Invoking the Term “Meritocracy” Triggers People to Think White Male

“Studies show that we almost always assume minorities were hired because of their race or sex.” This despite these facts:

Having more women on the board correlates with higher returns and growth.

Having more women in the C-suite correlates with greater profitability.

Having more women in top management correlates with greater profitability.

Having more women in the organization correlates with greater profitability and higher stock returns.

The benefits of greater diversity are even greater for race than for gender.

Women and people of color must have more management experience than their white male counterparts to earn their first spot on a corporate board.