Our recent survey of 300 senior financial services executives reveals progress in reaching unserved and underserved customers—and opportunities to do more to achieve equitable participation in financial services.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is the latest stakeholder to examine how racial bias may creep into property valuations. In a Dec. 14 blog post, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator and conservator said it found examples of “overt references to race, ethnicity, and other prohibited bases under federal fair lending laws,” which FHFA said indicate the “continued presence of valuation bias.”

The generational make-up of the workforce is shifting. As Baby Boomers continue to retire (and Gen Xers start to), Millennials are saturating the workforce. In fact, by 2025, Millennials are projected to account for 75% of it. What impact will that have on your HR practice? Employee priorities and expectations are changing, and HR has to overcome the challenges of a multigenerational workforce in order to lead effectively.

Consider the following scenario: A company’s entry-level workforce is approximately half women and half men, but the proportion of women drops slightly at every level. Only about 38% of managers are women, then 33% of directors, 28% of senior vice presidents, and 21% of C-suite executives. A deeper dive into the data reveals that the drop-off of women is primarily driven by gender disparities in promotion rates, not gender differences in hiring or retention.

At the age of 13, I saw Althea Gibson play at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. She showed me what being No. 1 in the world looked like, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps from that day forward. She epitomized "if you can see it, you can be it," and watching her play tennis changed my world forever.

“Unconscious bias” and “inclusive leadership” have become diversity buzzwords. This makes sense given recent research highlighting how related trainings — when facilitated and implemented properly — are key ingredients for cultivating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. But what should companies do about leaders who continue to display unquestionably conscious bias?

Companies spend billions of dollars annually on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, but the results are few. Using basic tools to interrupt bias can help.

Most of the year, Maya, a 32-year-old investment banker in New York City, enjoys her job. But late in the autumn, when promotion season rolls around, she always feels “weird”.  “It’s hard to describe,” she says. “I wouldn’t call it disappointment, because that implies that there was hope. It’s more just a wistfulness. I’ve sort of come to terms with the fact that there’s a good chance I’ll never be in a position that can be considered truly senior.” 

Justice Sonia Sotomayor told an audience Wednesday that recent changes in the format of oral arguments were instituted in part after studies emerged showing that female justices on the court were interrupted more by male justices and advocates.