Why progression and why is it important now?

My name is Lee Lockhart (he/him) and I am currently a RACE Report Resource Developer at SOS-UK. I am working in partnership with several organisations to create resources to help organisations’ equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. I attended the learning exchange webinars to gain insight for this project.  

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According to The RACE Report 2023, only 5% of staff of colour were promoted to a better-paid or more senior role in the environmental charity sector. This, in comparison to the 87% of white staff being promoted to better-paid or more senior role, highlights a stark distinction of the experiences of people of colour in our industry.  

The RACE Report learning exchange webinars offers a safe discussion space for organisations to learn from one another about different areas and approaches to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the environmental sector. The most recent learning exchange focused on progression, the group discussed how progression includes more than better pay and new titles. Although more compensation and the roles that come with it are crucial, many organisations spoke about not having the funding or room to promote people internally. For this reason, it is equally important for organisations to provide learning and development opportunities so that individuals can progress within their roles. This is imperative for organisations, even ones just starting their EDI journey. The group leaned into the challenges around learning and development, discussing time, budget, and line management responsibility.  

Learning and development

Participants pointed out that even though their organisations offer opportunities for learning and development, few staff members are taking advantage of them. The group explored barriers that staff may face to take on learning and development opportunities. This included staff not seeing the value in the opportunities presented and feeling like they cannot make time to participate because of their workload. Some participants advocated for line managers to have 1-2-1 chats with their supervisees to discuss career goals and the skills needed to attain them. This helps staff see the value in the opportunities provided and their connection to their personal growth.  

Sometimes, the lack of involvement is not because they don’t see the value, rather it is a result of not feeling like they have the time. Addressing workload capacity is different for each organisation, nonetheless, a recommendation was having line managers book time into their staff’s diaries for learning and development. These are small ways organisations can show their commitment to the progression of their employees even when there may not be internal promotions available. It's also important to emphasise the importance of central monitoring and getting feedback on the opportunities being provided. This is essential to understand and adapt what is working to ensure staff are getting the most out of the opportunities provided.  

Progression is important now

There was a common sentiment among organisations that they have yet to engage staff on progression because there is such a small number of staff of colour in the organisation. I want to urge us to think beyond this framework. Many organisations in the charity sector have limited funding, time, and resources with very few or no people of colour on staff to begin with. Recruitment, retention, and progression overlap and cannot, and should not, be thought of as a step-by-step approach to create equity, diversity, and inclusion. There seems to be a desire to recruit more diverse staff so organisations can say they have x% staff of colour. Recruitment is a great way to quantify progress but just a small part of driving genuine change. It is important to remember, that diversity is only a fraction of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and will not bring about sustainable change without effective progression plans.

Learning and development are crucial parts of progression but are also fundamental to feeling valued and seen as a person in your organisation, for every staff member not just people of colour. When staff of colour who, as we know from The RACE Report face significant barriers to progression, feel supported, valued, and seen in this way we begin the journey of moving away from tick boxes and creating real change toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment sector.

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