Patroski Lawson, Founder, KPM Group DCaddresses disparities in rare diseases, brain health, and African-American men in biotech.
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As a young African-American male growing up in the South, I faced my fair share of inequality and was plagued by the feeling of not being able to measure up to my peers. When I started my professional life in healthcare, I often found myself the only person of color at the table. These experiences were defining and I vowed to change that if I ever got the chance.
As a conversation leader and bridge builder creating awareness and advocacy for rare diseases and brain health, I’ve met brilliant minds in healthcare. However, the lack of minority representation in industry is still widespread, particularly in biotech and biopharma. If healthcare companies want to serve communities well, they need to attract more diverse talent.
Minorities are missing from important roles in healthcare
At its core, healthcare is meant to serve all people, but the workforce does not accurately represent those it is intended to serve. In biotech and biopharma, African Americans represent only 6% of the working populationAsian employees represent 21%, Hispanic/Latinx employees 7% and Native American employees less than 1%. This lack of diversity is reinforced at the C-suite level, where people of color make up for it only 24% of executive teams and 28% of CEOs. Minority entrepreneurs also face an uphill battle when it comes to funding, with about only 1% of venture capital going to black-owned startups, according to a Report 2021 by Crunchbase.
Part of the problem is that there aren’t enough training or mentorship opportunities in health care that target minority groups. Plus, it’s hard for emerging professionals to envision themselves in an industry where they don’t yet see people similar to them working or having successful careers.
How biotech companies can create change
It is clear that much work remains to be done to create more opportunities for minorities in health care and, in particular, in biotechnology. I’ve witnessed the power that meetings have to make a meaningful difference, so here are my top three tips to help business leaders bring minorities together and increase representation.
Build a workplace culture that celebrates living the truth
People of all beliefs and backgrounds should be encouraged to choose to be their authentic selves. When an organization recognizes its people for who they are, more diverse groups will want to work for and grow with the company and industry.
To build this kind of culture, it is imperative that organizations and business leaders show empathy. It’s not enough to simply say they’re empathetic; they have to put their money where their mouth is. This means that all employees, especially minorities, are encouraged to speak up about the challenges they face, both at work and beyond. This makes them feel seen and understood, which can increase job satisfaction and employee retention.
Make the effort to connect
To me, connecting with others is crucial to building authentic, lasting relationships that inspire conversation and drive change. To achieve this, business leaders must create environments that inspire people to achieve more together. Encouraging conversations that enable and connect complex ideas and solutions can increase minority representation in healthcare.
These kinds of internal meetings can take many forms, but in an intimate setting leaders and employees can get to know each other as people, including their beliefs, passions, hopes and dreams. When we see people as mere employees or colleagues, we miss their whole being and the extent to which they can contribute positively to the organization and its culture.
Create ERGs and professions that want to make a difference
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary employee-led groups that can help promote a diverse, inclusive workplace. Healthcare leaders have a greater responsibility to encourage and support these groups as they can help attract and retain diverse talent. Executives and HR departments can work directly with employees to create impactful ERGs.
It is important that everyone is on the same wavelength when it comes to the goals of an ERG and how they will be achieved. In general, it is helpful to think of ERGs as ways to increase minority representation and leverage our influence in the biotech industry. It is also an opportunity to discuss what we as minorities can and will do to increase diversity and inclusion.
Clearly, now is the time to move the needle on DEI in healthcare. Encouraging – and achieving – better representation of minorities in biotech is possible!
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