What US-based Asian employee's need right now!

In the wake of the Atlanta spa shootings and the skyrocketing increase of hate crimes against Asian Americans, employees are waiting for an outpouring of corporate messages supporting #StopAsianHate. Draft statements from CEO's condemning the shootings and standing in support of the Asian American community. Instead, one CEO opted to send a message on the company's performance.

"How do can I keep being the voice of the company for someone who doesn't even see me?" Xavier, an Asian communications specialist, wondered.

By contrast, Wendy, who is also Asian American, recently joined a tech firm and was impressed by her employer's response. Even before the Atlanta shootings, her firm had posted a message about the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. After the shootings, they posted a message on LinkedIn, created an employee forum for discussion, and donated to a group supporting Asian Americans. Wendy had received multiple offers when she was on the job hunt, and her company's response confirmed she'd picked the right one.

D, his name withheld for privacy, is an Asian American partner leading his company's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) efforts at a midsize consulting firm. In the wake of the shooting, company leadership debated how best to respond and opted for what was best for their employees. They reasoned internal outreach would be more helpful than posting a message on their website. Senior leaders sent out a message to all employees and emailed line managers to let them know that some employees would be struggling. And employees are struggling.

Kelly, an Asian American who works at a tech firm, said she's getting racially harassed when she leaves the house. She worries about her grandmother. Meanwhile, her employer-issued no statements about the rising anti-Asian sentiment.

Acknowledge

The most common theme I heard from employees was surprised over leaders being silent or disappointed that only the CEO had spoken up. Don't stay silent, dilute the message, or hide behind the diversity office. In speaking to a Hispanic employee at a major university, they were shocked. While the university president sent out a message after the Atlanta shootings, her school's head said nothing despite its high Asian population. The employee, who has since left for other reasons, said she thought the lack of response was indicative of an overall attitude towards race in the organization.

An Asian American employee at a biotech firm mentioned feeling let down because his company sent out one email from the diversity office. It was not signed by any visible leaders or anyone he knew.

Be Available

Not everyone on your team will have the same response. An Asian pathologist mentioned she would have felt uncomfortable if she could share her feelings at work. A programmer said he would have liked to have it with his direct manager if he wanted to discuss it. That way, employees who want and need support can initiate a discussion.

A hate crime impacts the entire community.

Commit

Several employees wanted to know about their company's long-term plan to make a more significant change in society. What this looks like will vary from company to company. She wished her company had made donations to groups supporting the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community. In contrast, a pharma company manager was impressed by his company's willingness to send out a message immediately. They also both wanted to know more about their company's long-term commitment to DE&I.

D, the consulting firm's partner, commented that in the long run, the most crucial step was for companies to think about how to make long-term changes to eradicate systemic biases. By taking a solid stance against anti-Asian racism, you demonstrate compassion to help employees feel supported and earn trust.

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