After recentering, Pat began. “Amy, why did you use that phrase just now?”

Amy’s head tilted. “What do you mean?”

“’Token Black dude’?”

Amy responded, “Oh, sorry. I was just kidding. But that is what you want me to do, right?”

Pat moved forward. "Amy, the idea of 'tokenism' can be problematic for a few reasons. I just read an article on the idea of tokenism, what it means and the ramifications for people who think of themselves as a ‘token hire.’”

Amy started shifting. "Oh, come on, Pat, I was just joking – you have known me for years and we are friends, right? Just tell me which job boards you want me to use."

Pat understood that Amy would probably prefer to drop the matter, but Pat also knew the right thing to do was to try to share some knowledge and perhaps educate a colleague.

Pat wanted to give Amy context. "Amy, like I said, referring to our efforts to explore underrepresented talent pools as 'tokenism' is essentially saying that our company is only interested in the appearance of diversity. I want to make sure that our company isn’t just ‘checking a box.’ I hope that expanding our recruiting to HBCUs and posting on diverse job boards will lead to adding diversity to our workforce, diversity in thinking and expand our approach to servicing our clientele."

"In fact, I recently read that venture capitalists say investment by partners from a different ethnic background has about 30% greater success rates than those of the same ethnicity."

Amy’s eyes widened considering what Pat said. Amy asked, "You mentioned 'ramifications' earlier. Like what?"

"In work environments that lack diversity, there may be an ‘emotional tax’ that employees of color face from being on-guard all the time and many such employees struggle with 'imposter syndrome’, a constant feeling of not belonging."

Amy's eye widened, "how so?"

“Well, Amy have you ever worked in an environment where you were different from the majority of your peers in any regard? For example, your gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation?” Pat asked.

Amy thought for a few seconds and said, “can’t think of an instance. But I could see how that could be emotionally draining. I’d probably feel the need to be on guard and feel the need to put in extra hours to outperform my colleagues to prove my value.”

Pat smiled.

"Right! Imposter syndrome creates feelings of self-doubt from top performers. Just imagine questioning whether you have earned your achievements on your own merit. Who would want to feel this way? With us at the front door of the company, it is our obligation to ensure we are promoting a culture of belonging."

Amy nodded at Pat and looked a bit sheepish. "I hadn’t thought about that. I'm not racist, and I would hate to be perceived as one."

"Oh, no. I wasn’t implying that you are, but we all have unconscious biases. In fact, I took a few tests through Project Implicit to help me recognize my own inherent biases. Personally, I found it very helpful. You might find it interesting, too! "

Amy looked encouraged. "I'd love to check it out, Pat. Thanks. Also, thanks for this conversation. It’s given me some interesting things to think about."

Pat smiled. "No problem. Now, let's talk about some possible diverse job boards and portals we can explore for your talent search!"

Key Considerations:

What would you like to do next?

Would you like additional resources to learn more about the concept of "tokenism" or other topics discussed in this path?

⚙ Are you a TriNet customer? Learn about DEI Training, click here

⚙ Want to start posting on diverse job boards, but don't know where to start? Check out Diversity Jobs

⚙ If you are a small to medium-size business interested in learning more about how TriNet can help with talent recruitment, please reach out.

📖 Read about why tokenism matters in the workplace! Article from Vanderbilt University: What Is Tokenism, and Why Does It Matter in the Workplace?

📖 Read about how diversity prevents tokenism! Article from Fast Company: Research shows us workplaces need this level of diversity to prevent tokenism

📖 Read about emotional tax in the workplace Day-to-Day Experiences of Emotional Tax Among Women and Men of Color in the Workplace

📖 Read about Imposter Syndrome Fighting Against "Imposter Syndrome" in D&I

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