Stop the Black Unicorn Search — Johnson Squared Consulting

The push for Black representation in the boardroom has led to grandiose pursuits. If your company travels over the river and through the woods looking for Black leaders — this article will save you some time. If you are looking for Black people to join your executive ranks, who:

• Never use African American Vernacular English (AAVE)
• Have non-polarizing views on equity, social justice, and inclusion
• Uniformly contort their hair (and/or appearance in general) to suit a European aesthetic
• Obtained their education in nearly all-white institutions
• Are a “cultural” fit

Then, you’ll continue your implausible pursuit for “Black unicorns.” And, even if you source, tackle, and bring them into the boardroom — they’ll leave because you haven’t addressed and fixed the problems that caused your lack of representation in the first place. Black unicorns are becoming increasingly scarce today because they are emboldened by the liberating societal embrace of authenticity and psychological safety.

Recruiters are pulled left, right, and center — to find Black executives that fit the unspoken criteria bulleted above. Stop. And do these four things instead:

1. Axe Instead of Ask

Black people languish in stagnant virtual and literal cubicles across the country who are more than qualified for leadership positions. Their challenge whispered behind closed doors and to confidants like us as DEI professionals are their diction. Not their grammar or word choice — but their pronunciation. Their managers’ discomfort is encoded in roundabout claims that sound like “Courtney is a great accountant — it’s just…she’s a little rough around the edges.” But when we dig deeper, we discover it’s often Courtney’s pronunciation “holding her back.” And the biggest perceived transgression is saying “axe” instead of “ask.”

If you would not discriminate, and the above is unequivocally discrimination, against an accented person from England or India — you should not discriminate against Black employees with traces of African American Vernacular English in their speech.

Understanding the origins of pronunciations like “axe” instead of “ask” is an excellent way to overcome this bias. Axe is Old English — in fact, a lot of AAVE pronunciation is influenced by aged British and continues to evolve. Jesse Sheidlower, from the American Dialect Society, , “You can trace “axe” back to the eighth century. The pronunciation derives from the Old English verb “acsian.” It’s in the first complete English translation of the Bible.” He further emphasized, “It is not a new thing; it is not a mistake. It is a regular feature of English.”

When a Black employee is comfortable enough to use AAVE in the office, it’s a key indicator that they can come as they are and aren’t expected to “code-switch” as a way of assimilating to assimilate to appease their non-Black counterparts. This is what the north star of your work culture should always be.

2. Look Within

Companies and institutions push for anti-bias training as a placeholder instead of looking internally for career advancement. This gives way for the “illusion of inclusion ,” a term coined by the Tiago Foundation, a career advancement organization for historically underrepresented groups.

The Black executives you are looking for externally are probably already in your current ranks. Take a close look internally, consider investing in a sponsorship or mentoring program. Black employees’ contributions may be overlooked, commandeered, or minimized. Sponsorship and mentorship programs close this gap and advocate for those who are underrepresented.

Avoid this by searching for Black leaders from the inside out.

3. Take Inventory and Publish It

A DEI audit is mandatory to attract and retain Black talent at the executive level. Audits aren’t fun — but we can promise you that the discovery is worth it. A solid, comprehensive DEI audit will reveal fair pay practices across demographics, inclusive communication standards, and the bottlenecks strangling true inclusivity. The audit must include outlets for all employees, especially Black employees, to provide feedback anonymously, if they so choose.

During your audit, we suggest looking at the data and looking at your policies, processes, and overall company culture. Are there policies in place supporting a diverse and inclusive environment? Is it clear that inclusivity is a core value of your company? Have there been procedures put in place to check unconscious bias? All of these are crucial areas to consider when working through your audit.

The true power of the audit isn’t the data. It’s what you do with it. Its strength is in sharing.

Good data is transparent, accessible data. Share your findings with employees at all levels. Hold meetings with people managers to review the audit in its entirety. Make it clear what the outcomes and next steps are, emphasizing that this will be a fully transparent journey. Make your commitment to this journey clear, communicate often, and follow through.

4. Unclog the Pipes

Have you checked your pipes lately? When we see a lack of diversity, we typically say it is due to one of two things: Your pipeline or your principle. If you do not have an open, cultivated pipeline that exists where Black talent is, you won’t yield the results you are looking for.

Invest in partnerships with organizations that support Black leaders like The Executive Leadership Council. It’s essential to look for listening opportunities to see what these members are looking for from companies like yours. Gain understanding, demonstrate active support and develop organic relationships. Don’t use these spaces as a Black unicorn hunting ground. Organizations like cultivate talent and partner with companies to develop successful internship programs that create a pipeline of highly skilled employees from underrepresented groups.

Demonstrate the work your company is doing to build a more equitable future. Working to reduce medical bias? Publish an article about it. Investing in equitable housing? Consider a brief video on the progress. Get the message out that your team is doing the work that tackles racial injustice. Plan for ongoing initiatives that engage employees and customers to let them see you’re following through on long-term commitments.

Whether we realize it or not, the words we choose give way to declaring a work environment is seen as more or less inclusive. Audit your website for non-inclusive language, check your open job postings for words that are isolating, and look at your advertising material too. Terms like “rockstar” are outdated and often elicit visualization of white males. Group terms like “tribe” are equally polarizing.

If you have a Black ERG group at work, ask for their insight into attracting Black leadership talent. Share the skills set and experience you are looking for. And, as we said earlier, you may find that the talent you’re looking for already exists within your very own company’s Black ERG group.

If these insights have been helpful — we want to hear about it. Email us at info@johnson2consulting.com .

Originally published at https://www.johnson2consulting.com on June 17, 2021.