The study, conducted by Samsung UK and OnePoll, surveyed 1,000 UK adults with invisible and visible disabilities and reveals that over two-thirds (68%) have felt excluded from products or services due to accessibility issues.

Over half of the respondents (55%) don’t believe mainstream brands are invested enough in making products that cater to individual needs, while ​54% don’t think companies have an understanding of which accessibility features are important for consumers with disabilities.

Brands are missing a trick here, as the spending power of disabled people and their households – known as the purple pound – is estimated to be worth a staggering £274 billion a year^[1].

80% claim major national and international brands could be missing out on millions by not thinking about inclusive design for consumers with disabilities. It also emerged that 72% of consumers surveyed have abandoned a purchase due to a product’s lack of accessibility. On the other hand, over half (56%) are willing to pay more if they find a fully accessible product.

Greater accessibility also opens the door to loyal customers, as three quarters (76%) of consumers admit they would stay loyal to companies who offer a good range of accessible options.

Katharina Mayer, Head of LifeStyle Lab Europe, at Samsung said: “This research has highlighted the huge opportunity for brands to better understand the accessibility needs of consumers to provide greater access for people with disabilities in the UK. It is an absolute necessity for companies to test their ideas with diverse people with different needs. When designers consider varied needs from the beginning, they don’t just benefit people with disabilities – they create solutions that serve everyone and that is the approach we aim to take to inclusive design at Samsung. This is a foundation of good design that led to our enhanced design principles, which we developed in Project INKlusion”.

Project INKlusion was created by Samsung as a collaborative project aimed at enhancing inclusive design. Samsung spoke with design leaders and over five hundred members of Samsung’s Global Employee Resource Groups to understand the challenges within current products and solutions and find creative ways to address them together with leading design experts. The four DEI design principles and practice include:

1. Stay Curious – create joy through play, learning and growing
2. Challenge Assumptions – deconstruct the ‘normal’, solve problems not people
3. Celebrate Diversity – amplify diverse stories; represent real life
4. Be the Change – create with, not for; expand beyond the individual

But there’s still work to be done. When it comes to online shopping, 80% struggle with websites that are not optimised for accessibility. Issues include, poorly designed checkout process (30%), lack of text descriptions for images (22%) and inaccessible website navigation (20%).

Consumers also identified the most challenging everyday experiences due to poor accessibility as retail store layouts (24%), followed by food packaging (22%) and clothing (21%).

Promisingly, technology is paving the way for accessible design. The top tech innovations for people with a disability were named as virtual assistants, smart home devices and wearable devices for health monitoring.

Samsung is committed to advancing accessibility in technology, from ensuring all mobile and TV screens have accessible voice and caption tools. Our wearables have vision accessibility features for those who find screen size challenging, and our Galaxy Ring passively tracks body metrics.  Alongside this, hearing enhancements, voice feedback and Braille labels exist across Samsung’s range of smart appliances.

Ben Evans, Director of London Design Festival said: “Accessibility in design is not just a feature; it’s an essential foundation for a truly inclusive world. At London Design Festival, we believe that great design serves everyone, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance. Design should be a bridge that connects people, not a barrier. It’s clear from Samsung’s research, that there is still work to be done, and we must continue to showcase a wide breadth of spaces, products, and systems that promote inclusive design and encourage innovation and creativity”.

Amy Francis-Smith RIBA, Architect & Accessible Design Specialist said “The tech sector has long been a pioneer in empowering disabled individuals and creating transformative innovations that simplify life for us all – like voice recognition software, electric toothbrushes and keyboards. Yet, with over half of consumers questioning mainstream brands’ commitment to accessibility, advocates like Samsung championing this cause are more vital than ever. By prioritising inclusivity through empathetic design and considerate practices, we can set a new standard that fosters a more inclusive tech industry—and a more accessible society—for everyone.”

To learn more about Samsung’s accessibility features, please visit: www.samsung.com/uk/sustainability/accessibility

[1] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/605/report.html#:~:text=6.,choice%20available%20to%20disabled%20consumers

Exacerbated by wider cultural pressures, workers are also adjusting the way they show up to work, with 28% changing what they eat and 32% of ethnic minorities adjusting their accent to fit in.

The survey of 1,568 UK workers (1,000 White, 568 from ethnic minority groups) not only looked at how ethnicity bias is showing up in the workplace, but it also examined the cultural barriers and considerations present when making early career decisions.

One of the starkest findings is that cultural pressures weigh twice as heavy for talent from historically underrepresented ethnic communities compared to their White peers (70% vs 31%) when deciding which career to pursue. However, workers in general agree that close family members such as their mum (50%) and dad (51%) put the most pressure on them to make certain decisions about career direction.

Cultural barriers ethnic minority groups face when choosing a career

The research also found that workers from the Black community feel the weight of financial burden far more than other workers, with almost half (49%) citing ‘providing financially for their family’, as a key expectation.

The emotional toll of these pressures is palpable. Respondents from ethnic minorities say they feel controlled (40%), restricted in their choices (35%), lacking in confidence (37%), and unfulfilled (27%) when told what job or career path they should, or should not, pursue.

When looking at the most acceptable career paths, becoming a doctor, lawyer or accountant were professional routes deemed most prestigious; felt particularly strongly by those from Asian origins.

Table: Careers deemed most acceptable by family by ethnicity

Working in the services industry (17%) and creative industries (13%) came out on top as some of the most desirable jobs if there were no financial, cultural or family expectations. Interestingly, the research also found that for Asian (11%) and Black employees (8%), accounting and finance was still the industry they’d most like to go into, even if money was no object.

“If we are to break down the barriers to open doors to careers outside of medicine, finance and law, and see more professions as viable and celebrated career options, there must be acknowledgment from industries to help shift perceptions such as those from ethnic minorities – and their families” said Dave Thompson, Head of Training at Samsung UK & Ireland, and founder of the Black Professionals @ Samsung Employee Resource Group (ERG). “If we want everyone to bring their authentic selves to work and thrive in their jobs, we must take steps to not only understand, but also challenge the current state of play. Workplaces can help by building out sustainable careers across their business, subsidiaries and strategic partners to ensure the best practices are in place to drive equity, diversity and belonging at the centre of everything they do. At Samsung, we know there’s still work to be done to make all workers feel they can be heard and valued, but we’re committed to continuing our journey”, continued Dave Thompson.

Bias at work: 4 in 5 Black and Arab employees say they must ‘work harder’ than their White colleagues

According to the research, Black and Arab employees reportedly feel the most marginalised, with 59% and 61% respectively, saying they have been treated differently due to their cultural background.

Shockingly, half (50%) of ethnic minorities have been a victim of unconscious racism at work, with this felt by 45% of Asian workers, over half (53%) of Black employees and rising to 60% when we look at Arab workers. Over a third (36) of ethnic minority workers have said they have also experienced blatant racism (rising to 46% for Arab workers and 44% for Black workers), with 35% of those from ethnic minority backgrounds told they should ‘smile more’.

Founder of Dope Black Dads and ED&I agency BELOVD Marvyn Harrison, said “We have a generational issue of workers in ethnic communities being pressured into high paying and traditional job roles as a way of navigating systemic inequality. From my own experience, Black families specifically have stopped believing their children will have equality without creating a perceived value in their career. This prevents a diversification of the types of roles people commit to at the highest level, and an important sense of belonging once they get there. The impact of this mental load means Black employees are not showing up as their full self and experiencing imposter syndrome which prevents them from excelling and progressing at the rate their talent deserves. We need a generational shift of all races and ethnicities pursuing roles which suit their passions and consider their neurodiversity, mental health, class, gender, religion and sexuality, as well as being fully accepted for who they are.”

The research found a staggering number of workers feel they must ‘work harder’ compared to their White British colleagues in the same role: 82% of Arab workers, 80% Black workers, and 66% of Asian workers. In fact, ethnic minority employees reported doing this by working more efficiently (46%), feeling the expectation to produce a higher standard of work (38%), and having an in-built desire to do the best job they can (33%).  Over half of Asian workers (51%) reported doing this by working more efficiently. 43% of Black workers carry the expectation to produce a higher standard of work, and 41% of Arab workers take on work outside of their job role – demonstrating just some of the ways that ethnic minorities are going the extra yard at work in order to be heard and valued.

Experiences of ethnic minorities in the workplace, include:

• Having their name repeatedly misspelt or mispronounced (41%)
• Assuming they will find things offensive (33%)
• Being given jobs no one else wants to do (31%)
• Being left out of social activities (32%)
• Being overlooked for pay rises or promotions (33%)
• People feeling awkward asking about their culture (30%)

Another key way behaviour has changed for ethnic minority workers is that they have had to adapt their personality almost four times more than their White peers, to fit in at work (58% vs 15%). 66% of Black workers felt this. Overall, this is because UK workers:

• Felt like they needed to (39%)
• Didn’t want to stand out (37%)
• Wanted to be perceived to be like everyone else (41%)
• Want to keep their culture separate from work (26%)
• Want to be more relatable (23%)
• Felt they needed to, to progress in their career (20%)

What organisations should be doing to be more inclusive

With just over one fifth (22%) of workers strongly agreeing that their place of work is culturally diverse and committed to carving out a positive path forward, employees said companies need to do more to attract talent from historically underrepresented ethnic communities, including the below actions:

• Hosting cultural awareness training (30%)
• Hosting inclusion training (29%)
• Working with racially diverse charities (28%)
• Introducing a mandatory requirement to interview people for senior positions (24%)
• Running mentoring programmes (22%)
• Introducing entry-level requirements for hiring ethnically diverse talent (21%)

“These research findings align with what we’ve known to be the experiences of many of those from historically underrepresented ethnic communities at work – and that is one of challenge, discrimination and being repeatedly misunderstood. If organisations truly want to benefit from ethnic diversity, a focus on true inclusion is vital. This means challenging entrenched stereotypes and focusing daily on equity in processes and interactions. Individuals from historically underrepresented ethnic communities must be provided with access to opportunities, the most relevant development support, mentorship and the space to be their true selves. In addition, managers and teams need to learn how to have open, honest, direct and authentic conversations where topics like culture, background and personal experiences can be shared to develop greater trust ” said Edleen John, Board member at the Tech Talent Charter, a government-supported, industry-led membership group that brings together 700+ Signatory organisations and equips them with the networks and resources to drive their diversity and inclusion efforts.

Samsung Pioneers – A platform for change

Samsung Pioneers is Samsung UK’s platform created to champion greater equality in the technology industry and advocate change in the company to create a culture of advocacy and allyship. Commitments to equality at Samsung UK & Ireland include:

• Our Solve for Tomorrow programme aims to create more inclusive, quality learning experiences for young people across society and to empower future generations to achieve their full potential.
• Mandatory Inclusive Hiring training has been designed to educate hiring managers on how bias impacts the recruitment process and equips them with tools and tips to mitigate its impact. We also track diverse interview panels to encourage diversity throughout the hiring process.
• Becoming a signatory of the Tech Talent Charter, continuing our commitment to address inequality in the UK tech sector and drive inclusivity.
• Creating Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) within the business to build an inclusive, caring, supportive and engaged community, including Black Professionals at Samsung – offering a place for everyone to listen, learn about and drive diversity in Samsung.
• Still in its infancy, in 2022, Black Professionals at Samsung have hosted Shine a Light discussions, run two events and organised seven visits to schools, colleges or Universities with a significant black student base, so far, this year.
• To celebrate Black History Month 2022, Black Professionals @ Samsung hosted a BHM Shine A Light special, with Selina Nkoile from Global Partnership for Education, hosted a discussion alongside the Women@Samsung ERG ‘Spotlighting black females’, hosted a live cooking show – celebrating the tastes of the Caribbean and Africa with renowned chef Levi Roots, at Samsung KX, and created a playlist on Spotify to celebrate music from Africa, Caribbean Classics, Black British heroes and Future Pioneers of music hits.

LONDON, UK – 3rd October 2022 – A poll has found gender biased language and use of stereotypes is widespread within UK workplaces, with women asked to make tea or coffee almost three times (42%) more than men (16%). Women are also more than twice as likely than men (50% vs 21%) to be asked about the wellbeing of their children, and twice as likely to be asked to do menial or admin-based tasks (37% vs 19%). The survey also found women are made the target of sexist jokes almost three times more than men (43% vs 15%) showcasing the deeply ingrained gender bias which permeates UK workplace culture.

The latest research from Samsung UK and Ireland also found UK employees are using biased language on average four times a week (80%), with almost half (46%) revealing that gender biased language is showing up at work. It’s not just in informal conversations, but is also being used in formal settings, with 40% experiencing gender biased language in meetings whilst nearly one in three (30%) have experienced it during an interview, which is particularly concerning from a workplace discrimination perspective.

Nearly a third of workers (31%) admit that it makes them feel uncomfortable when hearing colleagues, customers or clients using gender biased language. For example, respondents cited: “persistently being called lady”, “sweetheart or darling all the time”, referred to as a woman “’of my age’ because I required a fan in a meeting room” or “being called girl”. Comments like these are contributing to employees feeling dismissed and undervalued with 28% of workers reportedly put off from contributing in some meetings all together. While it’s not just women, men equally feel put out when gender biased language is used, with 28% agreeing it holds them back from reaching their full potential.

Tanya Weller, Marketing Director, Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics (UK & Ireland) Ltd. & Founder of Employee Resource Group, Women@Samsung, said: “The findings have revealed some shocking revelations about the stereotypes used towards women at work and how our choice of words is creating barriers to inclusivity in the workplace. Like all things, language adapts with time, and we know that as a society, we must evolve with it, by implementing a roadmap that drives greater equality and inclusion. These findings tell us the crucial role language plays in normalising gender stereotypes at work: subtle phrases like “Hi Guys”, is something many of us say without thinking, but maybe without realising it, we’re alienating people. This acts a great reminder to be thoughtful in the way we express ourselves as individuals and as businesses. For instance, we work closely with Textio to ensure that we set things off as we mean to go on and apply gender inclusive language in all of our job adverts at Samsung UK & Ireland.”

Samsung has also recently become a signatory of the Tech Talent Charter (TTC)^[1], a government-supported and industry-led membership group which is deeply committed to addressing inequality and driving inclusivity in the UK technology sector. Tanya Weller continues: “It’s important steps like these where we need to come together as an industry and lead by example on a journey of progress and inclusivity.”

The TTC’s goal is for the UK technology ecosystem to be a diverse and inclusive community where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued for their contributions. The TTC works towards this goal by providing concrete measurement and insights and actionable ways forward by gathering, curating, and distributing innovative practices, techniques, and ideas.

While there is always more work to do, the research suggests that UK employees are starting to challenge this vocabulary with 64% of us admitting to calling out gender biased language – of those, 28% called it out to the person directly, 22% reported it to their boss and 14% reported it to HR. Furthermore, 9 in 10 (92%) are making a conscious effort to use inclusive language at work with terms such as ‘team’ and ‘all’.

Yet despite this, nearly a fifth (19%) admitted they have wanted to correct someone at work for using this language but chose not to because they didn’t have the confidence to do so.

As partners of Samsung, Jackye Clayton, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging at Textio, which brings the world’s most advanced language insights into hiring and employer brand content with its technology, commented: “Employers throughout the UK must take proactive steps to foster inclusive language – to attract talent and build a workplace which promotes workplace inclusivity. With almost half of UK employees using gender bias language at work, companies must do more to understand how and where unconscious bias is showing up and take action to remove it. It’s only by doing this that companies can become truly inclusive to everyone.”

Introducing positive change

Just one in five UK employees are aware of what their company is doing to challenge gender biased language. To introduce positive change toward gender-specific language, respondents said that workplaces should:

• Offer training on how to be sensitive to and inclusive of all genders (47%)
• Implement training to address what gendered language is and how to change language use (30%)
• Review language in job descriptions (28%)
• Review external messaging language e.g. company website, careers page etc. (27%)
• Use positive messaging/signage in the office (24%)

(Above: Ways in which employers should introduce positive change toward gender-specific language, in order)

Louise Mullany, Professor of Sociolinguistics and an expert on the language of diversity and inclusion, has worked as a linguistics consultant on the Samsung survey and campaign. Professor Mullany has provided some alternative words and phrases offering advise on how people can switch using gender neutral language at work (see table below).

Gendered words to use and avoid in the workplace:

Samsung Pioneers – a platform for change

Samsung Pioneers is Samsung UK’s platform created to champion gender equality in the technology industry and advocate change, open to both men and women in the company to create a culture of advocacy and allyship. Commitments to gender equality at Samsung UK & Ireland include:

• Providing information and advice on common language ‘dos and don’ts’ in the workplace
• A 50% female intake as part of its Emerging Talent programme, consisting of placement students and University graduates
• Ongoing resources provided to women staff members through its partnership with everywoman – a platform which connects women, businesses and organisations globally, to achieve more engaged, diverse, energised workforces
• Integrating Textio into our hiring funnel – a system which brings the world’s most advanced language insights into our hiring and employer brand content. This provides our People team with up-to-date inclusive and aligned language at their fingertips, in all the places we communicate with talent
• The roll out of conscious inclusion eLearning to all employees, including new joiners as part of their onboarding training
• The Women@Samsung Employee Resource Group – which has been established to attract, retain and develop women in Samsung UK & Ireland, building an inclusive, supportive and engaged community
• Employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, six months of which is on full pay to offer financial security to working parents. Employees are also eligible for a bonus during this time
  • 97% of our colleagues returned to work with us after maternity leave
  • From 2018 to 2019, 75% of our colleagues were able to utilise the full 52 weeks’ entitlement due to the enhanced financial benefit. For paternity leave, this is now one month

^[1] The Tech Talent Charter (TTC): https://www.techtalentcharter.co.uk/home

LONDON, UK, 19 May 2022 – New research by Samsung UK has revealed attitudes to hidden and visible disabilities in the workplace. The findings show that we’re a nation uncomfortable talking about disabilities, with nearly half of the population (45%) admitting to not feeling comfortable saying the word ‘disabled’ or ‘disability’ in everyday conversations, creating a feeling of taboo about a condition that affects 14 million people^[1] in the UK.

Over half of people with disabilities have tried to conceal their challenges from work colleagues due to the fear of stalling their professional progression or landing a promotion (almost 45%) or being judged and made to feel like an outsider (41%).  Forty percent felt that their colleagues valued them less after they realised they had a disability.

Despite one in five (20%) of people in the UK having a hidden or visible disability ^[2]– 65% of people with disabilities wish to remove any embarrassment or awkwardness felt when discussing their challenges with their colleagues. This fear of open conversation leads to 40% of workers with disabilities feeling judged and facing obstacles in their jobs every day.

Everyday challenges faced by people with disabilities at work according to the research include:

• Being negatively stereotyped / judged by colleagues (34%)
• Lack of quiet areas in the office (33%)
• General accessibility, e.g., stairs, or space requirements (32%)
• Lack of support (31%)
• Bathroom access / availability (30%)
• Getting into office building (29%)

(Above: List of everyday obstacles faced by people with disabilities at work, in order)

When it comes to accessibility in the workplace, almost two thirds (70%) felt their workplace isn’t providing the tech that enables greater accessibility to people with disabilities, showing the need for greater access and awareness of accessible technology features amongst employers.  Samsung works with partners such as Microsoft to ensure everyone can benefit from accessibility features across its product categories.

For example:

• Samsung mobile devices have accessibility settings for those with limited sight, hearing impairments, or difficulties with interaction and dexterity. The technology allows the user to make it read messages aloud or light up whenever it detects a startling noise.
• For all new washing machines released since 2019 braille labels and tactile points were applied to buttons so that they are easy to locate.
• And the Galaxy Book S “Ease of Access” settings are helpful for those with physical impairments. Users can alter the display with colour filters and high contrast fonts, add closed captions to their screen, or control the device using voice commands.

Steven Woodgate, Head of Category Management, Samsung Electronics UK & Founder of Employee Resource Group for those with disabilities, True Ability says: “I have dyslexia and dyspraxia, they are my superpowers that enable me to provide a different perspective and way of thinking that adds value to my day-to-day role and to the people around me.  Physical and neurodiversity should be championed in the workplace and employers need to support this by providing the right tools and technology to allow colleagues with disabilities to thrive, contribute on a level playing field, and to reveal their own individual superpower.

“But technology is only half the story. To embrace openness, we need to evolve and change workplace culture, and promote inclusion to be at the centre of an organisation to empower employees.”

To help support this, Samsung has partnered with Martyn Sibley, successful entrepreneur, founder and CEO of disability and inclusion marketing agency Purple Goat, co-founder of lifestyle magazine Disability Horizons and LinkedIn Changemaker, to share his tips on what businesses can do to be more inclusive:

• Knowing 20% of the UK population has a disability, seek to represent this across all stakeholders and levels of hierarchy e.g., embed this throughout recruitment, leadership, and marketing.
• Speak to people with disabilities about barriers and solutions. The community should lead – always remember there can be nothing about us, without us.
• Disability isn’t only relatable to wheelchair users and accessibility doesn’t mean expensive. Aim for perfection, but approach with kindness. Equally, just start disability inclusion where possible today – be the change you want to see.
• Build a culture where colleagues and employers champion disability inclusion and encourage allyship in the business.
• Never make assumptions.

Samsung UK stands for fairness, compassion, and respect in the workplace. Whilst its diversity and inclusion journey is ongoing, recent initiatives include:

• Rolling out conscious inclusion training to all colleagues. working closely with Global Diversity Practice
• Establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at Samsung UK including Women@Samsung – established to attract, retain, and develop women at Samsung UK and Ireland, Black Professionals at Samsung – an ERG for black colleagues, and True Ability – a group for colleagues with visible and invisible disabilities.
• Unmind, the mental health platform which supports employees through improving sleep and nurturing relationships, to reducing stress and managing anxiety and Lifeworks – an Employee Assistance Programme that provides counselling and advice
• Supporting accessibility in its UK offices to consider people with mobility needs or people who use a wheelchair by ensuring lifts are available for those unable to use stairs within the office, all main passageways and paths are wide enough for wheelchair users, all light switches are at a level reachable by wheelchair users, break out areas are wheelchair accessible and having height adjustable desks available to accommodate wheelchair users or those who prefer to flex between sitting and standing. Colleagues with invisible disabilities are supported through providing hearing loops and ensuring that lighting can be controlled for those with sensitivities.

Samsung’s products, content, and services are built around a ‘human-centred’ philosophy that recognises diversity and embraces difference.

[1] Family Resources Survey (2020 to 21)

[2] Scope

The episode, titled ‘What’s Holding Back Brilliant Women in Business’ discussed the myth that brilliance is often perceived as a male trait, how to support brilliant women in the workplace and how brilliance is not just a quality to be associated with extroverts.

The podcast panel, which featured Annie Ridout, the best-selling author of Shy and Samsung colleagues Nida Choudhary and Chloe Findlay-Walker offered inspiring tips and advice on how we can support brilliant women around us, and how women of all personality types and backgrounds can best shine at work:

Create a Network Around You, and Trust Your Gut

Emma Gannon – Author and Podcast Host:

• “Build a network of people you trust. In an individualistic culture, we can sometimes feel we have to do things alone, but we definitely don’t, it’s OK to need each other and need support. Our brilliance can shine even brighter when we are lifting up other brilliant women as part of a community.”
• “Be your own version of brilliant. Bold, quiet, shy, direct, curious, loud, reflective, creative: there are so many ways to be brilliant. Follow your gut and show up as yourself.”

Don’t Hide in the Shadows – Ask Questions and Shine a Light on Issues

Nida Choudhary – Senior Product Manager, Connected Living, Samsung UK:

• “If you don’t like how someone or a group is being treated…then do something about it. Don’t bury your head in the sand or wait for someone else to act – raise that it makes you uncomfortable, and have those difficult conversations. Try to learn by asking more questions about how you can help.”
• “For me, brilliance is just showing up, and refusing to hide in the shadows. Illuminate the paths that you’ve trodden, and others behind you are struggling to find or are being hidden from them – shine a light on things.”

Believe in Yourself, and Don’t Be Afraid to be Shy!

Annie Ridout – Founder, Freelance Journalist, Artist, Poet & Author:

• “Quiet people don’t need to become loud…the room needs to quieten down! Don’t feel you need to be the loudest or the most confident. I have always been shy, but through this, I became a much better listener and became much more empathic. I saw there were lots of benefits from shyness.”
• “Be brave, be vulnerable, and be authentic. Believe that you can do whatever you want to do, and persist to make it happen. That’s brilliance.”

Involve Male Colleagues, but Don’t Feel You Need to Imitate Them

Chloe Findlay-Walker – Marketing Insights Manager, Samsung UK:

• “There are ways we can bring our male colleagues or managers into the conversation, and actively ask them to support and ‘co-sign’ us. Make it clear that even asking for your opinion, stopping colleagues interrupting you, or raising an idea you’d flagged before a meeting, can make a huge difference and is a way they can be real allies to brilliant women.”
• “Listening is just as important as speaking. You don’t need to talk over everyone or comment on everything – if you want to take away information and act on it afterward, that’s ok. We need to move away from feeling a need to imitate male qualities! The way you present yourself – whether on email or in person – are all fine, and will make you successful in your own right.”

Samsung Pioneers is an ongoing programme from Samsung UK committed to openly and transparently exploring the challenges, barriers, and inequalities facing women in business, and have the difficult conversations that go alongside these. It’s a platform to push for a level playing field for women by bringing together some of the UK’s most pioneering thinkers and advocates for greater gender equality, alongside women in business.

Samsung believes that fostering diversity is essential to continue innovation, and has several initiatives that empower female employees, committing to address and challenge gender inequality and champion women throughout their education and careers.

Programmes including Women@Samsung Employee Resource Group have been established to attract, retain and develop women, working alongside Black Professionals at Samsung and True Ability ERG groups. Samsung UK is also rolling out conscious inclusion training throughout 2021, working closely with Global Diversity Practice.

Less than one in five (19%) believe there is gender equality in their workplace. Not being put forward for opportunities, such as a project, was the biggest driver behind this, with women feeling this more acutely (42%) than men (35%) as did Millennials (52%) compared to those aged 45-54-year (26%).

Findings also revealed almost one in five (17%) of women have not applied for a job for fear of being discriminated against because of their gender.

Despite this, the research shows that progress is being made – with over half (62%) of respondents believing the Chief Executive Officer role to be gender neutral, and 68% finding those who break gender barriers in the workplace ‘inspiring’.

The Breaking Bias Research – commissioned by Samsung UK, surveyed 2,000 UK respondents on their opinions towards gender equality at work, including views on if certain jobs, industries, departments and workplace skills are ‘for men’, ‘for women’, or ‘gender neutral’. While a significant number of respondents believe the majority of roles and industries as ‘gender neutral’, the research highlights unconscious bias still exists in the workplace.

Charlotte Grant, Head of Inclusion & Engagement at Samsung UK and Ireland said: “We are moving in the right direction as shown by this research, which is certainly encouraging. But there is still a long way to go to achieve total gender parity in the workplace. Companies have an active role to play in tackling this, creating a culture where conscious inclusion is a part of everyone’s every day and where actively challenging bias becomes the norm.”

“At Samsung, we believe equality and inclusion is fundamental in shaping a better future and our workforce should mirror our diverse customer base. Whilst we know there is always more to do, we are committed to putting this into practice, most recently launching our Women@Samsung Employee Resource Group and rolling out conscious inclusion awareness training throughout our entire UK & Ireland business to advocate positive change.”

Skills in the workplace

When it came to skills in the workplace, the survey found men are four times more likely than women to have perceived leadership skills (23% vs 5%). According to the findings, women are associated with qualities such as empathy (45% vs 4% men), listening (39% vs 6% men) and understanding (33% vs 6% men), suggested ingrained gender stereotypes around workplace attributes are still prevalent in 2021.

Skills/qualities associated with men

• Assertiveness (28%)
• Leadership (23%)
• Numeracy (13%)
• Productive (11%)
• Resourceful (10%)

Skills/qualities associated with women

• Empathy (45%)
• Listening (39%)
• Understanding (33%)
• Social skills (24%)
• Organisational (23%)

(Above: List of top 5 skills most associated with men and women, in order)

Gender in job roles

While the majority of respondents view UK industries as predominantly gender-neutral, highlighting a more progressive shift in attitudes, engineering, law enforcement and technology saw the greatest disparity in terms of gender bias. In comparison, the leisure and creative arts industries ranked highly as the most gender neutral industries.

Industries associated with men

• Engineering (33%)
• Law enforcement/security (29%)
• Trade (e.g. bricklayers, plumbers, etc.) (29%)
• Technology (19%)
• Finance (17%)

Industries associated with women

• Fashion (30%)
• Retail (14%)
• Healthcare (14%)
• Hospitality (13%)
• Art and Design (11%)

Industries associated as gender neutral

• Leisure (81%)
• Performing arts (80%)
• Law (79%)
• Recruitment (79%)
• Art and Design (78%)

Above: List of top 5 industries associated with men and women, in order

Male and female perceptions

Across all fifty jobs included in the survey, women were more likely than men to categorise careers as ‘gender neutral’, than their male counterparts suggesting variations in bias.

When it came to skills in the workplace, the research showed men viewed leadership as a ‘male’ quality more strongly than women (28% vs 20%), which supports the findings that the role of CEO was more likely to be associated as ‘man’s job’. Interestingly, a third (31%) of women agreed with this, highlighting internal perception can also be a barrier to women reaching senior leadership positions.

Samsung Pioneers – a platform for change

Samsung Pioneers is Samsung UK’s platform created to champion gender equality in the technology industry and advocate change, open to both men and women in the company to create a culture of advocacy and allyship. Most recent commitments to gender equality at Samsung UK & Ireland include:

• A 50% female intake as part of its Emerging Talent programme, consisting of placement students and University graduates
• Ongoing resources provided to female staff through its partnership with everywoman – a platform which connects women, businesses and organisations globally, to achieve more engaged, diverse, energised workforces
• Conscious Inclusion training which will be scaled throughout the Samsung UK & Ireland workforce in 2021
• The Women@Samsung Employee Resource Group – which has been established to attract, retain and develop women in Samsung UK & Ireland, building an inclusive, supportive and engaged community

Sharon Hegarty – Mobile Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “Whilst there is still much to do to achieve full equality for women at work, there are practical ways in which each one of us can consciously be allies. At Samsung UK & Ireland we know we are still on the journey, but are committed to working together with our colleagues and partners to drive positive change in gender equality. Together we can create an environment that supports, champions and empowers the incredible women around us. Doing so will blaze the trail for the young women and girls who will follow in their steps.”

Ahead of the panel event, participants from Samsung and partner organisations everywoman and the Science Museum were asked to share their practical advice on how to be advocates of conscious inclusion in the workplace:

Charlotte Grant, Head of Inclusion & Engagement, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland:

• “Recognise, interrupt and repair. If you witness something that you believe to be discriminative, interrupt it and in doing so – you also repair it.”

Jo-Ann Robertson, CEO UK, Global Client Solutions, Ketchum:

• “Actively acknowledge and recognise the differences facing women. Women face many more barriers to success in the workplace than men do – when men can overtly recognise this, and understand their path to progression is institutionally easier, that’s when they can start to actively support their colleagues and help remove those barriers.”

• “‘Woman’ is such a generic term – there’s so many different levels of experience, different ages, differing parental responsibilities, varying education levels, and so on. As women, we should recognise this intersectionality and reach out across our differences to pull all women up together as one.”

Lee Shorney, Senior Manager, Online Marketing at Samsung Electronics UK:

• “Make the effort and time to hear, not just listen. You can’t possibly hope to understand, learn, empathise, or support without giving people the opportunity to be heard. Also, make notes – mental or physical – that are free from judgement.”

• “Callout bad behaviour. Don’t be complicit and don’t let the unacceptable go unchallenged. Yes, you might feel uncomfortable, but just ‘thinking’ something is wrong never changed anything.”

Lopa Patel MBE, Digital Entrepreneur, Chair, Diversity UK & Trustee, Science Museum Group:

• “Be collaborative as opposed to competitive. This is relatively new in the workplace but being collaborative is now more important than competing for a role, project, or contract. The pandemic has shown us that it is only by being collaborative, that we can solve some of the global challenges we face.”

• “Don’t surround yourself with people like you. It is a natural human tendency to gravitate towards people like yourself, so consciously network and collaborate with people unlike yourself as this will enable you to understand other perspectives and avoid groupthink.”

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman:

• “Inclusion is about difference. If you want people to share their different stories, experiences, and journeys, you have to create opportunities for that to happen. Make space and ensure the quietest voice in the room is heard.”

• “Women are 48% more likely to volunteer for tasks that benefit the organisation – but don’t contribute to career advancement. Allies can volunteer to share these tasks, freeing up women to invest time in career advancing activities.”

Sachiko Nagaoka-Toop, Online Operations Manager, Samsung Electronics UK:

• “Look around and see the people around you as individuals and what they bring, and also those who are missing or being overlooked”

• “Use your voice to help others be heard, making sure to echo great ideas and attribute the contributor to invite them to share their experience.”

Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland:

• “Create a safe culture of inclusion and diversity in your teams. Celebrate it and acknowledge differences.”

• “Where you can, create networks and opportunities across functions where different teams can work together. This doesn’t have to be related to day-to-day work tasks – it could be a return to work or working parents network.”

Samsung Pioneers is Samsung UK’s platform championing equality and diversity in technology. Offering an intimate, open forum for women in the industry to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and the successes they’ve enjoyed, Samsung Pioneers provides a space for collaboration across brands and a unified voice – supported by Samsung UK – for advocating necessary change in gender equality.

To hear more stories from Samsung employees, please visit: https://news.samsung.com/global/interview-growing-together-for-a-better-tomorrow-samsung-employees-talk-about-the-value-of-diversity

The first Samsung Pioneers event – a virtual interactive panel discussion and Q&A held on Ada Lovelace Day – took the form of an open and honest discussion between our speakers and audience on their personal views and experiences as women in technology. Topics covered included a conversation on progress made in gender equality over recent years, existing and potential challenges facing women in the industry, and how COVID-19 has exacerbated underlying issues for women in business.

“Most women within technology have experienced a challenge or discrimination at some point in their career due to their gender. This clearly needs to change as we watch the world demand a level playing field for all. Inequality in the tech sector must be addressed if we are to create a digital future that works for everyone and it is heartening that a brand with the scale and authority of Samsung is not only supporting the cause but actively pushing for change,” said Jacqueline De Rojas – President of TechUK. “The greatest threat to diversity is the belief that someone else will fix it. It is therefore incumbent upon us to play our part – the smallest of actions, kindness and encouragement or piece of advice from those who’ve ‘gone before’ can make the biggest of differences.”

Tess Smillie – Vice President, People Team, Samsung UK, Ireland & Europe HQ said: “Working women are facing more challenges than ever now; balancing and juggling even more demands in work and life, which this has been further exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact on homes and families. Progress towards equality has clearly been made, yet when you look at the stats, the slow pace of change is baffling when the line between business success and equality is so clearly tangible.

As a brand we don’t want to let all the unpredictable pressures of 2020 defocus efforts. We want to work with others in the industry to ensure momentum is not lost and if possible, to add pace. At Samsung we have the passion, reach and resources to help change the narrative in the UK. Samsung Pioneers is our platform to do this, and this event is the first step in our long term commitment to foster positive change.”

As part of the event, our influential women in technology were asked to share their top tips and most essential advice to help empower women within the industry to succeed and avoid any bias or challenges they face in progressing their career:

• “Be authentic: I lacked the authenticity and value system that now informs everything I do. Life is a lot simpler when you are being your authentic self because under pressure, the real you always shows up.” – Jacqueline de Rojas, President, TechUK

• “Failure is not an option – There is only success or learning. Look for the miracle in every situation because there is always one if you are prepared to look hard enough.” – Jacqueline de Rojas, President, TechUK

• “Embrace your femininity. Don’t shy away from being a woman. Be loud, proud and confident in your ability to bring a different skill set and perspective. Never apologise for who you are.” – Tanya Weller, Director of Samsung Showcase, KX

• “Collaborate with other women in tech, aim to become a job creator rather than a job seeker, mentor the next generation when you can and get involved in your local community to give insight on how accessible the world of tech can be.” – Hadeel Ayoub, Founder and CTO, BrightSign.

• “Seek out others to support you and offer your support to others. There is so much value and power in shared experiences and learning through others. It can be as basic as having someone to talk with or to listen.” – Tess Smillie, Vice-President, People, Samsung Europe HQ, UK & Ireland.

• “Be comfortable in your own skin. You will be most successful if you approach any task, challenge or opportunity in your own style and manner. Of course we all need to take on board feedback and guidance in order to grow, but this shouldn’t be at the expense of doing that that in a way that feels natural to you.” – Tess Smillie, Vice-President, People, Samsung Europe HQ, UK & Ireland

• “Develop your own purpose – think about what you stand for. Make sure you develop and maintain your network in and outside of your business and maintain it throughout your career. And don’t let the doubt niggle – say yes to opportunity! If your boss or whoever is giving you a new opportunity and they think you are ready, you are ready!” – Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics, UK & Ireland

• “Surround yourself with people who inspire you and never be afraid to try something new – we learn so much by experimenting! Attend as many events as possible, and actively and positively engage on social media – there are some fantastic communities out there to meet like-minded people, share ideas and experiences, and potentially collaborate too!” – Professor Sally Eaves, Forbes Technology Council, Senior Policy Advisor

• “Look for a mentor and always reach out for support from those in the business and tech space you want to be in – and on that note my door on or offline is always open to chat and give advice“ – Professor Sally Eaves, Forbes Technology Council, Senior Policy Advisor

• “Don’t wait for someone else to ask the important questions and if you have a strong belief or idea, don’t hesitate in bringing it to the table. What’s the worst that can happen? You get told no? You also might get told yes, a thousand times over. Ask for the promotion, ask for the salary review, ask for change.” – Nida Choudhary, Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, Samsung Electronics UK & I

• “Embrace being your own champion. We all crave approval and acceptance but nobody else has the power to lift you up greater than you do yourself. Do not let yourself be undersold by anyone; most importantly, yourself!” – Nida Choudhary, Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, Samsung Electronics UK & I

Samsung is committed to gender equality and championing women throughout their education and careers with a range of programmes including its Back to School initiative, where employees visit schools to discuss the benefits of a career in technology, Code Camps and partnerships to provide support and education to women in the workplace with platforms including Global Diversity Practice and Everywoman.

This is underpinned by Samsung UK’s wider commitment to diversity and inclusion – which in the coming months will include a business-wide programme including a third party assessment of existing diversity processes, training in conscious inclusion, workshops for senior leaders, colleague resource groups and diversity and inclusion resources for all colleagues including webinars, internal events and online training.

As discussed at the event, the importance of technology in allowing both a remote and a flexible working approach is more important than ever. Samsung is leading the way in equipping people with the innovations they need in working life, including the Galaxy Note20 series which features an all-day intelligent battery with super-fast charging for hours of power in just minutes and hyper-fast and ultra-low latency 5G – powering both work and play.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

• The inaugural Samsung Pioneers event took place virtually with a panel consisting of Jacqueline de Rojas, President, TechUK; Hadeel Ayoub, Founder and CTO, BrightSign; Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics; Tanya Weller, Director of Samsung Showcase, KX, Samsung Electronics; and Nida Choudhary, Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, Samsung Electronics; hosted by Professor Sally Eaves, Senior Policy Advisor, Forbes Technology Council

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at https://news.samsung.com/uk/