employer supports their desire for growth, and ambition for career progression. However, our research shows that for Black and South Asian women, this confidence stagnates because many find themselves in workplaces that are not meeting their needs, whether that’s in the form of unaddressed discrimination, the additional pressures that come with a lack of representation, or simply not feeling comfortable to be themselves.

It’s vital that the actions taken by organisations to create a more diverse and inclusive working culture is embedded in the needs of Black and South Asian women. The findings are indeed sobering, which is why we have worked with The Diversity Trust to identity clear areas of focus for employers. The creation and funding of employee-led networks is one way employers can ensure the voices of Black and South Asian women are heard, while offering a safe space within the organisation where lived experiences can be shared.

Alongside looking internally at actions to create a workplace which is diverse, equitable and inclusive, employers can also consider the role their attraction and recruitment strategies play in opening up opportunity. Our research shows that it takes Black and South Asian women longer to see success when it comes to getting that first job offer. At Totaljobs, innovations such as Equality Boost allow the employers we work with to showcase their career opportunities to underrepresented groups, through an inclusive hiring solution which pinpoints when, where and how to reach more diverse talent pools.”

Advice for employers
Commenting on the findings, Tinashe Verhaeghe, Consultant at The Diversity Trust said: “The findings in this study are significant, highlighting some of the structural and institutional barriers that Black and South Asian women face to succeeding in their chosen career. Despite this, the women we surveyed and spoke to expressed confidence in themselves and a desire for employers to examine their structural and implicit biases for them to have improved chances to succeed and experience less harm in the workplace. There is sufficient evidence of the need for change, the impetus is now on employers and colleagues to act.”

Upon consultation with The Diversity Trust, Totaljobs recommends that employers take the following actions to diversify their hiring processes and foster an inclusive working environment. These recommendations include but are not limited to:

• Introduce measures to mitigate biases and discrimination during the recruitment process
• Provide the right environment that translates the ambition and determination of Black and South Asian women into career success
• Create “safe spaces” for communities, alongside explicit acknowledgment of the existence of racism and sexism in the workplace
• As a business, commit to ongoing education and training to create an environment where discriminatory behaviour is challenged and diversity and inclusion is

[1]*Harvard Business Review defines code-switching as: “involv[ing] adjusting one’s style of speech, appearance, behaviour, and expression in ways that will optimise the comfort of others in exchange for fair treatment, quality service, and employment opportunities.”

Research from Totaljobs and The Diversity Trust,