Getting Real About Racial Diversity in Our Firms – HR, Leadership
It’s no secret that our profession is woefully lacking in racial diversity. In fact, the 2019 AICPA Trends Report found that only 2% of CPAs and 1% of firm partners are Black or African American. Yet, according to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, over 50% of new businesses launched in the last 10 years were minority-owned. How can mostly-white firms appeal to an increasingly diverse client community? And, why aren’t we attracting and retaining Black and African American talent to our firms?
The recent racial unrest points to long-standing bias and injustice as part of the problem. As business leaders, we know we need to make a change. And yet, we may not be clear what specifically needs to shift or how we should approach making necessary changes.
In this session, three bright BIPOC leaders representing various aspects of firm leadership will come together to share their stories. Through their generous education, attendees will:
- Hear what attracted these leaders to the profession and what they suggest firms and individuals can do to make the profession and their firms more attractive to Black and African American talent and other people of color
- Learn how racial injustice, bias or exclusion can impede retention and steps to take to materially shift your culture
- Identify programmatic changes you can make – in recruiting efforts, learning programs, evaluation and promotion programs or other aspects of firm life – to drive change
- Explore how allyship can make a difference in your firm and in the profession
We encourage you to attend this session with additional key leaders from your firm. Leave the discussion with actions each of you can personally take to shift racial bias at work and at home as well as concrete strategies your team can take for creating a fairer, more inclusive and ultimately more racially diverse organization.
