There's a lack of cultural diversity and opportunity in Australian workplaces and it needs to be called out.
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We have long been considered the lucky country, but when it comes to leadership, this is most true for people with an Australian sounding name or heritage.
A study over two years from Monash University shows that when it comes to finding employment, ethnic minorities receive half as many call backs from job recruiters than applicants with English names.
These findings shouldn't be a huge surprise, considering that while one in five people in Australia have an Asian cultural heritage, only three percent of senior management positions are held by Asian-Australians.
The bias extends across all industries. We're missing big opportunities by failing to recognise or focus on leveraging Asian-Australian talent.
The "bamboo ceiling" is preventing Asian-Australians from accessing their fair share of top leadership positions in our major companies, government departments and universities. Leadership in these institutions is not reflective of staff, student populations or customer bases.
Figures from leading executive search firm Johnson Partners found that 93 per cent of board members on ASX-listed companies have either an Anglo-Celtic or European background, while 94 per cent of top CEOs are of Anglo-Celtic or European heritage.
We need to see a significant shift in corporate Australia's approach to cultural diversity. It's the right thing to do and is also critical to unlocking the full potential of our global economy with huge potential for the nation.
Companies that embrace diversity and foster an inclusive culture will be better placed to navigate an increasingly globalised business environment and increasingly diverse customer sets and stakeholders.
The pandemic caused many diversity statistics to go backwards, so we have some serious ground to make up to address the under-representation of diverse leaders.
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As Australia eyes increased trade and investment with south-east Asia, with nations like India and improving relations with China, it has never been more important to foster and develop talent in young Asian Australian people.
If overseas markets are more accessible to talent from multicultural backgrounds, we risk losing our best and brightest.
Australian demography has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. It increasingly resembles Australia's geographic location and geostrategic and economic interests. The Asian diaspora is growing and among the most productive - yet recognition and engagement of this community in leadership is lagging behind.
As the saying goes: "You can't be what you can't see."
We need to embrace every opportunity to shine a light on the incredible leadership talent and potential of Asian-Australians - there is a long way to go.
- Martine Letts is the Group CEO of Asialink, University of Melbourne's centre for Asian capability and engagement.