Dismantling Racial and Gender Bias in the Workplace

Despite the personal impact she has experienced, Alavez tries to react to bias with compassion and gives others the respect she hopes to receive. “Sometimes you may be receiving the wrong message and the reaction. [I try to have] compassion for someone not knowing better.” Still, she advises confronting situations of bias head-on when you feel safe to do so and having conversations that explore experiences. “Lived experiences will affect my peers’ point of view, and when you take that time [to explore experiences], you may be better able to form relationships and identify allies.” Alavez emphasized the value of assertiveness: “You have to respectfully demand respect. You deserve respect; it’s one of your rights in the workplace.”

Having shared their experiences confronting racial bias at work, Bentley and Alavez offered additional advice to the field of talent developers who work with young adults facing barriers in the labor market:

• Provide mock interviews plus scenario training: Many training programs include mock interviews to help young people prepare for and gain comfort with the types of questions potential employers may ask. Bentley noted that in addition to this vital form of readiness training, practitioners should also build awareness of how biases such as microaggressions can present and provide examples of ways to respond to racial bias. Bentley, who noted that she never encountered racial bias until her first career experience, emphasized, “It can be a shock when a microaggression comes your way and you don’t know how to answer. But make sure students and the people that you’re working with are aware of it, that it [racial bias] is out there, and just giving different approaches to come by it. Also, make sure they [young people] know when to walk away and when [staying] is not worth it.”
• Make soft skills training a focal point of curricula: For Alavez, Hope Builder’s career readiness curriculum provided preparation for situations she has encountered at work and the social-emotional tools that she calls on when confronting bias at work. “In soft skills training, [instructors] would pose the questions, ‘why is someone using that tone, and what does it imply?’ Now when I hear certain dialogue being used and words being used, it automatically raises a red flag, and it tells me to slow down and analyze the situation.” Time spent during technical and career training on understanding team dynamics and interpersonal relationships has enabled Alavez to know “when and how to fight battles” while being professional and direct when comments are made.
• Emphasize persistence in career journeys: Persistence is often necessary for career success. However, when encountering and confronting inequity and bias, young adults must consider and prepare for an added layer of emotional and mental readiness. From Bentley’s rebound from her first career experience, she found “good companies are looking for good people. It can be hard to find each other in the process, but learning that, especially for a tech journey, is called a journey for a reason. It may take some time, but don’t give up on these candidates, and don’t give up on the people you are working with.” Alavez also emphasized tenacity in overcoming obstacles and confronting biased points of view. “You cannot end racism overnight and in the whole world. But you can definitely keep trying. That’s all that matters.”

Prioritizing Practices That Disrupt Intersectional Bias in the Workplace

While many young people entering early careers possess the resilience and determination to face bias and discrimination, leading talent development organizations, such as those in JFF’s Young Adult Talent Development Network, recognize they cannot fight this battle alone. Training programs play a critical role in supporting young adults, particularly young adults of color, with preparation for, entry to, and advancement along career pathways. Organizations that support better workforce outcomes for young adults can center the voices of people like Bentley and Alavez, who face discrimination and bias, and actively work with employers to create inclusive and equitable work environments.

Practitioners from national and community-based training organizations offered additional advice for advancing these calls to action among young adult talent developers:

• Identify and partner with mission-aligned employers: It is impossible to vet all employment spaces young adults enter; however, training providers should take every opportunity to lead due diligence when entering talent development and placement partnerships with companies. This could include meetings to identify alignment and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company, meeting team members of color who have moved up in the company, and asking for data on attrition and promotion. Another proactive way to match with an inclusive workplace is creating early partnerships before employment that connect employers to young people and include them as partners in training.
• Create and advocate for safe spaces for discussion and feedback: Communicating the impact of microaggressions and implicit bias to allies and a supportive community was vital for Alavez and Bentley in navigating workplace challenges. In addition to providing coaching, training providers must incorporate youth voice and peer-to-peer feedback opportunities to build awareness of the experiences young people face. Offering program-based platforms for training alumni and workplace programs, such as employee resource groups that provide culturally aware affinity spaces for groups underrepresented in the industry, allows young people to build a community within organizations and access safe spaces to share their experiences and advocate for themselves.