如今,美國種族間的財富差距驚人。
2016年,美國白人家庭的平均資產(chǎn)凈值為171,000美元;黑人家庭的平均資產(chǎn)凈值為17,150美元,幾乎只有白人家庭的十分之一。研究顯示,財富上的差距會顯著影響教育、醫(yī)療、職業(yè)機(jī)會等方面。
喬治?弗洛伊德被警察致死案引發(fā)了全美對于黑人待遇的反思。商界領(lǐng)袖們正在思考在特殊時期如何縮小種族間的財富差距。從今年2月至4月,公共衛(wèi)生事件已經(jīng)導(dǎo)致黑人企業(yè)主減少了41%,而同一時期的白人企業(yè)主只減少了17%。
上周四,在由《財富》雜志與麥肯錫公司(McKinsey & Co.)聯(lián)合舉辦的Bold虛擬會議上,種族間的財富差距成為了討論的議題。此次會議由《財富》雜志的高級編輯艾倫?邁克格爾特主持。阿里爾投資公司(Ariel Investments)董事長、聯(lián)席CEO兼首席投資官約翰?羅杰斯和麥肯錫高級合伙人兼多元化與包容性舉措負(fù)責(zé)人萊瑞拉?易出席了會議。會議討論的問題是企業(yè)如何幫助縮小非洲裔美國人的財富差距。
羅杰斯說:“這是一個極其復(fù)雜的問題,但我每次都會首先強(qiáng)調(diào)一個重要的事實(shí),那就是財富差距正在不斷擴(kuò)大?!弊罱难芯匡@示,在特殊時期,種族間的財富差距進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大。
羅杰斯承認(rèn),確實(shí)有一些公司制定了供應(yīng)商多元化項(xiàng)目,承諾與非洲裔美國人的公司合作。他說:“但事實(shí)上,他們通常只在部分供應(yīng)鏈支出中才會堅持多元化原則。比如施工、餐飲、保潔服務(wù)、公司禮品等,這些都是利潤率最低的領(lǐng)域。眾所周知,美國經(jīng)濟(jì)已經(jīng)轉(zhuǎn)向了基于專業(yè)服務(wù)、金融服務(wù)和科技的經(jīng)濟(jì)。這些才是高利潤率的領(lǐng)域。這些領(lǐng)域才能產(chǎn)生現(xiàn)金流和創(chuàng)造就業(yè)?!?
羅杰斯認(rèn)為,解決方案在于擺脫“供應(yīng)鏈多元化”,更專注于“業(yè)務(wù)多元化”。他說,對黑人的隱性偏見使這種轉(zhuǎn)變本身很有挑戰(zhàn)性。羅杰斯說:“人們的偏見不止是在語言方面。人們依舊認(rèn)為黑人沒有資格從事復(fù)雜的工作,比如法律服務(wù)、會計服務(wù)、財富管理等。當(dāng)人們閉上眼睛想一位非洲裔美國人領(lǐng)袖時,人們想到的是體育界或娛樂界的明星,但不會是一名投資銀行家?!?
羅杰斯表示,歸根結(jié)底,關(guān)于人們內(nèi)心隱性偏見的教育,不是通過一次研討會就能完成的。相反,這需要公司定期對員工持續(xù)進(jìn)行教育,讓包括CEO在內(nèi)的所有人對此承擔(dān)起應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。另外,黑人還需要接受財經(jīng)素養(yǎng)方面的更多教育。
萊瑞拉?易引用麥肯錫的數(shù)據(jù)稱,按照當(dāng)前的進(jìn)展,美國和英國的黑人雇員需要35年的時間才有望“看到任何意義上的種族平等。”
她說:“但到那時,我和約翰早已經(jīng)退休。在更深入地了解公司勞動力的差異之后,你會感到非常震驚?!比R瑞拉?易尤其提到,被錄用的黑人員工很難得到她所說的“第一輪”提拔。她指出,隱性偏見“在其中發(fā)揮著作用,因?yàn)樗麄冞M(jìn)入你公司的時間并不長,實(shí)際上不足以出現(xiàn)巨大的績效差距,除非你不信任公司的招聘標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。我認(rèn)為沒有人會這樣想。”
萊瑞拉?易說,白人和非黑人種族應(yīng)該自我反省,而不是靠黑人來教育他們。
她補(bǔ)充道,一種做法是讓隱性偏見不再是隱性的,讓它暴露出來?!耙?yàn)橹灰憧吹搅怂?,你就不會再對它視而不見。這與某個人是不是好人或者他們是否出于好心無關(guān)。事實(shí)是,我們得不到合理的結(jié)果。所以,我們必須從源頭上解決問題?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
如今,美國種族間的財富差距驚人。
2016年,美國白人家庭的平均資產(chǎn)凈值為171,000美元;黑人家庭的平均資產(chǎn)凈值為17,150美元,幾乎只有白人家庭的十分之一。研究顯示,財富上的差距會顯著影響教育、醫(yī)療、職業(yè)機(jī)會等方面。
喬治?弗洛伊德被警察致死案引發(fā)了全美對于黑人待遇的反思。商界領(lǐng)袖們正在思考在特殊時期如何縮小種族間的財富差距。從今年2月至4月,公共衛(wèi)生事件已經(jīng)導(dǎo)致黑人企業(yè)主減少了41%,而同一時期的白人企業(yè)主只減少了17%。
上周四,在由《財富》雜志與麥肯錫公司(McKinsey & Co.)聯(lián)合舉辦的Bold虛擬會議上,種族間的財富差距成為了討論的議題。此次會議由《財富》雜志的高級編輯艾倫?邁克格爾特主持。阿里爾投資公司(Ariel Investments)董事長、聯(lián)席CEO兼首席投資官約翰?羅杰斯和麥肯錫高級合伙人兼多元化與包容性舉措負(fù)責(zé)人萊瑞拉?易出席了會議。會議討論的問題是企業(yè)如何幫助縮小非洲裔美國人的財富差距。
羅杰斯說:“這是一個極其復(fù)雜的問題,但我每次都會首先強(qiáng)調(diào)一個重要的事實(shí),那就是財富差距正在不斷擴(kuò)大?!弊罱难芯匡@示,在特殊時期,種族間的財富差距進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大。
羅杰斯承認(rèn),確實(shí)有一些公司制定了供應(yīng)商多元化項(xiàng)目,承諾與非洲裔美國人的公司合作。他說:“但事實(shí)上,他們通常只在部分供應(yīng)鏈支出中才會堅持多元化原則。比如施工、餐飲、保潔服務(wù)、公司禮品等,這些都是利潤率最低的領(lǐng)域。眾所周知,美國經(jīng)濟(jì)已經(jīng)轉(zhuǎn)向了基于專業(yè)服務(wù)、金融服務(wù)和科技的經(jīng)濟(jì)。這些才是高利潤率的領(lǐng)域。這些領(lǐng)域才能產(chǎn)生現(xiàn)金流和創(chuàng)造就業(yè)?!?
羅杰斯認(rèn)為,解決方案在于擺脫“供應(yīng)鏈多元化”,更專注于“業(yè)務(wù)多元化”。他說,對黑人的隱性偏見使這種轉(zhuǎn)變本身很有挑戰(zhàn)性。羅杰斯說:“人們的偏見不止是在語言方面。人們依舊認(rèn)為黑人沒有資格從事復(fù)雜的工作,比如法律服務(wù)、會計服務(wù)、財富管理等。當(dāng)人們閉上眼睛想一位非洲裔美國人領(lǐng)袖時,人們想到的是體育界或娛樂界的明星,但不會是一名投資銀行家?!?
羅杰斯表示,歸根結(jié)底,關(guān)于人們內(nèi)心隱性偏見的教育,不是通過一次研討會就能完成的。相反,這需要公司定期對員工持續(xù)進(jìn)行教育,讓包括CEO在內(nèi)的所有人對此承擔(dān)起應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。另外,黑人還需要接受財經(jīng)素養(yǎng)方面的更多教育。
萊瑞拉?易引用麥肯錫的數(shù)據(jù)稱,按照當(dāng)前的進(jìn)展,美國和英國的黑人雇員需要35年的時間才有望“看到任何意義上的種族平等?!?
她說:“但到那時,我和約翰早已經(jīng)退休。在更深入地了解公司勞動力的差異之后,你會感到非常震驚?!比R瑞拉?易尤其提到,被錄用的黑人員工很難得到她所說的“第一輪”提拔。她指出,隱性偏見“在其中發(fā)揮著作用,因?yàn)樗麄冞M(jìn)入你公司的時間并不長,實(shí)際上不足以出現(xiàn)巨大的績效差距,除非你不信任公司的招聘標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。我認(rèn)為沒有人會這樣想?!?
萊瑞拉?易說,白人和非黑人種族應(yīng)該自我反省,而不是靠黑人來教育他們。
她補(bǔ)充道,一種做法是讓隱性偏見不再是隱性的,讓它暴露出來?!耙?yàn)橹灰憧吹搅怂憔筒粫賹λ暥灰?。這與某個人是不是好人或者他們是否出于好心無關(guān)。事實(shí)是,我們得不到合理的結(jié)果。所以,我們必須從源頭上解決問題?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
The racial wealth gap in the United States is staggering.
In 2016, white families had an average net worth of $171,000; Black families averaged a net worth of $17,150—almost exactly one-tenth of their white counterparts’. That divide can make all the difference in education, health care, professional opportunities, and more, studies show.
As the nation reckons with its treatment of Black people following the police killing of George Floyd, business leaders are examining ways to reduce the wealth gap amid the coronavirus pandemic that has contributed to a 41% decline in the number of Black business owners from February to April. White business owners, meanwhile, saw just a 17% decline during the same period.
This disparity was the topic of discussion at last Thursday’s Fortune Bold virtual conference, in partnership with McKinsey & Co., and moderated by senior editor Ellen McGirt. Joining her was John Rogers, chairman, co-CEO, and chief investment officer of Ariel Investments, and Lareina Yee, senior partner and head of diversity and inclusion at McKinsey. The question at hand: How can businesses help reduce the Black wealth gap?
“It’s a very, very complicated question, but the one key thing I always start with is that the wealth gap is getting worse and worse,” Rogers said. The coronavirus pandemic has further contributed to this, recent studies have shown.
It’s true, Rogers acknowledged, that some corporations have created supplier diversity programs pledging to work with African-American companies. “But in reality, they typically do that only in the supply chain part of the spend,” Rogers said. “Construction, catering, janitorial services, corporate gifts—the lowest-margin part of the spend. And as we know, our economy has moved to a professional services, financial services, and technology-based economy. That’s where all the high margins are. That’s where the cash flow is. That’s where the jobs are.”
The solution, Rogers said, was to get rid of “supplier diversity” and focus more on “business diversity.” That will be challenging in itself, he added, because of implicit biases against Black people. “So it’s not just language. People continue to think that we’re not qualified to do the complicated tasks, the legal services, the accounting services, money management,” Rogers said. “When people close their eyes and think about an African-American leader, they think about someone in sports or entertainment, not an investment banker.”
At the end of the day, Rogers said, education about implicit biases cannot be done in just one seminar. Rather, it needs to be taught continually at companies on a regular basis to hold employees—including CEOs—accountable. Another aspect of education that Black people need more access to: financial literacy.
At the current rate of progress, said McKinsey’s Yee, it would take 35 years for Black employees in the U.S. and U.K. to “to see any sense of racial equity,” she said, citing McKinsey data.
“By then, John and I will have been retired for a long time. And when you look a little more closely at the disparities in the corporate workforce, it’s pretty shocking,” Yee said. In particular she cited the difficulty for Black employees who get hired to achieve what she calls the “first rung” promotion. Implicit bias, she says, “has to play a role because they haven’t actually been in your company long enough for there to be such a big performance gap, unless you don’t believe in your recruiting standards, which I think we all do.”
Yee said that white and non-Black allies need to educate themselves—and not rely on Black people to do the teaching for them.
And part of that is making that implicit bias not implicit anymore; make it explicit, Yee added. “Because once you see it, you’re not going to ignore it. And it’s not about whether people are good people or whether they have good intentions. The fact of the matter is, we don’t have the right outcomes. So we’ve got to fix the inputs.”