Meritarc’s 2022 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) in the Workplace Report features key survey findings, best practices, and more.
Meritarc has released its inaugural “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Workplace Report” which features key findings from the company’s survey. While survey data indicates that the majority of participants felt their workplace culture supported core principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the majority of companies have not made substantial enough investments. The report provides insight into how supported participants feel at work and what they require to feel welcome. As one survey participant said, “It’s important for leadership to lead by example and follow through instead of just saying it’s a priority due to the current social climate.”
How Our 250 Respondents Identify
Of our respondents, 71% identify as female and 24% percent identify as black, higher than the overall US population. 12% identify as a person with disabilities and 72% identify as partnered or married, also higher than the percentages of the current US demographic workforce. Their age distribution is skewed slightly younger compared to the US workforce as well. 49% percent identify as Christians, a lower percentage than the US workforce.
Incidents of Discrimination
Respondents expressed belief that their organization would act after an incident of discrimination, with 70% reporting confidence in their company’s response. However, individual employees expressed much less confidence than leadership that their organization would respond appropriately in response to discriminatory events.
There are several policies that employees believe should be used to address discrimination.
Leadership should be proactive in communicating and demonstrating their commitment to anti-discriminatory policies. These policies should champion inclusion across all diversity demographics and have goals beyond standard compliance. Asynchronous trainings, office
posters, and other self-service resources to increase shared understanding were suggested as well.
Authentic Self-Presentation
Employees hesitate to present their full selves in work environments that fail to address workplace biases. According to our participants, a safe company culture will also be critical in
preventing retaliatory behavior towards those with differing opinions. 74% of respondents feel able to express their individual ideas at work, while 85% feel their opinion is valued by members of their team. This level of security encourages comprehensive inclusivity, as it respects diversity.
Unfortunately, not all respondents share the same level of comfort at work. Employees with disabilities are twice as likely to feel pressure to hide or change things about themselves, with 59% reporting behaving this way, as compared to 29% of respondents without disabilities.
Career Progression
Much employee turnover is prompted by biased managers who display favoritism, affecting employee career paths and reducing engagement and morale. A great way to help employees feel more secure in their career progression is to adopt meritocratic practices connecting pay to performance. In this way, advancement is not susceptible to biases held by the decision makers. Young women in particular feel that the process for career advancement at their organization is unclear, as the process for career advancement is as clear to a man at 25 as it is to a woman at 45.
Representation
Finding someone with a similar identity in a leadership role is affirmation that there is an existing path for one to achieve similar success. Representation in upper management shows employees that their backgrounds are considered valuable assets. However, only 57% of respondents see people similar to themselves in leadership positions at their organization, with the most significant gap in how white men and black women see themselves represented in leadership. While 60% of white men agree that they see themselves reflected in leadership, that number drops to 20% amongst black women.
Leadership Commitment
Companies must reflect on the consequences and risks of inaction, as inequitable outcomes witnessed by employees lead to HR issues. Only 47% of respondents feel that
leadership in their organization supports DEI with effective action. The commitments to DEI that respondents want to see from their companies include hiring from the widest possible talent pool, leading open dialogue about DEI, establishing DEI committees with allocated budgets, and integrating DEI values into the overall company strategy.
Benefits Equity
A comprehensive approach to benefits will not only prioritize physical wellness, but also proper work-life balance. Organizations must start considering work-life balance to be a part of the benefits package based on the needs of the diverse employee population they desire to attract and retain. While 58% of respondents feel their benefits package meets their needs, members identifying as LGBTQIA+ were nearly five times more likely to strongly disagree that their current benefits package met their needs. There is not universal utility found in the benefits offered, and marginalized identities are most often being neglected.
Survey Methodology
Over the period of October and November 2021, we received and analyzed 250 responses.
These findings demonstrate how the current conversations on diversity must greater focus at the company level. Meritarc DEI Advisory Practice leader Cassandra Rose said of the survey, “Now more than ever, employers are searching for meaningful ways to measure the impact and strengthen the positive outcomes of their DEI efforts. This survey provides transparency into how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.”