Tokenism Versus Equity in the Workplace
When you are told to hire more women or people of color
tokenism noun.
The practice of doing something only as a symbolic effort especially pertaining to a minority group.
Whenever we work with organizations to build an inclusive culture or inclusive leadership, we ask, "what do you like or think is cool about D&I, and what drives you crazy about it”? I love hearing the answers in the room as it allows leaders to see that they are not the only ones in the organization and in the world facing the challenges of leading inclusively. Workshop attendees comment on recruitment, quotas/diversity KPIs and often bring up the theme of Tokenism.
WHAT IS TOKENISM, AND WHY IS IT HARMFUL?
Tokenism is when we pretend to be fair by giving an advantage to those who are often treated unfairly and use that pretense to make us look “inclusive”. Tokenism presents threats not only to the individual but also to the organization and often creates imposter syndrome in staff from underrepresented groups. How would you feel if you knew you were hired because you were a diverse candidate?
The result? Constant pressure to do well and go above and beyond at all times due to perceived scrutiny from other employees. In addition, it usually affects mental health because a person might feel anxious and scared to make mistakes. Another risk is the increased visibility women employees experience concerning an organization's leadership roles. The pressure to perform under scrutiny can be detrimental to these women.
WHERE IS TOKENISM VISIBLE?
We see tokenism when only one person is hired to represent any minority group – for example, one woman among senior leaders and is further emphasized when that one person hired represents more than one minority group – for example, a black female.
Tokenism is also visible when an organization forms a committee to combat inequality and then chooses minority group members who might not have the necessary skills/experience in the diversity and inclusion field. The addition of “diverse group members” underqualified for the role proves that the selection was made not for the authentic voice but rather for the right face. These people are, therefore, not empowered or heard, and the real power remains with those who appointed them, resulting in a tick-box exercise only.
THREE COMMON MISTAKES THAT ORGANIZATIONS MAKE THAT CAN BE AVOIDED
In our work, we have noticed that organizations could avoid some assumptions. For example, we need to stop assuming that people of color, women or other underrepresented groups in our organizations want the spotlight or want to lead D&I efforts.
Change needs to happen from the top down. Inclusive leaders must own the change and the importance of driving it forward. The board and executive teams must include representation from all under-represented groups while reflecting the actual percentage of diversity in the organization they lead. If your workforce, until a specific level, has a high representation of diversity and minority groups, but those groups are not part of top leadership, what you automatically say is those employees are good enough for some work but not for the top.
Inclusive Leaders should not assume that systemic racism does not exist in their organization. Check your data; you will be be able to see it there. Racial/gender biases often form a thin thread within systems and processes. When top leaders don't acknowledge this as a fact, the solutions put in place will be cosmetic rather than addressing and fixing the root of the problem.
Setting up DEI committees with people who need to gain the right skills/experience and, most crucial - the heart for it, together with the lack of support from the CEO and top management, will never move the needle. The same can be said for hiring a diversity manager who does not report to the CEO or a country head. We must avoid setting people up for failure by ensuring that the right accountability processes and support are in place.
It does not matter where you are on your D&I journey; you will encounter Tokenism if you focus more on diversity than inclusion. The responsibility of inclusive leaders is to ensure equality and fair representation in the workforce. Inclusive leaders must invest time and resources into understanding the problem and implementing necessary changes. All successful change management initiatives start at the top—issues involving tokenism and equity in the workplace are no exception.
Read our next blog about How to Avoid Tokenism in the workplace.
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Inclusionem is a global Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy based in Dubai. We specialize in measuring inclusion, diversity and inclusion strategy, inclusive leadership training programs and inclusive communication. Our diversity and inclusion consultants create an impact daily and help to build inclusive organizations in Dubai, the Middle East and all over the world.
