Acknowledging Privilege

Have your career advancements been truly earned, or could hidden privileges be tipping the scales in your favour? How much of your position and income might be attributed to unearned advantages?

By Grishma Jashapara, Managing Partner at Fusion Associates.

Privilege refers to unearned advantages or benefits granted to individuals based on aspects of their identity, such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

Privilege can be difficult to recognise because it often functions as a normative baseline for those who possess it. Individuals with privilege may not perceive the benefits they receive as unearned or exceptional, viewing their experiences as the standard. This invisibility can perpetuate ignorance and resistance to recognising privilege, as those who benefit from it may not readily see the disadvantages faced by others.

Privilege awareness involves recognising these advantages and understanding how they shape experiences and interactions in daily life.

Different Types of Privilege

Racial Privilege: Advantages based on race, such as the societal benefits often afforded to white individuals in many Western contexts.

Gender Privilege: Benefits associated with being male in patriarchal societies, including higher pay and more leadership opportunities.

Socioeconomic Privilege: Advantages stemming from wealth or social status, which can affect education, healthcare access, and professional opportunities.

Sexual Orientation Privilege: Benefits heterosexual individuals receive, such as the assumption of normativity and fewer legal and social challenges.

Ability Privilege: Advantages that come from being able-bodied, including ease of access to physical spaces and fewer daily obstacles. 

Psychological Impact of Privilege Awareness

Increased Self-Awareness and Humility: Recognising one's privilege often leads to a heightened sense of self-awareness. Individuals may become more conscious of how their identity influences their experiences and opportunities. This awareness can inspire humility, as they acknowledge that their achievements may not be solely due to personal effort but also to unearned advantages.

Potential for Guilt or Defensiveness: Confronting privilege can provoke feelings of guilt, especially if individuals realise they have benefited at the expense of others. Alternatively, some may become defensive, denying or downplaying their privilege to maintain a positive self-image.

Changes in Empathy and Understanding: Awareness of privilege can enhance empathy, as individuals better understand the challenges faced by those without similar advantages. This understanding can lead to more supportive and inclusive behaviours, creating a more equitable environment.

Shifts in Interpersonal Relationships and Communication: Privilege awareness can improve communication and relationships by encouraging more respectful and considerate interactions. Individuals may become more attentive to the perspectives and needs of others, reducing instances of microaggressions and nurturing a more inclusive atmosphere.

Manifestation of Privilege in the Workplace

Hiring Practices and Promotions

• Privilege often influences hiring and promotion decisions, consciously or unconsciously. For instance, hiring managers may favour candidates who share similar backgrounds or educational experiences, perpetuating cycles of privilege.

• Promotion criteria can also reflect inherent biases, giving undue advantage to those from privileged backgrounds who may have had more opportunities to showcase leadership or high performance.

 Access to Opportunities and Resources

• Employees from privileged backgrounds may have easier access to valuable networks, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities. These networks can significantly impact career progression and access to high-profile projects.

• Unequal access to professional development resources, such as training programs or educational opportunities, can widen the gap between privileged and non-privileged employees.

 Case Study: Blind Recruitment Processes

Some companies have implemented blind recruitment processes to minimise bias. By removing identifying details from applications, such as names and educational institutions, organisations aim to evaluate candidates based solely on their skills and experience.

• Redacting names and photos helps hiring managers avoid biases based on age, ethnicity, or gender.

• Removing photos prevents favouritism towards attractive candidates, known as the halo effect.

• Redacting employment dates and years makes it harder to guess a candidate's age, reducing confirmation bias.

• Redacting university names prevents assumptions about a candidate’s socioeconomic background, avoiding stereotype bias.
  
  

This practice has resulted in a significant increase in the diversity of candidates advancing to interview stages, demonstrating reduced bias in initial candidate assessments.

Benefits of Privilege Awareness

Increased Retention and Motivation

Recognising privilege encourages organisations to create more inclusive environments. This can involve setting diversity targets, implementing fairer recruitment and promotion processes, training and mentorship programs to raise awareness about unconscious biases and privilege, as well as policies to promote equity where all employees have equal opportunities to succeed. When employees perceive their workplace as fair, just and inclusive, they are more likely to feel satisfied and committed to their organisation. This can lead to higher retention rates and a more motivated workforce.

Attracting a Broader Talent Pool

Organisations known for their commitment to diversity and inclusion are more attractive to a wider range of job candidates. Prospective employees are more likely to seek out and remain with companies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to equity and fairness. An inclusive recruitment strategy that highlights the organisation’s dedication to privilege awareness can draw applications from diverse talent pools, enhancing the overall quality and creativity of the workforce.

Enhancing Team Dynamics and Collaboration

Teams that are aware of and actively address privilege can collaborate more effectively. Members are likely to communicate more openly and empathetically, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts, thereby leading to more cohesive harmonious teamwork and higher productivity.

Encouraging Mutual Respect and Trust

Privilege awareness encourages an environment of mutual respect and trust. When employees understand and acknowledge the different challenges their colleagues face, it builds a foundation of trust that is crucial for effective collaboration, resulting in more open and honest communication and stronger team cohesion.

Challenges and Obstacles

Denial and Defensiveness

Many individuals may resist acknowledging their privilege due to feelings of guilt, discomfort, or fear of losing their perceived advantages. This resistance can manifest as denial, defensiveness, or outright rejection of the concept of privilege. For example employees or leaders who feel personally attacked when privilege is discussed may react by dismissing the conversation as irrelevant or unnecessary, hindering progress towards a more inclusive workplace.

Lack of Awareness and Understanding

Privilege can be invisible to those who possess it, making it challenging for individuals to recognise how their experiences differ from those of others. Without proper education and awareness, individuals may struggle to understand the impact of privilege. Employees from privileged backgrounds may not see the need for diversity and inclusion initiatives, viewing them as redundant if they have never faced systemic barriers themselves.

Managing Emotional Responses

Acknowledging privilege can evoke strong emotional responses, including discomfort, guilt, or shame. These feelings can be challenging to navigate and may impede constructive dialogue and learning. In diversity training sessions, participants may become defensive or disengaged when confronted with their privilege, making it difficult to achieve meaningful discussions and outcomes.

Balancing Accountability and Compassion

While it is important to hold individuals accountable for recognising and addressing their privilege, it is equally important to approach these conversations with compassion and empathy. Balancing these aspects can be challenging but is essential for cultivating genuine understanding and change. Facilitators of diversity training need to create a safe space where participants feel supported in exploring their privilege without fear of judgment or blame.

Institutional Resistance

Organisations themselves may resist changes that promote privilege awareness, especially if these changes challenge deeply ingrained practices and power structures. Institutional resistance can slow down or block efforts to create a more equitable workplace. Companies with longstanding traditions or hierarchies may struggle to implement policies that promote diversity and inclusion, as these may be perceived as threatening to the status quo.

Lack of Resources and Commitment

Effective privilege awareness initiatives require resources, including time, funding, and dedicated personnel. Without a genuine commitment from leadership and adequate resources, these initiatives are unlikely to succeed. Organisations may launch diversity programs without allocating sufficient budget or staff, resulting in ineffective implementation and limited impact.

Practical Measures for Increasing Privilege Awareness

Workshops and Seminars

Hosting quarterly workshops led by experts in diversity and inclusion, covering topics such as unconscious bias, the impact of privilege, and strategies for creating an inclusive environment.

Online Courses and Resources

Offer an online learning platform with modules on privilege awareness, complete with quizzes and discussion forums to facilitate learning and reflection.

Safe Spaces for Conversation

Establish regular “talk circles” or discussion groups where employees can candidly discuss issues related to privilege, allowing individuals to share their experiences without fear of judgment and guided by trained facilitators.

Equitable Recruitment and Promotion Processes

Reviewing and revising recruitment and promotion processes to eliminate bias and ensure fairness is essential. This can include implementing blind recruitment, where personal information is removed from CVs to prevent unconscious bias during the initial screening process.

Diversity and Inclusion Metrics

Publish an annual diversity report detailing the composition of its workforce, promotion rates among different demographic groups, and the effectiveness of its inclusion initiatives. Establishing clear metrics to track diversity and inclusion efforts helps organisations measure progress and identify areas for improvement.

Leadership Commitment

Strong commitment from leadership is vital for driving privilege awareness initiatives. Leaders should publicly endorse these efforts and actively participate in related activities.

Role Modelling Inclusive Behaviour

Leaders and managers should model inclusive behaviour, demonstrating how to recognise and address privilege in everyday interactions. Their actions set the tone for the rest of the organisation. A manager might proactively seek feedback from team members about how privilege affects their work experiences and use this feedback to make informed changes to team dynamics and processes.

Summing Up

Despite the challenges and obstacles, including resistance to acknowledging privilege and navigating feelings of discomfort, the implementation of effective strategies can drive meaningful change. Education and training programs, open dialogue and discussions, inclusive policies and practices, and strong leadership commitment can pave the way for improved employee satisfaction, increased retention, a more innovative and harmonious work environment, and a more just and equitable society, benefiting individuals and organisations alike.

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About Fusion Associates

Since 1998, Fusion Associates has been placing experienced professionals across the globe within consumer markets including consumer goods, fashion, sporting goods, healthy living and luxury.

Environmental, humanitarian, social and political concerns are close to the Partners both in and out of the business. We pride ourselves in partnering with industry leaders who wish to contribute to a better, more sustainable future. Working with global companies that are at the forefront of innovating and integrating sustainability into the heart of their business, we have helped build purpose-led teams from leadership to subject experts in biodiversity and animal welfare.