Shelley Cable: Employers need to do more to make the workplace safe for Indigenous Australians

The West Australian’s exposé on the WA Department of Communities this week makes for difficult reading, with reports of “endemic and systemic racism within the organisation” and a workplace considered not culturally safe by its own staff. In its response to The West, the Department of Communities pointed out that 6.4 per cent of its workforce are Indigenous Australians, which is the second highest representation rate of any WA government department, and above its own target. On face value, this is very impressive. Given Indigenous Australians comprise 3.3 per cent of the national population, 6.4 per cent — more than 300 Indigenous staff — is quite strong representation. So how can there still be cultural safety concerns? The Department of Communities is not the only workplace to grapple with the complexities of Indigenous employment. This issue is faced by many, with significant lessons for all employers to learn. It’s so much more than a numbers game; and it’s not a one-size-fits-all in terms of targets and workforce representation. For example, while many workplaces would be delighted to achieve 3.3 per cent Indigenous employment, the nature of many workplaces requires even more, especially for those who work closely with Indigenous communities, customers, and lands. When more than half an organisation’s work involves Indigenous children and families, even an impressive representation rate like 6.4 per cent doesn’t seem enough. Achieving critical mass isn’t automatically guaranteed to translate to a safe or enabling work environment. Having a seat at the table is not the same as having a voice at the table. And it is not the responsibility of a small concentration of Indigenous staff, who have their own jobs to do, to also improve the cultural awareness or competence of their non-Indigenous colleagues. So what can organisations do to make the workplace safe, cohesive and productive? Workplaces must listen to their Indigenous staff and be prepared to have the status quo challenged. Some may call this disruption; others call it innovation. A growing number of organisations are implementing formal mechanisms to elevate a range of Indigenous voices to the leadership levels of the organisation for this very purpose. Employers already have a legal requirement to provide a safe workplace, yet cultural safety is often overlooked, or not well understood by management. Workplaces need to invest in cultural awareness and safety training for all staff, and monitor their progress over time against meaningful success measures. I argue that a commitment to meaningful Indigenous employment is more than an internal facing HR issue; it is a leading indicator for business performance. It reflects more than numbers and speaks to the workplace culture and environment for all staff, not just Indigenous staff. Inclusive workplace environments produce better results. Done well, pursuing Indigenous employment parity is an all-of-workplace effort that changes an organisation’s culture from the inside out. Later this year, Minderoo Foundation’s Generation One initiative will launch Australia’s first Indigenous Employment Index, with some of the nation’s largest employers providing comprehensive insights into the state of Indigenous employment. For the first time we’ll have data on how these workplaces are performing. Not just how many Indigenous people they’re hiring. But are they staying? Do they have the opportunity for career progression? Do they feel safe? The message is coming through loudly — many organisations want to do better. To their credit, some have employed large numbers of Indigenous Australians. Keeping these staff, listening to their voices and ensuring their workplace is safe are the much harder next steps, but they also provide the biggest payoffs for workers and workplace culture. Shelley Cable is a Wilman-Nyoongar woman and CEO of Minderoo Foundation’s Generation One initiative, which aims to create Indigenous employment parity in one generation.