HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RESEARCH:
There has been progress in overall workforce diversity but not nearly enough. Although a majority (59%) of responding organizations agree their workforces are more diverse than two years ago, only a little more than half (54%) say their workforces reflect the demographics of today's marketplace. It is clear that, despite some progress, a large proportion of organizations have a long way to go before their workforces are as diverse as the marketplaces they service. Why are so many organizations lagging in this area? The rest of the report tries to answer this question.
Few say that half or more of their role is devoted to D&I We asked those with direct responsibility for D&I to indicate the percentage of their role that is allocated to D&I. Only 16% say more than half of their role is devoted to D&I, whereas 56% say no more than 20% of their role is focused on D&I.
Most companies do not offer a variety of options. Companies most commonly offer paid time off (65%), albeit time off mandates vary from one country to the next.7 However, some experts argue that in some cultures there is a stigma associated with taking time off for non-work considerations. For example, if employees leave to take care of children, they could suffer career penalties such as being less likely to be promoted.8 In today's society, women are more often the ones to leave the office to take care of children.9 More than half (56%) provide flexible work options. Studies show that 92% of millennials identify flexibility as a top priority when job hunting and 80% of women and 52% of men want flexibility in their next role.10 Women with flexible work arrangements are more likely to return to work after having children.11 However, it is possible that a company's culture will not look favorably at employees who use their flexibility benefits. As with taking paid time off, employees may be hesitant about using such benefits out of fear their careers will be impacted.
To learn more about The State of Diversity and Inclusion 2020 survey and to get strategic outcomes and 12 key takeaways from this exclusive HR.com Research Institute research, please read the complete report and infographic here:
