The past few years has seen heightened awareness about diversity in the workplace, the importance of valuing cultural differences, and the idea that every employee should be able to bring their “whole self” to work. But a large percentage of Black employees are still code switching at work, and they say that their careers depend on it.
Around 35% of Black workers report code switching in the office—defined by changing language, tone of voice, or physical appearance to fit a dominant work culture—compared to just 12% of their white counterparts, according to a new survey from job search platform Indeed.
And nearly four out of 10 Black workers say if they stopped code switching, their careers would be negatively impacted. A third of Black employees who code switch say it has had a positive impact on their current and future career, and 15% are more likely than workers on average to think code switching is necessary in the workplace. That’s a big problem, according to LaFawn Davis, senior vice president of environmental, social, and governance at Indeed.
“Anytime you can’t really be your authentic self, anytime you have to really have it in front of your mind, ‘This is who I have to be in this space,’ that chips away at a lot, chips away at confidence,” says Davis. “Feeling like you belong has scientific and biological impacts.”
While once a little-known idea in mainstream culture, the idea of code switching is now more widely known, along with increased awareness of the burden it puts on people of color in particular. Code switching can be detrimental to workers’ emotional and mental well being, hindering their cognitive performance and leading to burnout. About one in five Black employees say code switching had a negative impact on their mental health, according to Indeed’s survey.
The Indeed survey also found some seemingly contradictory trends when it comes to employees code switching in the workplace. It found that Black workers at companies with good BIPOC leadership and DEI initiatives were actually more likely to find it necessary to code switch. Davis says that could be due to inclusionary efforts that may sound good on paper, but aren’t actually useful to employees.
“Having [DEI] initiatives doesn’t necessarily mean they’re impactful,” she says, adding that companies aren’t always enacting meaningful inclusion initiatives, and some are just hiring one or two BIPOC leaders and closing the book on diversity.
However, there is a positive correlation between having good BIPOC leadership and Black workers code switching the same amount or less over time in their careers. As a Black senior leader herself, Davis said it’s incumbent on executives and BIPOC leaders to think about the effects of conforming. She has witnessed the impact of her own code switching, or lack thereof, on her coworkers. “I noticed that the more comfortable and authentic that I can be, the more comfortable that they are. Otherwise they’re gonna look at me and go, ‘You’re still code switching a whole lot. I definitely have to code switch a lot.’”
Davis says that while business leaders can get behind the idea of inclusion, they have a harder time with the idea of cultivating belonging at work. “This isn’t a conversation that’s been happening for a long time, at least not with this language,” she says.
To mitigate this issue and encourage employees to be their authentic selves, Davis says that there are several steps that employers can take. First, they should understand the extent of whether or not their employees feel as if they belong, and then create an environment where people can connect safely. She notes the popularity of “safe spaces” or “brave spaces” at work: an environment dedicated to share lived experiences, air grievances, and garner a sense of community. By fostering meaningful representation and supporting diverse leaders, workers can also feel empowered to code switch less.
But most importantly, she encourages practicing inclusive behaviors—leaders should be curious, and confront their discomfort with cultural differences. When BIPOC spaces are open to them, they should join and learn from their coworkers of color despite potentially being the only white person in the room—a feeling that BIPOC workers are all-too-familiar with. Davis says these shared conversations help build empathy and understanding.
“When you intentionally invite BIPOC employees into networks and your spaces, you’re showcasing behaviors that make people feel more comfortable,” Davis says. “Understanding people, and the stories of people who are different from you, is something that is so important for the future success of your workforce.”
