Almost half of UK’s corporate decision makers believe their company has an ethnicity pay gap, new research has found.
The research, released by INvolve, found that 47% of surveyed decision makers think there is a difference in the average pay of White and ethnic minority staff in their company. Figures are even higher in certain industries; with 52% of decision makers in the IT industry believing their company has a pay gap; and almost two thirds (64%) in the accounting and finance sector.
While the Government has refused to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory, the research found that almost all employees surveyed (95%) are willing to disclose their ethnicity to their employer. These overwhelming numbers show that the data needed to collect and report on the ethnicity pay gap is well within companies’ grasp, even without Government mandate.
2022’S EMPOWER ROLE MODELS
While awareness of diversity and inclusion in business has generally improved, there is still a distinct lack of diversity among the UK’s business leadership. This is thought to be a key driver of the ethnicity pay gap in many companies. Where there are fewer leaders who come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the average earnings level compared to White employees is undoubtedly impacted.
This research was released alongside INvolve’s annual Empower Role Model Lists, which celebrate businesspeople playing a central role in breaking down barriers at work for black people and other ethnic minorities; using their positions to keep diversity and inclusion at the top of the agenda.
This year, for the first time, the lists are global rather than restricted to submissions from Europe, the US and Canada. The global lists feature Role Models from a wide range of countries; reflecting different stories, experiences and strengthening the cohort with increased intersectionality.
DRIVING THE DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AGENDA
Suki Sandhu OBE, Founder and CEO of INvolve, said the research shows that business leaders know how far there is to go in driving the diversity and inclusion agenda forward. “The existence of the ethnicity pay gap is a fundamental sign that not enough has been done to improve ethnically diverse representation across senior leadership,” explained Sandhu. “The first, and critical, step to drive progress and accountability for change is honest, transparent measurement to create clear benchmarks for progress. While there is currently no legal mandate, businesses taking DE&I seriously should be stepping up and reporting their ethnicity pay gaps. It’s incredibly encouraging to see how many employees are willing to share the data needed to report this; and suggests an appetite for change and transparency across businesses. We’ve seen progress made on the gender pay gap – it’s now past time to address ethnicity.
The Empower lists celebrate role models in business who are smashing barriers; and doing the work to advocate for people of colour across global businesses. “These Role Models have made it their mission to make a real difference; and we must look to them as examples of how we can all contribute to the removal of barriers and create businesses where everyone can thrive,” added Sandhu.
TOP 10 OF 100 EMPOWER EXECUTIVE ROLE MODELS
- Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO at Genpact LLC
- John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, of Operation Hope
- Funmi Adegoke, Group General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer at Halma Plc
- Timothy Wilkins, Global Partner for Client Sustainability, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
- Shirine Khoury-Haq, Interim CEO, CO-OP Group Ltd
- Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, Diageo
- Kirk McDonald, CEO of GroupM, North America
- Bina Mehta MBE, Chair, KPMG UK
- Monique D Jefferson, Chief Human Resources Officer, New York Public Radio
- Dionne Aiken, Profiles division, Kantar
Commenting on scooping the top position on this year’s global 100 Empower Executives Role Model List, Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO at Genpact LLC, stated: “Embedding true diversity of perspective – across gender, ethnicity, race, and cognitive ability – into the fabric of an organisation is critical to creating meaningful client outcomes and unlocking competitive advantage. For Genpact, it is an agenda that is inextricably linked to our business strategy. I am honoured to be recognised as an Empower Role Model; and to spearhead our journey in driving innovation that matters for the world.”
TOP 10 OF 100 EMPOWER FUTURE LEADERS
- Crystal Sai, Executive Director, Chief of Staff, Global Online, Estee Lauder Companies
- Radhika Balasubramani, Director – Global Technical Operations Lead, Merck
- Walter Diaz, Project Leader, Boston Consulting Group
- Omar Ahmed, Technical Project Manager, GSK
- Laura Wheeler, Investment Operations – Specialist, Capital Group
- Selina Lau, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance
- Deon Pillay, Head of Marketing Operations, Legal and General Investments
- Anthony “Tony” Mayo, Managing Director and Chief Information Officer of BNY Mellon Asset Management Technology Global Distribution and Marketing; BNY Mellon
- Ayomide Akin, Growth Strategy Manager, Accenture
- Emily Mathews, Managing Director, Legal & Compliance, Blackstone
Commenting on being named number one in the Empower 100 Future Leaders List, Crystal Sai, Executive Director, Chief of Staff, Global Online at Estée Lauder Companies, stated: “I am honoured and very humbled to be named number one to Empower’s 100 Future Leaders Role Model List; and to be recognised for this critical work. I believe that DE&I should be embedded in everything that we do; every time we walk into a room without diversity, we are leaving innovation, creativity, and diversity of thought/experiences on the table. This work is tough, I couldn’t do it without the help of my community, both personally and professionally.”
TOP 10 OF 50 LEADING ADVOCATES FOR ETHNIC MINORITY INDIVIDUALS
- Mark Read, Chief Executive, WPP
- Anne Richards, CEO, Fidelity International
- Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt Technology Services
- Jim Fitterling, Chairman and CEO, DOW
- Keith Barr, CEO, IHG Hotels & Resorts
- David Shelley, Group CEO, Hachette UK
- Anne Erni, Chief People Officer, Audible
- Jason Tarry, CEO, UK & ROI, Tesco
- Diana Conrad, Chief People Officer, GSK
- Robyn Grew, Global COO & GC, Head of ESG, Head of Man Group US
Commenting on being honoured as the number one leading Advocate for Ethnic Minority individuals in the 2022 honours, Mark Read, Chief Executive at WPP, stated: “For WPP, a diverse and inclusive culture is a business opportunity as well as an imperative. Building teams from different backgrounds and experiences helps us to understand our audiences better, deliver innovation and produce the best work for our clients. Ultimately, our success is driven by our people; and I’m proud of what we’re doing together across WPP to create a culture where people feel they belong and want to be a part of.”
Click here for the complete lists.
You can also check out 2022’s HERoes Ethnically Diverse Women Role Models who are smashing the glass ceiling in business here.
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