In our recently released State of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report, we surveyed 400 companies about their challenges and priorities when it comes to hiring diverse employees and creating an equitable and inclusive workplace for them. Some of the insights we uncovered were encouraging, and others pointed to potential blockers that need addressing at a strategic level.
Prioritization is key
Over ¾ of the surveyed companies selected every aspect of DEI as a priority—with very little difference between the broad foundations of DEI strategies, and more focused initiatives such as gender balance in senior leadership. This lack of clear prioritization can keep DEI agendas from delivering on their full value.
Experienced talent presents the hardest challenge
64% of organizations surveyed reported that attracting diverse talent is a challenge, compared to 51% that reported challenges with building diverse pipelines internal or external and 40% for retaining diverse talent. But within both those aspects of DEI programs, experienced talent is harder to reach than either entry-level candidates or executive leaders.
Clarity around ownership is essential
DEI agendas can be extremely broad, and business leaders are sometimes tempted to keep them that way in an effort to please everyone. However, a good first step when trying to decide what to prioritize and when to start is to enable one person to own that prioritization decision. While C-suite execs need to be vocal about their support of this work, and to have an actual opinion on how it should go, it’s important to have a dedicated leader for the DEI agenda. If no one owns it, then no one is accountable for it.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Infographic
The main insight highlighted by this data is that continued commitment is necessary to deliver a fair and equitable working experience for all—that, and transparent data to point leaders in the right direction.
As long as companies are armed with the right data and willing to commit to a course of action, there is an unprecedented opportunity in today's work environment to create the kind of workplace that candidates want and deserve.
The State of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Talent Transformation
As long as companies are armed with the right data and willing to commit to a course of action, there is an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a more equitable workplace for every candidate.
Download the reportNada Chaker
Content and Campaigns
Nada Chaker leads content and campaigns at Beamery. She writes and reads about the latest news in Talent Acquisition, but also about business strategy, startups, food and indoor plants.
