Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | www.opensesame.com | (503) 808-1286 | 4
Lacking in Leadership
Government entities are lacking in the promotion of
non-white employees in part because of the absence
of those workers in ground-level professional positions.
While people of color comprise 53% of clerical jobs,
they are only 31% of the professional workforce
and are sorely missing in high office and in agencies
such as the Office of Management and Budget, in
essence the nation's purse strings where financial
policy is determined.
1
Minorities, however, are over-
represented in these lower-paying jobs, a pattern
repeated with women, particularly those of color.
The lack of these diverse groups in lead positions
is significant. Without these populations at the
decision-making table, the future capacity of
public services to understand their varying needs,
issues, opinions and values is diminished.
After all, how can policies
designed by one homogenous
group take into consideration the
needs of so many?
Research supports what diverse and inclusive teams
have known for years – diverse groups outperform
homogenous ones in everything from problem
solving to creativity and accuracy. For non-profit
generating entities enhanced decision-making and
the ability to look at old problems with different
perspectives mean better outcomes. According to
software company Cloverpop, successful decision-
making increases progressively as team diversity
(moving from an all-males team to eventually include
gender, age, and geographic diversity) increases.
2
1
"A revealing look at racial diversity in the federal government." Brandon Lardy. The Partnership for Public Service. July 2020.
2
"Learn How Inclusion + Diversity = Better Decision Making at Work." Cloverpop. 2021.
