Only 30% of employees across all geographies, industries and demographic groups say that they feel fully included at work, according to a new study. However, Asian workers report feel the least included.
In fact, only 16% of Asian men and 20% of Asian women say they felt fully included at work, confirmed research carried out by Bain & Company, which coincided with Asian American Heritage Month. However, with the increase of violence and institutional racism affecting the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, it is more important than ever for employers to understand and support their AAPI employees. The research concluded that feeling included is critical to employee retention and success, and why greater inclusion can help Asian Americans crack the bamboo ceiling.
The study also points to common traps employers fall into, such as focusing on broad generalisations about Asian American populations. Asian Americans overall are well educated and have done well economically relative to the US population as a whole. While such achievements are to be celebrated, they can obfuscate the complexity of the AAPI experience.
THE BAMBOO CEILING
“The Asian community in the US is very diverse, so there isn’t just one Asian American identity or experience,” said Pam Yee, Partner at Bain & Company and Leader in its Performance Improvement practice. “There are dozens of ethnic backgrounds and countless immigration stories within the Asian American community. Some are well represented in the professional world, while others are more marginalised. But one thing is consistent across the board: a struggle with the challenges of stereotypes, acceptance and assimilation.”
Many Asian Americans face significant barriers in the workplace, including discrimination and the “Bamboo Ceiling,” which limits advancement to leadership roles. While 9% of the professional workforce identifies as Asian, only 2% of CEOs do. While Bain is one of few major firms in the US with an Asian American leader at its helm, it too is working to overcome a representation gap between its junior and leadership levels.
INCREASING INCLUSION
“At Bain, we’ve conducted internal focus groups with Asian American employees to better understand the challenges they face in the workplace,” stated Karthik Venkataraman, Partner at Bain & Company and Leader in its DEI and Travel and Leisure practices. “We have seen that role models and cultural norms are particularly important to empowering these employees in the workplace. As Asian leaders, we’re thinking about how we can share our own experiences and help elevate the voices of others in our communities who might feel less included; and we are helping other leaders across Bain to do the same.”
Bain & Company’s recent report, entitled The Fabric of Belonging: How to Weave an Inclusive Culture shows how paying attention to the different “texture” inclusion has for various communities within an organisation is key to employee retention and success. For example, Bain’s research shows that actively accounting for cultural differences in systems such as performance management, promotion or recruitment is especially important in creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for Asian Americans. Additionally, regular coaching, professional development, and transparent feedback, along with structured DEI programming and education, are all shown to increase inclusion for Asian American employees. Click here for more information about the report.
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