Tech entrepreneur Tom Ilube bids to end workplace racism

Racism has definitely improved over the thirty years I have spent in corporate life. We have come a long way from my time at the London Stock Exchange in the 1980s when, over Friday drinks, a Stock Exchange veteran wandered up to me and said: ‘Tom, I don’t think this of course, but I have to tell you if some of my friends were here, they’d have you swinging from the nearest tree.’

It’s not like that now but recent events in the USA have highlighted how British business is responding to the lack of progress for black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in the spotlight.

It has been fascinating to see the typical corporate playbook being rolled out. Step one: post a black square on social media declaring that Black Lives Matter. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but what next? Step two: CEO makes a grand, albeit slightly vague, statement along the lines of: ‘Sorry. We must do better.’ Step three: tell your black staff that you are listening. That’s about where it stops in most cases, although there are a few notable exceptions, where companies have put real money where their mouth is.

But to be fair to the CEOs faced with this challenge, I think part of the problem is that no one is being specific about what actions they should take. I sometimes hear people say: ‘Why do I have to tell them what action they should take? They should go and find out!’ The problem with that approach is that you can be pretty sure nothing meaningful will happen. Other priorities will intrude. Covid-19 hasn’t gone away. The economic hurricane is hitting hard. Other crises will spring up and knock this issue off the top spot. But right now, there is a narrow window to sit in front of the CEO and make specific requests.

So, the challenge for any black person inside a company at this time is this. If your CEO gives you 15 minutes of undivided attention and asks you what specific action you want to see, what are you going to say? Let me give you some advice. Don’t say: ‘We want action, not words.’ If you do, the CEO will nod politely, apologise for not doing more and set up a committee. Inwardly, he or she will roll their eyes, thinking: ‘They have no idea what they want.’

Instead, figure out what is directly in the CEOs power to say ‘yes’ to right there and then. If you ask for something that requires board approval, or budgetary sign-off beyond the CEOs mandate, then you’ve missed the moment. Ask for three things or fewer. CEOs never react well to a shopping list. State the three things, make it clear that if they only do one thing, it’s this one. Then close the deal and get out of the office.

What might such a request look like? Here’s an example. In most large organisations, there will be between ten and twenty decision-making bodies. Divisional boards, sub-committees and so on. This is where the real power is. This is where strategy is shaped and budgets are held. Hiring and firing decisions take place in these rooms. To echo the play, Hamilton, these are the ‘Rooms where it happens.’ So, try this request. ‘CEO, will you commit that before the end of 2020 every decision-making room in this organisation will include at least two black, Asian or ethnic minority representatives?’

The beauty of this request is that it is entirely in the CEO’s gift. They can literally agree right there or they can make excuses. But they can’t say that it’s impossible because I’ve seen it done. They can’t say that it will take years for vacancies to become available because they can simply mandate that all internal boards and committees need to create two more seats around the table. There is no real cost to doing this. Brilliant, existing employees will fill all these positions, whilst still doing their day job. They will make a direct contribution whilst gaining valuable experience, exposure at senior levels and laying the groundwork for their future careers. How will the company react? CEOs will find out quickly which part of their organisation pushes back on the idea and that will tell them a lot!

Imagine if every company in the FTSE350 plus every Government department committed to do this. Perhaps a thousand organisations opening the decision-making doors to their black, Asian and minority staff. As many as 20,000 staff contributing to shaping the decisions of their organisations. It would change the face of industry at a stroke. One clear, simple ask. One bold executive decision. One giant leap for British business.

Tom Ilube is an entrepreneur who founded AIM-listed firm Crossword Cybersecurity in 2014 after setting up two successful technology businesses including credit firm Noddle and acting as chief information officer at Egg, the UK’s first internet bank.