It is now more than two months since George Floyd was k–led.
I wrote to you about my feelings in June, about the experience of standing for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and thinking about Mr Floyd. And I expressed my personal anger at the experiences that our colleague, Ryan Moody, endured in Shell because of the colour of her skin.
Since then I, the Executive Committee and many other leaders across Shell have been listening. It has been hard to recognise our company, and its people, in the stories I have heard. They have not made me proud. But I have no doubt they are true.
Colleagues called “coconuts”, “Oreos”, “bananas”: appearing one colour but really being “white” on the inside. White staff asking black colleagues if they can touch their hair, or assuming they are canteen workers, or ignoring a suggestion from a black colleague only to praise it when repeated by a white person. Staff seeking an international assignment being told that the hiring manager “really needs a white face for this one”.
I would like to thank every single colleague who had the courage to share their experiences. We should all understand that remembering and sharing such upsetting and difficult moments comes at a significant emotional cost. Our colleagues who have shared have met that cost. They have shown leadership. They have shared to help us understand.
It is our duty to have listened.
More than that, it is our duty to act.
Society has a problem with racism, it remains a deep flaw, and Shell is part of that society. We, Shell, clearly, have plenty of room to do much better. The experiences of our colleagues – and not just our black colleagues – tell us that much. In that context, it is not enough “not to be racist”. It is not enough to be passive. We must be active. We must be anti-racist.
That means examining ourselves, admitting when we have failed in the knowledge that we all fail – as part of a society that has long failed – and being determined to change.
It means calling out racist attitudes and actions that we encounter or observe in Shell.
It means taking positive action to ensure all people are treated fairly, no matter what the colour of their skin.
With the right data, it should be straightforward for Shell to identify where the business needs to act. If we accept that there is no difference between people of different racial groups, then any significant difference in outcomes for any racial group signals a problem. It is a sign of something that needs to change.
I am taking the lead in the work to push through that change.
I have asked our leaders in Human Resources to look at all the key processes we use to ensure we are fair. I expect that review to be deep and thorough and to result in changes: to how we hire, how we develop, how we assess, how we promote.
How can we seek to employ the same proportion of black people in Shell as there are in the countries we work within? How can we make sure that happens across all salary grades, with improvement towards that end year-on-year? We have, of course, been trying to do this for some time already. But we must clearly do much better.
We can, of course, take some steps forward even before the review. Examples are the introduction of better, more comprehensive mentoring and an accelerated talent programme for black leaders.
But it is not enough to employ people. They must want to stay. So, we must find ways to substantially improve people’s feeling of engagement and inclusion. Again, we do not have to wait for a review to start improving things. We can, for example, celebrate events like “Black History Month” globally as a company. We can, and will, make sure all employees are aware of the correct behaviours. We will, as an example, introduce regular mandatory training on inclusivity and anti-harassment that all employees must undertake.
I will look to the Shell People Survey for evidence of our progress. I want to see consistently high scores on diversity and inclusion from staff who identify as coming from a minority group.
In addition to the work we do within Shell, we will also work outside Shell to make a difference. We will seek to increase our spending every year with businesses owned by minority groups, for example, and work to increase access to education.
I am writing to you, today, so that you, my colleagues, know that change is coming.
I want change. We need change. All our colleagues must be valued and feel that they are valued. Because how our colleagues experience life within the company is, ultimately, the best expression of who we are and what is important to us.
I hope you, having read this, have no doubt where we stand on racial equity.
If you do not stand with us, leave. You have no place in Shell.
If you are with us, act. Be anti-racist. Make equality reality. And I will back you.
Take care of yourselves. And, please, take care of each other.
Ben