A third of Asian managers believe workplace racial discrimination prevents them from progressing their careers, according to a report out today (Thursday).

Designed to examine the recruitment trends of female, ethnic minority and disabled managers, the report also found that 20% of black managers believe racial discrimination stands in the way of their career progression. This contrasts with just 1% of white managers.

Of the 1,350 managers surveyed, 77% said they took jobs because they were promised significant career progression, yet just 45% said their skills had been developed well.

The study, which was conducted jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions, The Chartered Management Institute, and the Institute of Employment Studies, also analysed the job-hunting trends of these managers. Results show two thirds regularly browse job adverts, while 56% said they were actively seeking new roles. The vast majority (81%) look for jobs in newspapers, while 76% go online and 67% rely on personal networks.

"Despite increasing demands for openness and transparency, many of the barriers to achieving greater diversity at a senior management level persist," says Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs, at the Chartered Management Institute. "It should be a key concern for employers because they run the risk of wasting a talent pool that already exists."

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