Industry Research Summary: The Future of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2022

Incorporate new DEI initiatives to foster strong employee relationships and increase organizational success

Most of today’s organizations lack mature and effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, according to our study*. The organizations that do have successful DEI programs tend to share a range of characteristics and practices. In short, to do DEI well, these organizations comprehensively define and work at it.

Key Findings from the Study

• Companies struggle to fully mature their DEI programs.
• While nearly half agree or strongly agree that pay is equitable in their organization, there is much room for improvement.
• Most companies fall short in the areas of metrics and training.
• Although progress has been made in cultivating a more diverse workforce, many companies still have a long way to go.
• Companies are often not considering benefit programs that appeal to a diverse workforce, leaving considerable room for improvement.

How Developed Are Today’s DEI Practices?

In fact, less than one-quarter of HR professionals indicate their organizations have “advanced” (18%) or “expert” (4%) DEI practices. The remaining 78% fall into less mature stages.

Just 9% rate their organization’s DEI initiatives as very effective (that is, respondents say their organization’s DEI initiatives are an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale). This lends support to the previous findings that most do not view their organization’s DEI practices as being in the “advanced” or “expert” stages.

How Diverse Is Today’s Workforce?

Roughly half (54%) of respondents agree or strongly agree their organization’s corporate culture is more inclusive than it was two years ago. However, slightly fewer indicate their workforce reflects the demographics of today’s marketplace (45%) and about the same say their workforces are more diverse than two years ago (48%).   
About half of respondents (47%) say women represent no more than 40% of their organization’s people managers. Another 26% say women make up 41% to 60% of people managers. On the other end of the spectrum, more than a quarter (28%) say women represent 61% or more of their organization’s people managers.

Further, our study finds that more than half (57%) of respondents say ethnic/racial minorities comprise no more than 20% of their organizations’ people managers. This suggests ethnic minorities are also under-represented in many leadership ranks.

What Types of DEI Inclusive Work Arrangements Do Companies Offer?

Four-fifths of HR professionals (79%) most commonly indicate PTO is a company work arrangement. The second most common benefit is remote work options (73%). Slightly fewer participants, however, indicate flexible work options (70%).

Employees with young children are more likely to prefer remote and flexible models. Our research shows that just 58% offer paid parental leave and even fewer offer benefits for domestic partners (43%) or miscarriage/pregnancy loss leave (25%).

How Well Do Organizations Understand and Measure DEI Success?

Just 20% of respondents agree or strongly agree that they know just how effective DEI programs are. We asked about the degree to which organizations measure organizational DEI. We found only 20% establish and measure DEI metrics and reporting to a high or very high degree, and even fewer say the same about analyzing turnover using a DEI lens (16%).

What Types of DEI Training Are Most Common?

Among organizations that offer DEI-related training, the most widely provided is unconscious bias training (69%). However, only about half use inclusion awareness training (55%). Slightly fewer conduct conversations training (48%) and fewer have training for conflict resolutions (33%) and DEI-specific communication practices training (23%).
 
* In the survey on which this study is based, we defined DEI initiatives as those “relating to the presence of underrepresented groups (e.g., in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and more) in organizations, how valued and welcome underrepresented groups feel in those organizations, and the degree to which these groups enjoy equal opportunities, including but not limited to equitable pay.”
 

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