Deutsche Welle interviewed Inclusive Matters on race & ethnicity in European companies. Race & ethnicity in Europe is the taboo topic, leaving many ethnically diverse voices unheard.

 

The labor market is not a level playing field.
European corporate leadership teams lack racial/ethnic diversity.
ELT’s don’t reflect the societies they serve.
The words “race” and “ethnicity” are absent from Diversity & Inclusion discussions.

 

Across Europe, the ethnically diverse  and migrants of color face labor discrimination.
There are wage disparities, with people of color (POC) earning less in similar roles.
POC face barriers & discrimination in getting into and developing their career.
Despite strong qualifications, they may work in low-level jobs.

 

POCs’ unemployment rates also tend to be higher nationally. George Floyd’s killing in 2020 sparked a global racial reckoning. Black Lives Matter protests reverberated across major European cities like London/Paris/Berlin/Copenhagen.

 

Protesters highlighted racism faced by POC in their countries.
This awakening forced corporations to re-focus their attention on diversity – beyond gender.  By August 2020, US corporations pledged over $7 billion to combat racism.

 

High-profile leaders recognized companies’ societal influence and consumer demands.
There were new expectations for corporations to act on systemic racism.
Some companies like Ben & Jerry’s and McKinsey took concrete actions.

 

Ben & Jerry’s, supporting BLM since 2016, launched a racism history podcast.
McKinsey established an institute advancing Black economic mobility and racial equity.
However, the European corporate response paled in comparison to the US.

 

Most major European firms still largely avoid reckoning with racism’s impact.  While more European companies have acknowledged racial/ethnic inequities since 2021, the lack of workforce race/ethnicity data allows the issue to remain distant.

 

To truly understand systemic discrimination’s scope, experts say prioritize equitable hiring. Processes must be transparent, backed by robust self-identification data. Only then can racial disparities be mapped and addressed meaningfully.

 

For too long, European corporations avoided grappling with racism perpetuating inequities. While US corporations took visible stands against racism after 2020, many European companies avoided grappling with the issue’s reality.

 

Capturing workforce ethnic/racial data (based on self-identification) and promoting transparent, equitable hiring practices are crucial for European businesses to better address systemic discrimination and inequities.

Related article: by Deutsche Welle

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