I ran across this Law.com article this morning that reports a study of job satisfaction among mid-level associates. The article explained that a study of mid-level associates at law firms indicated that minority women were less satisfied with their firms than white men and men of color and were less likely to see a future with their current firms.
Frankly, as a firm dropout, this study did not surprise me at all. Earlier this year the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession published its own study that came to largely the same conclusions. From my perspective, the problems stem from partners' and coworkers' inability to see people as the individuals they are, rather than stereotype based on physical characteristics. For a woman of color, this inability can result in a double set of stereotypes that are hard to live down.
It is normal to notice the differences among us as long as we are sure we are noticing real differences and not presumptions based on misinformation and outmoded prejudices. If firms want to increase the feeling of inclusion among their associates, they have to understand that diversity is about nuance and balance and actions speak louder than words. It is simply not enough to publish policy statements about valuing diversity and recruit at minority job fairs. Firms have to think about what they will do with the candidates once they become employees. That means changing the firm's culture if necessary and confronting partners who refuse to get with the program. If your firm is having a hard time retaining double minority employees, perhaps the firm needs to take a look at whether there are institutional barriers to success that linger rather than writing it off as just another bad hire.
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