How to Be a Better Ally for Marginalized Groups: 5 Tips
Becoming a better ally for marginalized groups requires more than good intentions—it demands concrete actions and continuous learning. This article presents expert-backed strategies to effectively support and empower those facing systemic barriers in society. From taking action to support job seekers to disrupting bias, these insights offer practical ways to practice meaningful allyship in daily life.
- Take Action to Support Marginalized Job Seekers
- Encourage Learning About Neurodivergent Experiences
- Listen Actively and Show Up Consistently
- Practice Daily Allyship Through Intentional Actions
- Disrupt Bias Privately for Meaningful Change
Take Action to Support Marginalized Job Seekers
The current job market is challenging, and many people could benefit from additional support. If you want to be a better ally for marginalized groups, there are a few simple yet impactful actions you can take.
First, for people you have worked with, connect with them on LinkedIn and write a recommendation that highlights their skills and contributions. Second, amplify their voices by sharing and boosting their posts or requests online. Third, refer them to opportunities within your network, or, with their permission, introduce them directly to hiring managers and recruiters who are actively looking.
Small actions like these can make a real difference. They help open doors and give people from marginalized groups a better chance to succeed.
Encourage Learning About Neurodivergent Experiences
Speaking for allyship of neurodivergence, it would be important to advocate for a willingness to learn. With ADHD, for example, research has shown that the condition itself isn't actually the cause of the greatest challenges - it's the constant need to navigate around being misunderstood. There is much broader awareness of ADHD in recent years due to social media, but that awareness is very 'surface level' and often results in people thinking they know all they need to about the condition. Often, though, that knowledge will be based on misconceptions or tropes. What is needed from allies, then, is to encourage others to go beyond what they think they might already know and delve into a greater depth of understanding. The knowledge is found easily enough, but the willingness to seek that knowledge is unfortunately not as prevalent as it should be.
Listen Actively and Show Up Consistently
One piece of advice I'd give is to **listen actively without trying to fix or center yourself**. Being a better ally starts with understanding lived experiences that aren't your own, and that means creating space where others feel heard, not judged or corrected.
What makes the biggest difference is showing up consistently in small ways. That could be calling out bias in meetings, advocating for equitable hiring practices, or amplifying voices instead of speaking over them. In our team, we added a monthly inclusion review where anyone can flag blind spots in copy, design, or messaging--no matter their role. It opened up dialogue and helped us course-correct in real time.
Allyship isn't performative; it's proactive. Don't wait for a crisis. Learn, speak up, and put your values into daily action. It's those quiet, consistent moves that create real change.
Practice Daily Allyship Through Intentional Actions
One piece of advice I'd give to anyone who wants to be a better ally for marginalized groups is to start by listening—actively, openly, and without defensiveness. It sounds simple, but real change begins when you stop assuming and start understanding. In my experience as a founder leading a diverse team at Zapiy.com, I've learned that allyship isn't about having the perfect answer or taking the spotlight. It's about making space, challenging your own biases, and being intentional about how you support others both publicly and privately.
To make a tangible difference, allyship has to move beyond intention into consistent action. That could mean calling out microaggressions when you see them, mentoring someone whose voice is often overlooked, or advocating for inclusive hiring practices and equitable pay structures. We've made efforts at Zapiy to ensure our processes account for different backgrounds and experiences, not just in policy, but in everyday culture. One specific example is revisiting the language we use in internal and external communications—ensuring it's inclusive, representative, and respectful. It's a small change, but it impacts how people feel seen and heard.
Allyship also requires a willingness to stay uncomfortable and to keep learning. I try to surround myself with people who challenge me to think differently, and I regularly seek out books, talks, and conversations that expose me to perspectives beyond my own. At the end of the day, being an ally isn't a box to check—it's a daily practice. The most meaningful progress comes when you commit to showing up, learning from your missteps, and using your voice and influence to create opportunities for others.
Disrupt Bias Privately for Meaningful Change
Want to be a better ally? Stop trying to 'fix' things in public, and start disrupting things in private.
It's easy to share the right posts, wear the right pin, or say "I support you" in meetings. That's performative allyship—it costs nothing and changes even less. If you want to make a real impact on the systems that marginalize people, the real work begins in rooms without hashtags or applause.
Here's where you matter most: in the text threads where someone makes a "joke" and everyone laughs awkwardly. In those budget meetings where a colleague's proposal is dismissed with a subtle eye roll. At dinner with your family when someone drops a stereotype wrapped in humor. It's quiet. It's uncomfortable. And that's the point. Because marginalized people are always feeling the friction—it's just invisible to those who have the option to ignore it.
Call it "offstage allyship." It's not flashy, and no one applauds it. But it's where the culture actually shifts.
Also, resist the urge to center yourself. You don't need to write the next Medium post about how you're learning. You don't need to narrate your growth like a redemption arc. Let your impact be felt—not broadcasted.
If you really want to show up for marginalized communities, be the person who makes the room less hostile when no one's watching. That's where solidarity stops being a slogan and becomes something people can feel.
