Kanarys and Prospanica Survey Reveals 1 in 2 Latinx Employees (50%) Felt or Witnessed Discrimination or Bias in Their Workplace

DALLAS, Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Kanarys, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) technology company focused on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around DEI challenges, and Prospanica, a national association of Hispanic MBAs and business professionals that has advocated for Hispanic business professionals for over 30 years, today announces the results of the first-ever 2021 Prospanica Workplace Inclusion & Equity Report. The report assesses diversity efforts in a variety of corporate workplaces for Latinx employees, including assessing how their experiences differ based on their race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, parental, religious, disability, and professional status with a focus on how the intersectionality of their identities impacted their experience. The University of Texas at Austin's Division of Diversity and Community Engagement also contributed to the report.

The assessment, which polled Prospanica members across the U.S., revealed that while more than six out of 10 Latinx professionals (65%) agreed that their company does a good job of providing training and education related to DEI, 1 in 2 (50%) have personally witnessed or experienced discrimination or bias in their workplace. This data shows a large number of Latinx employees are experiencing discrimination even while reporting appreciation for company DEI trainings. This is consistent with research that shows DEI trainings do not correlate with decreasing discrimination or eradicating biased behavior. Additional key takeaways from the survey include:

• Most Latinx employees feel they're being compensated fairly, but the reality is they are not. Many studies indicate a massive pay gap for Latinx workers, but nearly one in three Americans are not aware of it. This is aligned with the 66% of respondents who believe they are being compensated fairly, which indicates a lack of pay transparency. 
• Latinx employees are having a negative experience in the workplace. Latinx professionals are 35% less likely than non-Latinx professionals to have a favorable DEI experience at their workplaces. Focusing on race and gender intersectionality, the assessment found that Latinx women have the least favorable experience, as they are 50% less likely than all non-Latinx individuals to feel positively about their workplace DEI experiences.
• While most Latinx employees feel their companies are making strides in diversity, there is still more work to be done in the areas of inclusion and equity. Only 20% had positive comments about inclusion, and only 18% had positive comments about equity.
• The burden of arranging DEI training and implementing DEI programs is unfairly delegated to Latinx employees. More than six out of 10 Latinx employees (63%) indicated that they felt the burden of teaching or explaining DEI issues to their colleagues.
• Latina professionals feel less empowered to express themselves in the workplace. They are 53% less likely to feel comfortable expressing all aspects of their identities in the workplace when compared to non-Latinx professionals.
• Latinx employees scored overall lower on feelings of inclusion. When asked if they believe people of all backgrounds can succeed at their organizations, Latinx employees were 47% less likely than non-Latinx individuals to feel they could succeed.

"In order to move the needle in DEI, we must address DEI challenges from a systemic standpoint. The key to doing so is gathering data on employees' lived experiences to inform an intentional strategy from the ground up," said Mandy Price, co-founder and CEO of Kanarys. "Our joint assessment with Prospanica creates a baseline in evaluating the progress companies have made in supporting Latinx employees and the work that still remains to drive inclusion. Our hope is that companies will utilize this data to better inform their DEI initiatives to help Latinx employees succeed in corporate America."

Though the business case is stronger than ever for DEI work, the reality is that progress is slow, and the programs that companies launch are not yet yielding the results expected. In fact, although nearly all companies have diversity programs in place, research shows only about a quarter of employees in diverse groups said that they have personally benefited from these programs. Disseminating data is essential for companies that are prioritizing DEI in their organizations as this informs the strategies they will implement moving forward.

"For more than three decades, Prospanica has actively supported Hispanic business professionals and empowered them to reach their full educational, economic, and social potential," said Thomas Savino, CEO of Prospanica. "Through this research and assessment with Kanarys, we can now precisely pinpoint what our members, and the Latino community at large need in the workplace to thrive - ultimately enabling us to open more doors and opportunities for them."

Last October, Kanarys announced their partnerships with several leading national advocacy organizations designed to help underrepresented employees succeed in the corporate setting, including Prospanica, National Urban League, Ascend, Black IDEA Coalition, INROADS, and the National Society of Black Engineers. The partnerships allow these organizations to utilize the Kanarys platform, give a voice to their underrepresented members, and utilize the data uncovered by Kanarys to influence workplaces everywhere. The survey with Prospanica is the first joint DEI assessment to be released.

For more information, please view the 2021 Prospanica Workplace Inclusion & Equity Report here.

About Kanarys
Kanarys is a technology company focused on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges. Working alongside mid-size enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, Kanarys transforms DEI work with data by providing the framework, benchmarking, and data companies need to incorporate best-in-class DEI into every area of the organization. Like a canary in the coal mine, Kanarys helps organizations ensure healthy work environments by revealing DEI blindspots before they become a problem. For more information on Kanarys, visit www.kanarys.com.

About Prospanica®
Prospanica®, is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanics to reach their full educational, economic, and social potential. Founded in 1988 as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), Prospanica® is the Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business Professionals with more than 47 Professional and University Chapters across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Prospanica® is dedicated to helping professionals, graduate and undergraduate business students, entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 partners build connections and career development to fortify the Hispanic workforce. For more information, visit www.prospanica.org.

SOURCE Kanarys, Inc.