Half of black professionals in Ireland believe their ethnicity negatively impacts their career

However, three quarters of respondents to the African Professional Network of Ireland survey feel their sector to be supportive of inclusion and diversity

Lizzy Beecham, African Professional Network of Ireland (APNI), head of LinkedIn Ireland Sharon McCooey, and APNI president Ayo Olabimtan at the inaugural APNI career event in collaboration with LinkedIn. 

Half of black professionals working in Ireland believe their ethnicity has negatively impacted their career opportunities and career progression.

The figures come from a survey of 118 members of the African Professional Network of Ireland (APNI). 

When asked what they considered to be the main barriers for people from diverse ethnic backgrounds in reaching their full career potential in Ireland, the top three reasons were unconscious racial bias in hiring people who were ‘the same’, a lack of mentorship and networking opportunities, and a lack of ethnically diverse role models in Irish business. 

However, a majority, 67%, considered their sector to be supportive of inclusion and diversity.

They suggested more consideration when advertising roles to ensure they reached a broad range of communities and a more intentional effort by businesses to support mentorship would support addressing barriers.

As many companies in Ireland continue to experience skills gaps in their recruitment, the survey aimed to identify both barriers and opportunities for ethnic minority groups and employers. 

The survey was conducted at the inaugural APNI career event hosted by LinkedIn in Dublin.

Almost all respondents (97%) were degree educated, and 69% have additional postgraduate qualifications. Over three quarters (79%) indicated they were fluent in at least one other language in addition to English. 

The top languages spoken included Yoruba, French, Igbo and Arabic. Those holding postgraduate qualifications were more likely to have studied in Ireland (58%) versus outside Ireland (11%).

“While it’s clear some career barriers do still exist for black communities in Ireland, we’re finding that there is huge appetite amongst businesses to understand more about what they can do to ensure their companies and recruitment processes are inclusive to all communities,” Ayo Olabimtan, president of the APNI said. 

Respondents to the survey are predominantly employed in ICT and technology sectors (29%), followed by retail and hospitality (21%) and professional services, including financial and legal (14%).