For many people, having an employer committed to fighting racism and inequality in the workforce is essential. This can be especially true for those people who have had negative experiences of racism or discrimination in the past.

Knowing that your employer takes seriously the challenges you face in the workplace as a person in the minority is extremely valuable. Furthermore, having an employer who wants to support a cause greater than their organisation and contribute to society is something which more and more job seekers are searching for.

What is an Anti-Racist Employer?

Somebody who is anti-racist is actively committed to fighting racism and is more than just ‘not racist’. Being an anti-racist employer means taking this attitude into every corner of your organisation and promoting equal opportunities at all times, not just when an incident of discrimination appears. Being an anti-racist employer also means not being afraid to speak out in support of marginalised people across the country and within the organisation.

Ant-racist employers not only want to eradicate racism from the workplace, but they also want to elevate the work and opinions of BAME members of staff to counteract structural racism. They are those employers that recognise that racism will not be tackled by simply treating everybody equally but by actively trying to support, promote and champion their BAME members of staff, current and future.

4 Signs of an Anti-Racist Employer

If the description above has left you keen to work for an organisation that champion anti-racist values, have a read below to find out some ways to spot them:

Do They Have Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Commitment?

Have a look on their website or in their job application packs to see what statements of commitment they are making to equality and diversity. This way, you can tell what kind of ethos the organisation has and what message they want to put out to others.

How Diverse are Their Senior Staff?

It is not always enough to look at the diversity and inclusivity of a business. We know that one common manifestation of racism is BAME members of staff being over-represented in lower-paid roles. One way to tackle this is by assessing the diversity in the very top positions in a business. If they show a diverse range of people, not just racially, it shows they value a wide variety of people.

Do They Actively Support Programmes for Underrepresented Ethnic Groups in the Industry?

There is a growing trend, especially in early-careers departments, to offer training programmes and insight days for groups of job seekers underrepresented in the industry. Therefore, they might need more of a boost to break into it. If an organisation runs any of these programmes, you can tell they are committed to diversity from a grassroots level.

How Do They Respond to Questions Regarding Racial Equality?

If you still want to find out more about how a business deals with racism or how it supports BAME staff members, you could raise these questions in an interview or by getting in touch with them. Any employer who self-identifies as anti-racist will be happy to discuss these issues with you.

If you are looking for BAME jobs, take a look at our jobs board!