Employees of color are being left behind on development

Employees are still leaving the workforce in record numbers – even the looming recession isn’t stopping them from quitting.

A major cause of the so-called ‘Great Resignation’ trend is career development. Employees don’t want just a job; they want a career – and they want their employer to support them in progressing and growing at work.

The importance of career development in driving resignations is confirmed by The Conference Board’s latest survey of 1,200 knowledge workers. 58% said they would leave a company without professional development options.

But the survey also dug into gender, racial and generational data and identified that development was an even bigger motivation of resignation for women, people of color, and millennials.

While 55% of men surveyed said they would quit over a lack of professional development opportunities, this rose to 61% for women.

47% of baby boomers (58 to 76) also told The Conference Board their desire for professional development opportunities at work, but this rose to 63% for Gen X (42 to 57) and 66% for millennials (26-41).

In addition, 68% of Black, 70% of Hispanic, and 80% of Asian respondents said they would quit over development opportunities, but just 53% of white employees surveyed said the same.

The numbers were particularly stark for women of color – 71% of Black women, 70% of Hispanic and Asian women talked about development, compared to 56% of white women.

Issues with access to development opportunities

This links with the fact that The Conference Board found that people of color did not have the same access to career development opportunities.

While 73% of white workers said opportunities for career development at work were very important to them, this rose to 87% for Black respondents – as well as 86% for Hispanic and 78% for Asian employees surveyed.

People of color were also more likely to cite issues with a lack of resources, a lack of opportunities, and a lack of time when discussing the barriers to their ability to develop skills at work.

27% of white respondents cited a lack of opportunities, compared to 37% of Black employees surveyed. The split was 28% white vs 38% Black for lack of resources, according to Conference Boards.

What must employers do?

The fact that people of color are struggling to get access to training opportunities, and, as a result, are more likely to resign must be a wake-up call for employers.

The first thing that employers need to do is to make sure they are providing the training that employees want. The Conference Board’s research showed that workers want time off for training and development (54%), as well as better access to opportunities (54%).

But it is not enough for employers to passively provide more training opportunities, they need to make sure that everyone (no matter their race, gender, sexuality, age, or disability) is actually able to take advantage of the resources on offer.

Companies need to figure out why their employees of color feel less able to take advantage of learning opportunities on offer than other demographics.

Those that work it out first will avoid an attrition crisis of not only employees of color, but all workers.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a major priority for employees at the moment. They want to work for purpose-driven organizations that share their values, and they want to succeed in an environment where diversity, including of thought, is prioritized.

Talking about the study, The Conference Board’s executive vice-president of Human Capital Rebecca Ray commented: “These survey results reveal that, in the midst of a talent shortage, providing and promoting opportunities for career and skills development can be a critical way to attract candidates.

“In order to retain and grow the diversity of thought and experience within your organization, it is critical to ensure that all employees have access to rich professional development opportunities.”

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