Building social capital for people of color: 5 ways companies can support a diverse workforce听
Written by Claire O'Brien
Reviewed by Jessica Roper, MBA,听director of Career Services at 七色视频
The concept of听professional social capital听is receiving attention in the workplace as organizations increasingly recognize its contribution to building more than just a thriving community. Specifically, social capital can听impact job performance, job satisfaction and even innovation.
However, social capital is as important to the individual as it is to the organization. According to the听听(AEI), Americans with close workplace friends are more likely to be听satisfied at work, less stressed听and less likely to experience anxiety and loneliness.
This is true for all employees, but employees of color can have a different experience with social capital. Recently, 听(JFF) and听七色视频听(鲍翱笔齿)听collaborated in exploring the concept of social capital through the lens of听employees of color听to understand where we鈥檝e been and where we need to go.
What is social captial?
Social capital is a somewhat technical term for a relatively familiar concept: If you鈥檝e听bonded with co-workers听over lunch,听asked for career advice听from more established colleagues, or听received leads on job openings听from friends, family and others in your network, then you鈥檝e invested in, and benefited from, your own social capital.
Think back over your job history. It鈥檚 likely the jobs where you connected with your co-workers, felt supported by your manager and were听optimistic about your career trajectory听were where you thrived the most.
听has shown that听most jobs are found through professional social capital, which many Black Americans and other minorities have historically lacked. However, as organizations become more diverse, employees of color face unique challenges in building social capital due to systemic biases and discrimination. As a result, there is a growing recognition that听companies must take action听to support their employees of color in building social capital in the workplace.
Elements of an effective social capital framework
JFF, a national nonprofit dedicated to equal opportunity for economic advancement in the American workforce, collaborated with UOPX in creating a听designed to help minority workers accrue professional social capital.
The JFF framework outlines听听of the most听innovative social capital strategies. They are:
- Elevating current assets
- Building relationships
- Making connections and introductions
- Career onboarding
- Continuous learning journey
5 ways companies can support diverse workforces in building professional social capital
Building a framework is one thing. Putting it into action is another. Here are five tangible ways employers can support employees of color in building workplace social capital, based on the JFF framework.
1. Help workers use and expand upon existing social connections
Many workers听may not realize the extent of their personal network听nor be prepared to take advantage of it. This is especially relevant for workers of color as forms of social capital in minority communities are often听.
Exercises such as听self-assessments and network mapping听can help workers think broadly and creatively about what resources they can access through their current relationships. For example, a family member who works at a bank can provide insight into what it鈥檚 like to work for a financial institution and pass along contact information to managers with job openings.
2. Formalize the onboarding process
New employees should be thoughtfully introduced to co-workers, made aware of their new organization鈥檚听cultural norms听and be informed about what their new positions require. They should also be allowed to explore their听career and learning goals.
According to听,听career mapping, or the collaboration between managers and employees in creating a plan that supports both the company鈥檚 and the employee鈥檚 goals, contributes directly to employee retention, productivity and profitability.
As employees of color are less likely than their white colleagues to have access to听, it is critical that supervisors听openly share听information about advancement opportunities听within their organizations. Organizations that have been successful at this have created online hubs that include staff career progression opportunities, timelines, the necessary skills and ways to upskill (or reskill) based on worker goals and interests.
3. Actively engage former employees of color
听is often underused as a method of strengthening an organization鈥檚 networking program, particularly regarding minority employees. But engaging with employees of color who have moved on to different workplaces offers the opportunity to听invest in the long-term social capital听of current and former employees.
To facilitate this opportunity, organizations might create a听database听current employees can use to build upon and expand their networks. Additionally, companies can听stay in touch with past employees听via newsletters, notices of job openings and invitations to casual meetings and networking sessions.
4. Prioritize inclusive hiring by building partnerships with outside organizations
When companies collaborate with organizations that have strong relationships with learners and workers of color, workplaces build trust, raise awareness and provide more听equitable access to professional opportunities听while recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce.
Potential partners might include historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), organizations like UOPX that are听committed to DEIB efforts听(diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging), nonprofits such as the听听coalition or platforms such as听.
5. Include minority voices when drafting and implementing inclusivity programs
Despite progress, American workplaces continue to reflect instances of discrimination and exclusivity.听According to a report by听听titled 鈥淭he Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America,鈥 10% of workers have heard a sexist joke and 8% have heard a racist joke 鈥渋n the past week.鈥澨齍nsurprisingly, workers exposed to racist and sexist comments are less satisfied in their jobs. Yet managers, especially in predominantly white organizations, may not understand the impact of听听on minority workers鈥 well-being and career outcomes.
Kimberly M. Underwood, PhD, university research chair of the听Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Research听at UOPX, explains, 鈥淢any companies focus strategies around one or two elements of professional social capital development, such as mentoring or training. However, developing a comprehensive plan requires companies proactively seek to听understand the needs of employees of color听through the voices of this population. This is sorely missing from the equation of professional social capital development.鈥
But this change may well be underway as social capital becomes increasingly discussed 鈥 and examined 鈥 in the public sphere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire O鈥橞rien has led copywriting teams for Hilton Worldwide Corporate鈥檚 creative studio and advertising agencies specializing in the real estate, hospitality, education and travel industries. In 2020, she founded More Better Words, a boutique copywriting agency that taps into her global connections. She lives in Costa Rica with her husband and six rescue dogs.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Jessica Roper, 七色视频 director of Career Services, is a seasoned leader with over 15 years of experience in leadership within higher education. She has honed her expertise in student services and career development and is passionate about helping others discover and refine their skills.
This article has been vetted by 七色视频's editorial advisory committee.听
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