Voices Across Generations

Building Inclusive Workplaces for BAME Talent in a Hybrid World

In today’s workplace, five generations co-exist, each shaped by different histories, technologies and social movements.

But when we centre the experiences of Black and minority ethnic (BAME) professionals, we uncover deeper truths about inclusion, equity and the unfinished work of justice.

This isn’t just a post about age. It’s a story about access, identity and intergenerational resilience.

Creating inclusive workplaces for BAME professionals across generations requires more than good intentions, it demands data-driven action, intersectional awareness and structural change. The evidence is clear, systemic barriers persist at every stage of the employee lifecycle. From recruitment to retention to promotion and they are compounded by race, gender and age.

The McGregor-Smith Review found that BAME individuals are significantly less likely to participate in and progress through the workplace compared to their White counterparts. These disparities are not just unjust they represent a £24 billion annual loss to the UK economy. The review also highlighted that BAME professionals are more likely to be clustered in the lowest-paid roles, face harsher disciplinary action and lack access to role models, sponsorship and transparent career pathways.

McKinsey’s report (2023) on race in the UK workplace revealed that Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani (BBP) women face the steepest progression barriers of any demographic group. BBP women earn 15%–16% less than White British workers and only half of UK companies with strong female representation have achieved similar success with ethnic minority inclusion. These gaps are not accidental, they are the result of structural bias, opaque promotion systems and a lack of intersectional DEI strategies.

Research from Race in the Community and the Race at Work Black Voices Report further underscores the generational impact of exclusion. Older BAME professionals often experience cultural isolation and ageism, while younger generations face identity suppression and performative inclusion. Without intentional bridge-building, these divides deepen and the workplace loses the richness of intergenerational collaboration.

But this work is now under threat.

President Trump and Elon Musk. Source; WHYY

The return of President Donald Trump to office (US) and the vocal opposition of Elon Musk (DOGE / Tesla) have triggered a chilling effect across corporate America and beyond.

Trump’s executive orders have dismantled federal DEI programmes, pressured private companies to abandon diversity initiatives and labelled equity efforts as “discriminatory.” 

Musk’s declaration that “DEI must die!” has amplified far-right narratives that frame inclusion as reverse discrimination. These attacks have emboldened conservative groups, led to the rollback of DEI programmes in major corporations and reversed gains made by Black professionals in executive leadership 

The ripple effect is global.

In the UK, where DEI efforts have historically lagged behind the US. This backlash threatens to stall progress just as momentum was finally building. Companies are now more cautious, HR teams are rebranding DEI as “employee experience” and BAME professionals are once again being asked to prove their worth in systems that were never built for them.

Why Generational Understanding Matters

Before we can build truly inclusive workplaces, we must first understand the generational landscape that shapes how BAME professionals experience work.

Each generation carries its own set of values, expectations and lived realities, shaped not only by age, but by race, gender, migration history and socio-economic context. These differences influence how individuals engage with leadership, navigate career progression and respond to organisational culture.

When organisations fail to recognise these nuances, they risk perpetuating exclusion under the guise of diversity. But when they embrace generational and cultural complexity, they unlock the full potential of their workforce.

What follows is a closer look at the five generational groups in today’s workplace through the lens of BAME professionals and the challenges and opportunities they present.

1. Traditionalists (Born before 1946). The Silent Pioneers

For many Black professionals in this generation, especially those who arrived during the Windrush era, the workplace was not just unfamiliar, it was often hostile. They entered systems that questioned their competence, denied them promotion and erased their contributions. Yet they persisted. These are the nurses, civil servants, bus drivers and factory workers who laid the foundation for future generations, not just through labour, but through activism, resistance and reform.

Their fight for recognition was not passive. It was political. The Race Relations Act of 1965, Britain’s first legislation to address racial discrimination, was born out of pressure from Black activists, trade unionists, community and political leaders 

Though limited in scope, it only outlawed discrimination in public places but it marked a turning point. It was followed by stronger legislation in 1968 and 1976, which expanded protections to employment and housing and eventually led to the creation of the Commission for Racial Equality.

This generation also organised within trade unions, challenging racism from within. Bernie Grant, one of Britain’s first Black MPs, began his activism in the Union of Post Office Workers and later became a full-time officer for the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE). He co-founded the Black Trade Unionists Solidarity Movement, which campaigned against institutional racism in the workplace and demanded representation, equity and respect for Black workers. These efforts laid the groundwork for today’s DEI movements.

Despite their contributions, the challenge Traditionalists face today is invisibility. In a digital-first, youth-driven workplace, their wisdom is often overlooked. Many have retired, but those who remain active are rarely invited into strategic conversations or leadership development. Their lived experience is a treasure trove of resilience, but it’s at risk of being lost.

The opportunity lies in honouring their legacy. Organisations can create advisory boards, storytelling platforms and intergenerational mentoring programmes that allow Traditionalists to pass on their knowledge. Their presence can ground younger generations in history, humility and the power of perseverance. Their stories are not just historical, they are strategic assets in the fight for equity.

2. Baby Boomers (1946–1964). The Bridge Builders

Boomers from BAME backgrounds were often the first in their families to enter professional roles in post-war Britain. Their entry into the workforce coincided with the rise of civil rights movements globally and the expansion of the welfare state in the UK. But their journey was far from smooth.

Many faced overt racism, exclusion from unions and limited access to leadership roles. They were the generation that fought for visibility in institutions that were not built for them.

Among them were Black women who shattered ceilings in law, politics and trade unions. 

Diane Abbott, elected in 1987, became the first Black woman MP in the UK, a milestone that symbolised both progress and the persistence of exclusion. Before entering Parliament, Abbott worked as an equality officer for the union ACTT, where she challenged discriminatory practices and advocated for marginalised workers. Her election was not just symbolic, it was revolutionary. Yet, even after decades of service, she continues to face disproportionate scrutiny, racism and misogyny, underscoring how representation does not equal inclusion.

Her recent exclusion from the Labour Party has sparked widespread outrage, especially in Hackney where she has been a tireless advocate for decades. Many view this as a grave injustice, not only because of her proven intelligence and leadership, but because it reflects a broader issue. Black MPs are often penalised for speaking openly about their lived experiences of racism, not merely discrimination within political institutions.

In the labour movement, Bill Morris became the first Black General Secretary of a major UK trade union (TGWU) in 1991. His leadership transformed the union into a champion for racial equality, immigrant rights and inclusive representation. Morris believed that trade unions were not just economic organisations but instruments of social justice and he worked to ensure that Black workers were not just members, but leaders.

But, let’s not forget Gloria Mills. She  was the first Black female President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in 2005 . Her leadership was historic. Not only because of her identity, but because she brought racial and gender equity to the forefront of union policy. Mills chaired the TUC’s race committee, sat on its women’s committee and led equalities work at Unison. She also served on the Commission for Racial Equality, advocating for systemic change across employment, education and public services. Her presidency was a powerful statement. Black women were not just present, they were leading.

Despite these breakthroughs, the workplace remained and in many cases, remains bright and white at the top. Research from Henley Business School and the University of East London shows that Black professionals are still significantly underrepresented in leadership, with Black academics holding less than 1% of professorial roles despite making up 4.4% of the working-age population. This lack of representation perpetuates systemic inequities and limits the diversity of thought in decision-making spaces.

The challenge for Boomers today is relevance and recognition. Many have retired, but those who remain active are often side-lined in digital-first, youth-driven environments.

Their leadership style shaped by hierarchy, formality and resilience can clash with younger generations’ preference for flat structures and informal communication.

Moreover, they continue to confront unconscious bias, embedded in HR policies and workplace culture. Let's not forget micro-behaviours, exclusionary practices and affinity bias which still shapes recruitment, promotion and retention.

The opportunity lies in honouring their legacy and leveraging their experience.

Organisations must create intergenerational mentoring programmes, advisory boards and storytelling platforms that allow Boomers to pass on their knowledge. Their presence can ground younger generations in history, humility and the power of perseverance. Their stories are not just historical they are strategic assets in the fight for equity.

3. Generation X (1965–1980). The Quiet Disruptors

If you ask many organisations, they will say they have “done the work.”

They’ll point to the BAME networks they launched, the cultural milestones they celebrated, the task forces they created to “advocate, challenge and lead change.” They will note their presence in business, vowing to diversify supply chains. In politics, feeding into policy reforms and in local government, rolling out community initiatives to support Black entrepreneurs and groups.

But ask Gen X BAME professionals, often the backbone of those same organisations and you will hear a different story. They have lived through decades of diversity drives that ended in press releases rather than progress. Just look at access to finance for Black entrepreneurs? Research still shows it has barely shifted in decades.

Employment opportunities?

Local and central government, once the biggest employers of Black people (especially women), have seen numbers slashed post–COVID-19. In healthcare, the data is even more damning, disparities in fibroid treatment, menopause care, cancer outcomes and maternal health are not just persistent, they’re widening. AI analysis now reveals patterns worse than the postcode lottery.

Gen X has been called the “forgotten generation” but in truth they are the glue holding many workplaces together. They’ve navigated racism, redundancy and reinvention. They’ve learned to survive in systems that didn’t see them and in many cases, still don’t. Today, many occupy middle management. Close enough to power to understand its workings, but still shut out of the rooms where real decisions are made.

This is the “frozen middle,” where careers stall not because of incompetence, but because of a lack of sponsorship, systemic bias and an absence of intentional succession planning.

Their challenge is stagnation. Their opportunity is transformation. If organisations are serious about diversity not the brochure kind, but the measurable, structural kind, they must invest in unlocking Gen X talent. That means targeted leadership development, genuine pathways to the C-suite and sponsorship that doesn’t evaporate when budgets tighten and President Trump and Elon Musk (DOGE) bark!

Gen X BAME professionals are not just bridges between generations, they are the foundation. Without them, the promises made to Millennials and Gen Z will collapse long before they’re fulfilled.

4. Millennials (1981–1996). The Purpose-Driven Professionals

Millennials of colour entered adulthood on the fault line of history. They came of age during the early optimism of DEI, the sobering realities of austerity, the crushing weight of student debt and the birth of the digital era. They are the first generation to navigate the workplace with both the scars of systemic injustice and the tools to call it out in real time.

For many, the workplace was not their first encounter with exclusion, it was simply a new chapter in a story that began in childhood. They remember the playground taunts about skin colour, the schoolyard microaggressions disguised as “jokes” and the subtle (and sometimes overt) policing of their hair. They remember being told their natural curls were “distracting” or “unprofessional” long before they ever had a job. Some carry the weight of disproportionate school exclusions. An early lesson in how rules are enforced differently depending on who you are.

Those formative experiences left a deep imprint.

Entering the workplace, they found the same themes resurfacing. This time in coded language, performance reviews or unspoken grooming standards. The boardroom became the playground with better vocabulary. The stakes were higher, but the dynamics were familiar.

Let's not forget the killing of George Floyd in 2020, which ripped the veil from many of these truths. For Millennials, it confirmed that the barriers they had faced weren’t incidental, they were systemic. Black Lives Matter surged, bringing with it a wave of corporate promises, funding pledges and diversity hiring drives. Yet the momentum proved fragile. For some, BLM created genuine openings, for others, it triggered quiet resistance and policy reversals. The result? A lingering sense of both possibility and uncertainty.

Then came COVID-19, which redefined work overnight. Remote models offered flexibility but also blurred boundaries. The pandemic’s unequal impact on Black and minority communities deepened distrust in institutions that spoke the language of inclusion but delivered inequity in healthcare outcomes. Add the rise of AI and another fault line appears. In a world racing to automate, how will talent that exists outside the system’s preferred template be valued or devalued?

Millennials are also the first truly social media-native professionals. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have allowed them to tell their own stories, reclaim narratives and build communities outside traditional structures. But the same tools that amplify them also commodify them, creating a constant pressure to perform visibility.

Their challenge is disillusionment. 

Many entered the workforce believing that DEI could be the lever to shift systems, only to find that it often operates as window dressing. For BAME Millennials, the emotional labour of navigating exclusion while leading change is both exhausting and, at times, demoralising, made heavier by the fact that the wounds of the past are still being reopened in the present.

The opportunity is to meet them where they are. This means not just embedding DEI into every layer of the business, but aligning it with Millennial values. Purpose, equity and measurable impact. It means recognising lived experience as leadership capital, offering flexibility as a standard rather than a perk and dismantling the subtle hierarchies that reward image over contribution. Millennials are not just employees, They are change agents in a world where change feels increasingly urgent.

5. Generation Z (1997–2012). The Bold Innovators

Gen Z has been called the most diverse, digitally native and socially conscious generation in history, but they were also shaped in places where those values were not always honoured. Many grew up in religion, whatever form it took, where they witnessed the gap between preached values and practiced ones. They saw hypocrisy, but as children, they had no safe space to voice it.

Charlotte Francis founder and CEO with her daughter who is mini CEO of Biankha and Friends, an organisation dedicated to empowering young girls of colour.

They outlived the traumas of childhood bullying, playground racism, hair discrimination and the weight of societal expectations that didn’t understand them.

They were educated in a system that often failed to empower them. Where the curriculum was narrow, culturally tone-deaf and increasingly inaccessible as libraries closed and resources vanished. Parents, often under economic and emotional pressure, struggled to navigate these flaws, leaving many to find their own way through an educational maze that promised opportunity but too often delivered limitation.

Gen Z did what generations before them often could not. They found ways to transform beyond those constraints. They sought knowledge in unconventional spaces, online platforms, peer networks, independent creators and learned to bypass traditional gatekeepers. They are acutely aware they are living in one of the most opportunity-rich moments in history. But they also know that many corporations still want to treat them like it’s the pre–industrial revolution, restricting autonomy, stifling creativity and measuring productivity by outdated metrics.

Leadership chaos has not helped.

They’ve watched leaders fumble through crises, headlines filled with scandal, short termism and performative posturing. The effect is clear, Gen Z wants education that empowers, inspiration that uplifts and the freedom to think and live on purpose. They are turning away from a world narrative driven by fear, control and cynicism and seeking to write their own.

For BAME Gen Zers, identity is non-negotiable and community is everything. They do not just want inclusion, they demand it. They are unafraid to challenge authourity, call out performative allyship and walk away from workplaces that don’t reflect their values.

Their challenge is impatience. They expect rapid change and when it doesn’t come, they disengage. Bureaucracy frustrates them. Waiting for outdated systems to evolve feels like wasted time. As a result, they are more likely to bypass traditional career paths altogether, choosing freelancing, entrepreneurship, activism or global mobility.

The opportunity is radical engagement. 

Gen Z should be invited into strategy, innovation and culture-building from day one. Not token seats at the table but co-creation of the table itself. Their fluency in digital tools, social justice and intersectionality makes them invaluable partners in shaping the future of inclusive work. But to harness that potential, leaders must be willing to meet them at their level of urgency, purpose and expectation. Anything less and they’ll simply build their own world elsewhere.

What Inclusive Workplaces Must Do, Now

Surface-level diversity won’t survive the next wave of disruption.

To truly build inclusive workplaces, companies must tackle the root causes of exclusion, not just polish their image. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: even the tools designed to create change can reinforce the very inequalities they claim to address.

Take the McGregor-Smith Review. On paper, it recommends that all employers with over 50 staff set aspirational diversity targets, publish ethnicity pay data and be held accountable for progress. It sounds progressive but in practice, its narrow framing can be weaponised. In policing, both in the UK and globally, targets and reviews often sidestep the deeper rot: the microaggressions embedded in policy, the bias in performance reviews and the unwritten rules that govern promotions. Accountability is measured in head counts and tick-boxes, while everyday indignities go unchecked.

We’ve seen the pattern play out elsewhere. In the US, when General Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, publicly criticised Burkina Faso’s leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, accusing him of misusing the country’s gold reserves, the establishment didn’t debate his points. Instead, Langley was quietly discredited and politically sidelined. A reminder that even high-ranking Black leaders can be “thrown under the bus” when their stance disrupts the preferred narrative.

This is the reality for many professionals of colour: lived experience is only valued when it affirms the status quo. When someone who “looks like you” is brought in to undermine your position, the message is clear, representation without power is just another form of control.

Yet history tells a different story about what actually creates lasting change: disruption.

Bob Marley didn’t wait for permission to challenge colonial narratives. He used music as a weapon, stitching together the politics of liberation, the spirituality of unity, and the raw voice of the oppressed into something the world couldn’t ignore. Marcus Garvey defied borders to imagine a global Black consciousness. Angela Davis refused to dilute her critique of systemic injustice, even when it made her a target.

Long before them, Toussaint Louverture, the brilliant Haitian general who led the only successful slave revolt in history, secured Haiti’s independence from France in 1804.

He was lured into a false negotiation, tricked into travelling to Europe under the promise of diplomacy and instead imprisoned, left to die in a freezing cell. His betrayal was not just personal it was systemic. France went on to demand crippling “reparations” for its lost colony, draining Haiti’s economy for generations and keeping it dependent under the guise of “colonial help.” The playbook hasn’t changed much. Strip sovereignty, then sell the illusion of benevolence.

This same pattern exists in business.

When Apple launched Apple Pay, it disrupted a financial sector still operating with an Ebenezer Scrooge mentality. Guarding access, gatekeeping innovation and clinging to outdated systems designed for the powerful few. At the time, mobile payments were niche, dismissed as unnecessary or risky. Apple’s move forced banks, retailers, and regulators to adapt, bringing secure, fast and inclusive payment methods into the mainstream. Now it’s standard.

But what if Apple hadn’t acted? The financial industry might still be dragging its feet, clinging to exclusionary models.

Sensing this gap, Challenger banks, digital-first institutions like Monzo, Revolut, Chime, and Africa’s own Kuda and TymeBank capitalised on the weaknesses of traditional finance.

They built user-friendly, low-cost platforms that don’t require physical branches, making it possible for millions to open accounts, transfer funds and access credit from their smartphones. They’ve turned what was once a barrier into a business model, proving that agility can outpace size when legacy institutions are slow to adapt.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, especially across Africa this shift has been transformational.

Mobile-friendly banking tools mean they’re no longer spectators in the global economy.

They can receive payments, pay suppliers and manage finances without navigating the bureaucracy and high fees of traditional banks. Perhaps most importantly, it reinforces a mindset that you do not let thoughtless distractions pull you away from your vision. You stay focused, you build despite the noise and you treat access to financial tools not as a luxury but as a lever for independence.

We are also seeing this with WhatsApp Business.

In many parts of the world, small business owners can’t access or afford formal business bank accounts or sophisticated customer management platforms. WhatsApp Business has become their storefront, their marketing department and their customer service desk in one.

It bypasses traditional gatekeepers, giving micro-entrepreneurs, market traders and community-based businesses. A direct line to their customers without the cost or complexity of legacy systems. The result?

Entire local economies are being powered by a messaging app, proving that disruption doesn’t always require billion-dollar infrastructure, it requires accessibility, adaptability, and a willingness to meet people where they are.

This is the power of disruption, it turns structural weakness into opportunity and it forces entrenched systems to evolve, even when they resist. But it comes at a cost. Those who wield it often face exile, suppression or complete erasure from official histories. Still, without disruption, systems rarely shift and every time disruptors are silenced, the world loses a piece of its future.

Well here’s the unspoken question? Why would leaders give up their power for progress?

For many, the risk of losing influence outweighs the promise of equity. The pros for them, retaining authority, protecting legacy systems which are immediate. The cons, becoming irrelevant in a changing world, are too abstract for short-term thinkers. Yet the evidence is all around them. Traditional companies that refused to diversify are going broke, missing the opportunity to engage audiences and markets that don’t look like them e.g. Debenhams, Thomas Cook, Lehman Brothers. Air Jamaica, Blockbuster and sadly Woolworths.

This is where fear plays its part.

Fear that diversifying will expose the mask of competence, fear that sharing space will reveal just how much talent they’ve overlooked. They speak the language of intersectionality, but where is Bell Hooks in their conversation? They quote Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream but erase the reality of his assassination. They strip Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, the Windrush generation and Marcus Garvey from the curriculum, while claiming to champion education.

The irony is that the same flawed curriculum also fails white working-class boys. Proof that the system’s blind spots hurt everyone. If parents, regardless of background, do not understand that learning does not stop at school, entire generations are set up to remain dependent on systems designed to exclude them.

Black communities have learned to speak loudly to be heard, but what about the women of colour who work in the background, making change happen without fanfare?

They are building influence in the digital age, leveraging technology to achieve impact and privilege on their own terms, often without the recognition given to their louder counterparts. They, too, are part of the pipeline that needs fixing. Proof that leadership comes in many forms, not all of them visible.

Action Steps:

• Audit for drop-off points: Conduct regular reviews to see where BAME professionals are leaving the pipeline and address why, beyond the headline numbers.

• Modernise work models: Invest in inclusive hybrid work that accommodates both generational expectations and cultural differences.

• Embed intersectionality: Ensure every policy considers race, gender, age and ability together. Not in silos. Name the thinkers and histories that built the concept.

• Use data as a trust currency: Make transparency the standard. Publish results. Own the failures. Celebrate the wins.

The lesson is simple. DEI cannot survive as a marketing campaign. It must be embedded as a structural advantage in how a business thinks, hires, innovates and grows, especially in a world where leaders like Mia Mottley (Barbados) are reshaping political norms,

Venezuela is testing new geopolitical realities and emerging alliances are redrawing the map of influence. The companies that adapt now will not only survive the transition they will define it.

For Leaders. Lead with Equity, Not Ego

Leadership must evolve from authority to authenticity. The McGregor-Smith Review found that mentoring and sponsorship are among the most effective tools for advancing BAME talent, but they must be intentional and inclusive. McKinsey’s research shows that organisations with strong ethnic-minority representation in leadership are 33%–36% more likely to outperform peers on profitability.

Action Steps:

• Model inclusive leadership by listening deeply, acting transparently and championing equity.

• Sponsor BAME professionals across generations, using influence to open doors not just offer advice.

• Create psychologically safe spaces where authenticity is not punished but celebrated.

• Engage in perspective-taking to understand the lived experiences of those unlike yourself.

For HR Managers: Rethink Recruitment and Redesign Retention

HR is the engine of culture. Yet recruitment often reinforces bias and retention strategies fail to reflect the needs of BAME professionals, especially those from older generations or non-traditional backgrounds.

The McGregor-Smith Review calls for critical examination of every stage of the employee journey, from how individuals are recruited to how they are supported to progress.

Action Steps:

• Eliminate bias in recruitment by diversifying sourcing channels and neutralising job ad language.

• Design retention strategies that reflect the needs of multigenerational BAME employees, flexible schedules, culturally competent benefits and career development.

• Train for empathy and cultural intelligence, not just compliance.

• Use feedback loops to understand what’s working and what’s not.

For Individuals. Build Bridges and Hold Space

Whether you’re a Gen Z intern or a Gen X manager, your voice matters. But navigating the workplace as a BAME professional often means balancing visibility with vulnerability. McKinsey’s research shows that BBP women aged 16–25 are entering higher-paying professions at increasing rates, but older generations still face significant pay gaps and cultural barriers.

Action Steps:

• Speak up, share your story, challenge bias and advocate for change.

• Build bridges across generations, cultures and roles. Mentorship is mutual.

• Hold space for yourself and others. Rest is resistance. Healing is leadership.

• Join or create affinity groups that reflect your values and amplify your voice.

What Next?

At NBWN, we believe in amplifying the voices of Black women and women of colour across generations. Through our upcoming  podcasts, DEI roundtables and mentoring circles, we’re building a future where inclusion isn’t aspirational, it’s operational.

Let’s move beyond representation to transformation. Let’s ensure that every Black and minority ethnic professional, whether Gen Z or Gen X, can thrive, lead and belong because inclusion isn’t just good business. It’s justice.

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