HSBC shares UK employee ethnic representation data
Ian Stuart, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC UK said: “We’re determined to use our position as a global organisation to support diversity and inclusion, both in the UK and internationally. Improving the ethnicity data that we hold on our people is critical to understanding where we are today and will help us measure progress on our commitments.”
Elaine Arden, Group Chief HR Officer, HSBC said: “The data shows that we have a lot of work to do, particularly with respect to the representation of Black colleagues at senior levels. Publishing the data is just one of steps we’re taking to address the challenges we face in creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation.”
HSBC employee representation data in the UK*:
| Asian | Black | Mixed Race | Other ethnicities | White | Declined to answer | Ethnicity not yet specified | |
| All global career bands | 12.0% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 59.8% | 7.7% | 15.2% |
| Senior leaders | 9.7% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 56.0% | 12.5% | 18.0% |
* Based on the ethnicity self-declarations of 77 per cent (32,380) of HSBC’s UK-based employees as at 30 September 2020.
HSBC representation data in the UK for Graduates Programmes and Interns:
| Asian | Black | Other ethnicities (including mixed race) | White | Declined to answer | |
| Graduates | 23.0% | 3.0% | 6.0% | 51.0% | 17.0% |
| Interns | 32.0% | 1.0% | 7.0% | 52.0% | 6.0% |
What HSBC is doing to increase inclusion and diversity:
In line with the UK’s Race at Work Charter, HSBC is establishing an ethnicity framework for its business based in the UK to help determine what racial equality in its business should look like, where the gaps are and where action needs to be taken.
Core to this are the following actions:
- Executive sponsorship and support. An executive sponsor from the HSBC UK Executive Committee will chair a new Ethnicity Steering Committee that’s working with all businesses based in the UK to drive these efforts.
- Reviewing recruitment and career development. We’re committed to helping all colleagues to succeed, while recognising the need for particular effort for Black colleagues, by continuing to hone our approach to recruitment and providing career development opportunities. This will help the bank to meet or exceed HSBC’s global commitments in the UK.
- Shared accountability for equality. While HSBC’s business leaders have a critical role to play in supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues, everyone has a responsibility to support racial equality at HSBC. By encouraging more conversations about race and ethnicity and how it has affected colleagues’ different experiences, the bank will learn to become more empathetic and aware of racism in its various forms.
- Zero tolerance of racism. Reinforcing HSBC’s zero tolerance approach to racism by doing more to create a safe space for colleagues and give them the opportunities and the confidence to speak up and raise concerns more easily.
- Measuring and tracking progress. Critical to HSBC’s efforts on racial equality is improving the data that it hold on the ethnicity of its people, so that the bank can be confident in its understanding the specific challenges and measure the effectiveness of the actions it takes. The bank will publish ethnicity data for the UK annually.
Notes
- Employee ethnicity data is as at 30 September 2020 and reflects HSBC employees based in the UK, unless otherwise stated.
- Employee ethnicity data for Graduates and Interns represents the 2020 intake class.
- Employee ethnicity data is self-identified.
Forward-Looking statements
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