TERCERA SESIÓN EDUCATIVA I ETAPA DETERMINATIVA

Mentoring was used as an a priori code in the initial template; however, interviewees reported that it was development in general, including mentoring, that was important for their careers. Minority- and majority-ethnic interviewees reported development courses as useful for networking opportunities and prestige. Importantly, minority- ethnic interviewees considered the networking within these formal settings as professional and legitimate. Whilst interviewees from both groups reported difficulty accessing such courses, minority-ethnic interviewees reported that this was because they were more likely to be channelled into positive action development. In addition, several of the minority-ethnic interviewees reported a preference for formal, structured mentoring, whereas majority-ethnic interviewees discussed how they benefitted from more informal, developmental relationships.

Development Courses

Both minority- and majority-ethnic interviewees discussed the importance of attending development courses. However, instead of enhancing skills, interviewees reported their main benefit as providing networking opportunities. Whilst this networking aspect of development courses could have been placed under the network theme, it was subsumed under development because it related to interviewees’ motivation for attending development courses, rather than networking more generally. Minority-ethnic interviewees discussed this form of networking as more professional or legitimate than networking outside of formal structures. There were also a number of development courses offered by the organisation and each differed in level of prestige. Several courses were perceived as providing a privileged identity for attendees and were therefore reported as more desirable to attend:

“I think what is good is that whenyou’ve got that [development program X] badge on you, you are recognised by people as having passed a very difficult test to get in and you know, being good and I think that helps and I think a lot of senior people will look down and think “they’re a [development program X], maybe I’ll give the work to them or I’ll just look at what their career’s doing”. It separates you out from everybody else, so it’s good in that sense and the training’s quite good, […]. And

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not just in terms of what it teaches you but also in developing a network of [attendees] across the department and across [the organisation] as well which is really helpful”

[Participant 27: Majority-Ethnic, Female]

“Development programmes enhance the skills I already have, I don’t think they do anything else; they are good network opportunities, and nothing more than that.”

[Participant 15 Minority-Ethnic, Female]

Both minority- and majority-ethnic interviewees reported difficulty in accessing mainstream development courses. Majority-ethnic interviewees most often cited budget constraints, available time, and competition for places as reasons they were unable to attend such courses:

“I have wanted to do [development course] and I have wanted to do that since I started in [the role]. But I have had to cancel it three times since I have been in [the role] ‘cause, there has been too much work on and I have been asked to postpone it”.

[Participant 30: Majority-Ethnic, Male]

However, minority- ethnic interviewees reported being pressured or channelled into positive action courses, which cater specifically for minority-ethnic, female and disabled employees. They also expressed the opinion that positive action programmes were less desirable because they did not offer the same prestige as mainstream courses. Furthermore, many minority-ethnic interviewees did not want to be associated with diversity initiatives:

“My manager has a sheep dip approach to development opportunities– “you’re black so this is all the stuff that is available for black people, so you go on it too.” Whereas what I am looking for is something that’s more specific to my needs and where I would like to go with my career, which might mean something more mainstream”.

[Participant 9: Minority-Ethnic, Female]

“I don’t think departments take it that seriously, the brand, so I don’t know how useful [positive action courses] are. People were very eager

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for me to go on [the positive action course] because it was the BME one and that’s why I think – there is always the potential of being ghettoised rather than being part of the mainstream, and I cautioned against that”

[Participant 17, Minority-Ethnic, Male]

Mentoring

Neither minority- or majority-ethnic interviewees reported difficulty accessing mentoring relationships, but minority-ethnic interviewees reported considerable difficulty finding mentors they considered suitable. ‘Suitability’ varied from having cross-race mentoring with people of high status, to same-race mentorships with potential role models. Several minority-ethnic interviewees reported using cross-race mentoring to gain alternative perspectives on perceived career barriers:

“[my mentor] has helped me and the challenges, we talk through challenges and being able to see things from a different perspective. If you are not progressing as you think you should there is a tendency to think that there might be one contributing factor –I’m black. But I think I have been able to see things from a different perspective. Everybody else is on a similar playing field at times, there are situations where race might be a factor, but it isn’t always the case. Everyone else has to do something extra – you bring yourself up to a level where you can compete effectively. Having a perspective – she is quite sincere and I can discuss anything with her and she can give me the benefit of her experience. It helps me focus on what I really want to do in my career. I have learnt new skills, how to present myself better.

[Participant 2, Minority-Ethnic, Female]

Importantly, the type of mentoring relationship discussed by minority- and majority- ethnic interviewees was different. Majority-ethnic interviewees who spoke about mentoring, reported that they relied on a range of informal developmental relationships gained through networking, rather than single mentorships. They also reported meetings with these ‘mentors’ were relaxed and informal as opposed to fixed, formal meetings with timescales or agendas:

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“It’s networking within a wider family, you get to know people and find out where to go for information, people whose judgement you trust and then in turn play that role yourself for others and their careers”

[Participant 19, Majority-Ethnic, Female]

Instead of these informal relationships, minority-ethnic interviewees who talked about mentoring focused on formal mentoring programmes, where mentor and mentees were matched formally and tracked by programme managers. However, minority-ethnic interviewees reported receiving a lack of support from the organisation for such mentorships. Importantly, even when entering into more informal mentoring arrangements, minority-ethnic managers seemed to prefer a more structured, formal and accountable type of mentoring:

“He was actually quite senior, he was actually my mentor but I will be very honest, there was no support, not as much as I would have expected. I think he was too busy with other things, the mentoring was there but I had to instigate it, it was too shambolic”

[Participant 4: Minority-Ethnic Female]