New York, April 6 2022 – Meritarc has released its inaugural “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Workplace Report”, which features key findings from the company’s 2022 survey. Survey data indicates that the majority of participants felt their workplace culture supported core principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), but respondents also indicated 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.”
More than 250 individuals participated in the survey. Highlights include:
- 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.
- 74% of respondents feel able to express their individual ideas at work, while 85% feel their opinion is valued by members of their team.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.”
The full survey results are available for download from the Meritarc website here: Industry Report: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace
About Meritarc
Meritarc is a human capital software company and provider of advisory services. We anchor business strategy in all people processes, specializing in Talent & Leadership Development, DEI, Total Rewards, and Performance Management.
Media Contact: info@meritarc.com