As concerns surrounding new technology – like Generative AI – are becoming increasingly discussed, such as the ability it has to usurp jobs and spread misinformation, other forms of technology are striving to make a positive impact in the workplace. New research from Rethinkly – a visualisation platform helping businesses resolve communication challenges in the workplace – found that a staggering 36% of ethnic minorities say they have no voice in their workplace. To combat this, Rethinkly has created a virtual reality space where employees can re-enact real life situations using neutral avatars, eliminating any bias or discrimination that may hinder their ability to communicate their true feelings.
The issues large majorities of black and Asian workers regularly face at work are well documented. For example, a study produced last year showed that over 70% of employees from a black background reported feeling overlooked for opportunities owing to their identity and 66% from Asian backgrounds. Furthermore, a third of employees from this same cohort said they have been treated less favourably, received hostile or derogatory comments at work for this same reason. Today’s informative findings from Rethinkly uncover that this is now having very real impacts on the attitudes of ethnic minority employees at work with just under a third (28%) saying they harbour all workplace tension rather than voicing concerns because they find conflict too difficult. Consequently, an alarming 36% of marginalised workers feel that they have no voice in the workplace, compared to just 25% of people from white backgrounds.
The use of visualisation can help ethnic minorities depict their struggles and the challenges they face to managers and peers and give them the autonomy to address how they should be treated and supported, all while being anonymous. Used by the NHS and IBM, Rethinkly’s software removes all real-world references to create a safe space that is designed to inspire autonomy of expression. Co-founders – Andrew Jackson and David Tinker – discuss why miscommunication exists in so many offices and further outline how virtual reality tools can be used to promote better communication in difficult conversations.
Key Stats:
- 36% of ethnic minorities say they have no voice in the workplace
- 38% say that the inability to communicate within the workplace has had the largest impact on productivity
- 35% say they are unable to fulfil any kind of public delivery – presentations, client meetings, etc – without acute anxiety
- 28% harbour all workplace tension and find confrontation too difficult
- 27% say they encounter challenges with their speech when attempting to confront difficult issues within the workplace
The issues large majorities of black and Asian workers regularly face at work are well documented. For example, a study produced last year showed that over 70% of employees from a black background reported feeling overlooked for opportunities owing to their identity and 66% from Asian backgrounds. Furthermore, a third of employees from this same cohort said they have been treated less favourably, received hostile or derogatory comments at work for this same reason. Today’s informative findings from Rethinkly – a visualisation platform that is used to break down issues in communication in the workplace – uncover that this is now having very real impacts on the attitudes of ethnic minority employees at work with just under a third (28%) saying they harbour all workplace tension rather than voicing concerns because they find conflict too difficult.
Consequently, an alarming 36% of marginalised workers feel that they have no voice in the workplace, compared to just 25% of people from white backgrounds. Understanding this, Rethinkly creates a virtual world which staff can anonymously enter using neutral avatars to communicate and express feelings and thoughts about an area at work that they are finding challenging. By empowering the individual to have freedom of expression when discussing a certain scenario, the software allows any employee to display their true feelings to their manager, co-worker or HR employer.
The use of visualisation can help ethnic minorities depict their struggles and the challenges they face to managers and peers and give them the autonomy to address how they should be treated and supported, all while being anonymous. Used by the NHS and IBM, Rethinkly’s software removes all real-world references to create a safe space that is designed to inspire autonomy of expression. Co-founders – Andrew Jackson and David Tinker – discuss why miscommunication exists in so many offices and further outline how virtual reality tools can be used to promote better communication in difficult conversations.
Key Stats:
- 36% of ethnic minorities say they have no voice in the workplace
- 38% say that the inability to communicate within the workplace has had the largest impact on productivity
- 35% say they are unable to fulfil any kind of public delivery – presentations, client meetings, etc – without acute anxiety
- 28% harbour all workplace tension and find confrontation too difficult
- 27% say they encounter challenges with their speech when attempting to confront difficult issues within the workplace
Andrew Jackson, co-founder of Rethinkly, comments on the need and benefit for organisations to improve their team communication:
“If we think of the teams and groups we work in, why do some perform better than others? Well, it turns out that people being able to express themselves, say what they think, call out bad stuff, and feel connected to their colleagues are the things that really make a difference. For most, employee voice means sending out an annual survey and then trying to work out what to do with the results. Ambitious organisations are using tools like Rethinkly to discover what their talent really thinks and feels only then do you have real power through more comprehensive data to make positive changes. Most challenges at work stem from a lack of or just bad communication. Communication challenges are directly aligned with morale, productivity, and commitment which have real business impact. Effective communication and building a strong culture based on healthy engagement are often talked about but surprisingly difficult to achieve. But when organisations start to embed and grow critical communication skills and adopt them as a competitive advantage, they can start to see a significant shift in their trajectory.”
