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Tracking Our Progress - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

We wondered: a year after the Summer of 2020, do people feel that Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is still an organizational priority at their company? What actions and progress do employees say their employers are making toward advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace? To find out, 24 Seven surveyed 500 professionals in the Marketing, Creative, and Tech sectors.  

We hypothesized that a majority of employees would report that their companies have made efforts to impact the workplace. However, employees participating in this study indicate that in many situations, fewer than 50% feel their companies have implemented meaningful changes.  

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ACTION IS CRITICAL TO EMPLOYER BRANDING & TALENT STRATEGY

These surprising findings might signal a missed opportunity for companies looking to attract, engage and retain top talent. Eight in ten employees say it’s important that their employer have a proven track record as a DEI champion. Four in ten respondents plan to jump ship to another company with a better DEI reputation in the next year (almost six in ten non-white respondents are planning to job switch for this reason). And the most engaged employees feel they work for companies that take specific actions to improve DEI at work such as hiring for diversity and inclusion to ensure an inclusive workplace.

MORE PROGRESS IS NEEDED WHEN HIRING FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

While two-thirds of employees say that DEI is a company priority as evidenced by well-documented and reinforced policies, procedures, and track record, yet just over half say their company’s DEI reputation is strong or that their company has publicly renewed its DEI commitment. There’s even less confidence in DEI efforts being actions and not just words. Just four in ten employees say they believe company leaders to be personally committed champions of DEI. And only one third of employees said that, within their company, there is a dedicated organizational role whose specific function is to lead DEI initiatives and implement change to policies, procedures and culture. Much more progress can be made here, especially in terms of diversity and inclusion recruiting. Companies can start by partnering with a diversity talent agency to understand the gaps in their company’s workplace, policies, and culture, and how to appropriately address them. 

In the dark about DEI

Four in ten of all employees surveyed believe there’s transparency around their company’s DEI performance and progress (only 3 in 10 non-white employees feel this way). Our study got a lot of “I don’t know” responses to questions about company DEI actions which is not surprising given that only a quarter of those survey said that their companies have publicly shared the plan for making the workplace more diverse. There was higher than we expected unawareness among respondents around the company’s public commitment to DEI and supporting actions like specific point people within the organization or training and development initiatives. 

DEI & social justice causes matter to employees. Almost all respondents find it important that their employer have a proven track record for prioritizing DEI. Similarly, the plurality of employees feel it’s appropriate for a company to take a public stand for DEI in the workplace, and expect their company to be part of cultural and social justice debates. Yet less than half said their company has become more vocal about social justice issues and reform. There is good news for employers making meaningful efforts and strides when it comes to these matters, as four in ten employees looking to switch jobs are planning to join a company with a stronger DEI reputation than their current one (this is true for almost six in ten non-white employees). 

Most employees feel safe to be their whole selves at work

The plurality of all employees said they feel safe to bring their whole selves to work, in every dimension – gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, religion, physical and mental ability, etc. However, non-white employees felt less safe to do so. One-third of non-white employees also feel underrepresented in the workplace. Our survey found employees of all races reporting that just 12% believe their company’s leadership is greater than 50% racially & ethnically diverse, and 20% believe their company’s workforce is greater than 50% racially & ethnically diverse. Having a point person or a department who is dedicated to hiring for diversity and inclusion can help these workplaces progress.

DEI training and hiring to support is slow to be implemented

Only a third of survey participants said their company offers training to all employees in DEI awareness and skills development, and half of hiring managers reported that their company has taken action to ensure best practices in diversity and inclusion recruiting. Some of those steps include auditing hiring and recruiting practices for improvement, joining networks that reach a more diverse talent pool, and utilizing a blind recruiting process 

A missed employee engagement opportunity for slow-DEI change adopters

The most engaged employees in our survey are more loyal than their peers and are more likely to emphatically believe that they work for employers who actively support DEI efforts and also take a public stand when it comes to social causes and racial injustice. At first glance, we were surprised and a little deflated by these findings. But after reviewing it with professionals who have made a career of leading DEI initiatives for corporations, we were reminded that meaningful and profound changes that time, commitment, and continued focus. Stay tuned as we bring this conversation to life in an upcoming webinar – watch this space!  

In the meantime, download the study findings here.