Forty per cent of Black professionals say the biggest obstacle in their career is not having a clear path or opportunity for advancement at their organization, according to a new LinkedIn Corp. survey.
Of the more than 2,000 Black professionals recently surveyed, 44 per cent felt they’ve been overlooked or intentionally passed by for career advancement opportunities because of their race, while nearly 30 per cent said they’re thinking about leaving their current job, citing lack of growth or advancement opportunities (45 per cent) and lack of recognition of their work (33 per cent).
Read: Diversity, inclusion at work a priority for younger employees: survey
Nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents ages 18 to 34 reported blatant discrimination and/or microaggressions at work and as many as one in four Black professionals felt they may face retaliation for speaking up about racial justice issues or topics around diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. While 78 per cent of respondents said diversity and equity are important to the senior leaders at their workplace, 40 per cent believed this is more talk than action and that their employers haven’t made any material changes to policies or culture.
More than half of Black professionals (51 per cent) believe that leadership transparency on decisions that impact careers — such as promotion, pay and performance management — along with mentorship and career-coaching opportunities (40 per cent) would make their current workplace feel more inclusive and equitable.
And with Black professionals holding just 0.8 per cent of Fortune 500 CEO positions, 81 per cent of respondents said seeing other Black professionals in positions of leadership would also increase inclusivity.
Read: Employers embracing diversity, but more work to be done