New Study Reveals How Far Firms Have Progressed in DE&I

The McKenzie Delis Foundation has announced the results of its ‘first-ever’ review of workplace diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) corporate practices in the US.

The report has revealed just how far US companies have progressed in diversity, equity and inclusion across 10 aspects. The comprehensive review highlights how leading firms are addressing workplace DE&I efforts and sheds light on some of the key issues holding back growth, innovation and creativity in the economy. It’s the first review of its kind to take a holistic approach to DE&I that measures 10 different facets of diversity. They include race and ethnicity, nationality, age/generation, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, religion/belief, mental health and parenthood. 

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Here are a few of the highlights from the report, across each of the 10 DE&I facets:

Gender

Four in five (85%) participating US companies say they specify gender diversity in leadership succession planning; and a similar number track progress towards it. Yet less than one in 10 (8%) have at least 50% female representation on their senior leadership team.

Race & Ethnicity

Nine in 10 (89%) participating US companies say they have at least one member from a Black, Hispanic/ Latino, South or East Asian; or another ethnic minority on their leadership team. And many companies include ethnic diversity in leadership succession planning (86%), with three-quarters (78%) having stated initiatives towards this.

Sexual Orientation

Half (49%)of participating US companies have LGBTQ+ representation on their leadership team; and 70% have approved an LGBTQ+ strategy in the past 12 months.

Disability

Half (49%) of participating US companies are actively looking to increase the number of staff with disabilities. Almost all offer workplace adjustments and four in five (81%) have dedicated employee assistance lines.

Age and Generation

Seven in 10 (70%) US organisations have specific measures in place to reduce age bias in recruitment; but only 14% have training geared toward older workers. A further 11% have a peer support network.

Religion or belief

The majority (97%) of companies allow employees to take time off for religious holidays and holy days, and most allow employees to wear religious symbols and clothing (92%); and freely discussing religion and belief in the workplace (76%).

Nationality

Three-quarters (73%) companies surveyed say they promote the benefits of a culturally diverse workforce (95%); and three-quarters (73%) offer inclusivity training on how to work in a culturally diverse workplace.

Socio-Economic status

Seven in 10 (70%) participating companies say they have specific outreach programmes to target candidates from lower performing schools or socio-economic backgrounds. However, only 11% collect and monitor data on the socio-economic background of their workforce.

Mental Health

Three in four (76%) have a mental health strategy in place, which always includes access to quality health care (100%) and often mental health training (62%).

Parenthood

Almost all (97%) companies offer an uplift on statutory maternity pay; dropping to 86% for paternity and 70% for adoption pay. Just under half (46%) say their line managers get training on how to support expecting or new parents; and slightly more (49%) have formal support programs for employees returning from parental leave.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRESS

The review also identifies opportunities for improvement and provides guidance on how to get there. For each facet, the review has collated best practice actions from participating organisations, research partners and review committee on how organisations can continue to move the dial on DE&I.

“The review creates an industry-standard diagnostic and meaningful report to harness the power of all aspects of both visible and invisible diversity. It is designed to help companies turn commitments into actions and go beyond traditional diversity commitments to track progress over time in a way that will help position them to recruit and retain the top talent they need to be competitive,” stated Leila McKenzie-Delis, Founder of The McKenzie Delis Foundation and CEO of DIALGlobal.

Companies supporting the review include Walgreen Boots Alliance, Verizon Business and Ipsos. The charitable organisation McKenzie Delis Foundation, alongside DIALGlobal, is committed to driving research and insight into how businesses are moving the dial on DE&I and belonging in the workplace.

Click here to download the full report. The UK report is expected to be launched at the end of this month.

In a recent interview, DIAL Global’s CEO Leila McKenzie-Delis shared how she is spreading best practice and peer-to-peer learning to enable today’s diversity champions to move that dial to level the playing field and achieve a fairer workplace for all. Click here to read more.