Work Diverse Ethnicity Coaching
Collaborative insight
Coaching tackles difficulties in the workplace related to race, ethnicity and culture, working with a specialist coach from a similar ethnic background.
Personal growth
Specialised support that builds a sense of allyship and develops strategies to help an employee focus on their work and their goals.
Individually or in groups
A one-to-one space, or a shared one. Several employees have said that hearing from colleagues with similar experiences was the part that mattered.
What coaching addresses
Naming what is difficult to name at work
Employees from diverse ethnic backgrounds may face particular workplace challenges. Coaching provides a confidential, non-judgemental space to articulate them, reflect on the experience and work on it with a coach.
- Lack of career progression and inequality
- Isolation at work
- Micro-aggression and discrimination
- Insecurity and frustration
- Racially based barriers and structural bias
How diverse ethnicity coaching works
A confidential arrangement, matched deliberately, that ends with strategies the employee can use.
01
Agree the format
The employer and UMO confirm whether coaching is individual or group, and how many sessions are being commissioned.
02
Match the coach
Employees work with a specialist coach from a similar ethnic background, and 95% of those surveyed said they preferred this.
03
Explore the experience
Sessions give space to articulate racially based barriers, reflect on them and be heard and validated.
04
Develop strategies
Employees rebuild self-esteem, unlock talents and develop approaches for managing structural bias and creating change.
Current session rates
Diverse ethnicity coaching prices
Two rates apply, depending on whether coaching is individual or group. Both are invoiced to the employer.
Individual
One-to-one coaching
A single employee with a specialist coach
£75 excluding VAT
Group
Group coaching
A shared space for several employees
£175 excluding VAT
Therefore, the cost of an arrangement depends on the format and the number of sessions agreed. Contact UMO to discuss what would suit your organisation.
Why the match matters
A shared frame of reference is the point, not a preference
Coaching works with experiences an employee may have spent years explaining, or not explaining. 95% of those surveyed said they preferred a coach of diverse ethnicity.
UMO’s workforce is diverse and highly qualified, which is what makes deliberate matching possible. Coaching is not a substitute for an employer’s own responsibilities around discrimination or equality.
What employees report after coaching
Figures from UMO’s own employee feedback, with the employees’ own words.
92% felt happier at work
“It was comforting to hear from other ethnic minority colleagues and have a space just for us. There was a mutual understanding between us all, and shared experiences.”
88% improved concentration
“I was feeling stuck and unseen but I am feeling stronger and I know I am a capable person. I was able to have a very open conversation with my line manager and some colleagues about my daily experiences.”
75% felt more productive and motivated
“Understanding of minority experience in organisational culture, and overall challenges in the workplace and with career progression.”
95% preferred a coach of diverse ethnicity
“The issue that impacted me the most was the idea that I am not capable enough as my white counterparts, and that I consistently need to work twice as hard.”
Coaches, format and employer responsibilities
Coaching sits alongside an employer’s own duties rather than replacing them.
A diverse workforce
UMO’s workforce is hugely diverse and highly qualified, and well placed to support employees from a range of backgrounds.
Individual or group
Both formats are available. A group can offer something a one-to-one cannot: the recognition of a shared experience.
Employer duties continue
Coaching does not replace an employer’s obligations under the Equality Act, nor its own work on inclusion and progression.
Questions about coaching
Answers for employers, HR and inclusion teams, and the employees taking part.
The service
Who is coaching for?
Employees from diverse ethnic backgrounds facing workplace challenges related to race, ethnicity or culture.
Individual or group?
Both. A one-to-one gives privacy; a group gives the recognition of shared experience. Some organisations commission both.
Will the coach share the employee’s background?
UMO matches a specialist coach from a similar ethnic background wherever possible. The survey figure of 95% reflects how much this matters to participants.
Is this the same as training?
No. Coaching supports the individual. Training and consultation for managers and teams is a separate service.
Cost and confidentiality
What does it cost?
£75 excluding VAT for individual coaching and £175 excluding VAT for group coaching, invoiced to the employer.
Is what an employee says confidential?
Yes, within UMO’s safeguarding procedures. Coaching is not a channel for reporting back to a manager.
Does this replace a discrimination process?
No. Coaching supports an employee with their experience; it does not investigate, and it does not replace an employer’s formal processes.
How do we commission it?
Use the referral form or contact UMO with the format, the number of employees and the number of sessions you have in mind.
Arrange coaching for your employees
Share the format you have in mind, the number of employees and what has prompted the referral, and UMO will match a specialist coach.