but there are six steps you can take.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
diversity. equity. inclusion.
three big words during troubling times.
more: sponsorship might keep talent from exiting | new study: embracing diversity in accounting
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accountants aren’t bigots. we can say that with confidence. they are well educated and well known as ethical and professional.
yet something seems to be going wrong. there is an undeniable disparity between the ethnic makeup of the general population and the accounting profession.
according to the 2020 census, the american population is
- 6 percent asian/pacific islander
- 12.4 percent black
- 18.7 percent hispanic/latino
- 61.6 percent white
- 10.2 percent identifying as multiethnic
meanwhile, according to aicpa data, the cpa population is
- 14 percent asian/pacific islander
- 2 percent black
- 5 perecent hispanic/latino
- 77 percent white
- 2 percent identify as multiethnic
the situation may be shifting a bit … or maybe it isn’t. there’s been an uptick in hiring hispanic/latino graduates, and there may be more in the pipeline.
among recent graduates,
- 9 percent are asian/pacific islander
- 13 percent are hispanic/latino
- 7 percent are black
- 59 percent are white
- 3 percent identify as multiethnic
- 8 percent identify as “other”
though a few more students of minority ethnicity are showing interest in a profession where landing a job is relatively easy, and the pay is good, too many are leaving the profession after a brief experience.
why?
perceptions of prejudice
in search of explanations, the illinois cpa society asked all 260 alumni of its mary t. washington wylie internship preparation program what they were experiencing as interns or working professionals. of the 179 who responded, 159 have held at least one internship or job in the financial sector.
the results are disturbing.
lack of diversity is a barrier
it seems that a lack of diversity in the workplace is causing a lack of diversity in the workplace.
- 58 percent of the alumni say the lack of diversity among peers and leadership is preventing their own success.
- 36 say the same about the workplace not being inclusive.
- 18 percent cite actual discrimination, microaggressions or lack of equity with other entry-level professionals.
of course, a lack of diversity in a financial workplace may well be the result of relatively few applicants, not prejudice, but being the only person of a minority culture can be uncomfortable.
“no one looks like me,” one alumnus said. “it was shocking to realize there’s not one black female partner in the practice. the lack of representation makes it hard to want to stay.”
another says, “you set us up for success [in the internship preparation program], and then we get here, and we fail, or we quit because we don’t see anyone like us.”
cultural and educational backgrounds are a handicap
people of minority ethnicity are often raised in families without role models in educated professions, and their cultural environments differ from that of white culture. on top of that, their relatively low family incomes result in matriculation in smaller, less endowed colleges and universities.
- 49 percent say their past experiences have not prepared them for a professional environment.
- 48 percent feel their education was inadequate.
- 43 percent cite an overall lack of confidence in their professional abilities.
“i didn’t have a network of professionals to look to, so creating one during college and once entering the workforce was difficult,” one survey respondent said. “looking back, other entry-level professionals had an advantage over me with their connections through parents, relatives, or friends.”
nearly half the respondents feel their education at a “no-name school” didn’t prepare them for the real world. one expressed a common sentiment: “i felt like i didn’t gain the skills and knowledge i needed. after graduating and starting my first full-time job, i quickly realized that i didn’t know how much i didn’t know.”
feedback and development are inadequate
the closest thing to actual bias may be the perception that those of ethnic minority are not receiving the same treatment in the workplace as white peers.
- 31 percent say mentorship opportunities were inadequate.
- 32 percent rate themselves as “below average” at finding mentors or role models.
- 24 percent cite a lack of timely, relevant or direct feedback on performance.
given the cultural and education disadvantages (not to mention the general difficulty of finding personnel), cpa firms should be offering enhanced training and mentorship, but apparently that isn’t happening.
one respondent said, “i had a black colleague who was coached out of the organization by their assigned mentor. they felt like their coach wasn’t representing them well during performance reviews, and i don’t think they ever felt supported by the people around them.”
another said, “my manager doesn’t care about my development, and my assigned coach is their friend, so i feel like i have to be careful about what i say to my coach. it feels like another way in which i’m being handicapped.”
six steps
kari l. natale, senior director of planning and governance at the illinois cpa society, says, “if we’re repeatedly hearing the passing comment that ‘this person isn’t equipped,’ at some point, we need to look in the mirror and examine how we are – or aren’t – developing our diverse talent.”
for the sake of diversity, equity, inclusion, and more capable cpa practices, natale offers six steps toward improving the reception of ethnic minorities.
- be more transparent about attracting and developing diverse talent.
- dialogue with diverse individuals to ensure inclusivity.
- invest more time in training and development.
- work with colleagues to improve the quality of mentorship.
- create a safe environment for performance evaluation and explore ways to close talent gaps.
- work to level the playing field.