Report
Employees don’t think workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives go far enough to improve the employee experience
We know that organizations have made diversity and inclusion (D&I) investments and commitments over the past several years. But what’s happening internally? Are employers’ investments making a positive impact in employees’ eyes?
Eagle Hill Consulting recently surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. employees to understand how they perceive and feel about their employers’ actions to support workplace diversity and inclusion.
Our new research indicates that while many employers are talking about D&I as a priority, they haven’t yet demonstrated its importance through their actions. Employees perceive that employers have not done all the work needed to drive meaningful progress, enhance the employee experience, and maximize the impact of their D&I investments.
What we found
Key finding 1:
Employees across generations are engaging in conversations about race, bias, and inclusion at work.
Most employees (58%) have productive conversations about race, ethnicity, and bias at work. Even when accounting for generational differences, nearly half of employees across all age groups say they are engaged in productive conversations about D&I.
More Millennials (65%) and Centennials (62%) report having productive conversations about these issues than GenXers (55%) and Baby Boomers (47%).
Report having productive conversations about race, ethnicity, and bias at work
Source: Eagle Hill Consulting Employee Experience Survey 2021
Key finding 2:
Employees don’t believe organizations are doing enough to demonstrate the importance of diversity and inclusion and see a gap between employers’ intentions and actions.
Most employees (83%) say their organization places importance on D&I in the workplace. However, nearly one in five (22%) is unable to point to anyone in their organization who demonstrates that D&I is important through their actions. Only 31% of employees think leadership clearly demonstrates D&I’s importance this way.
What people say versus what people do
Source: Eagle Hill Consulting Employee Experience Survey 2021
Key finding 3:
Few employees feel that their diversity and inclusion representative demonstrates the importance of D&I through their actions
Only 1 out of 10 employees feel that their diversity and inclusion representative demonstrate the importance of D&I through their actions. This may be due to how these roles are sometimes defined within organizations, not that these leaders lack concern. In many cases, D&I representatives are tasked with transactional, compliance-based work rather than with driving organizational change. Without this broader remit, D&I representatives may find it difficult to make traction on initiatives despite all the best intentions.
The bottom line
While many organizations are engaging employees in honest and open conversations, Eagle Hill’s research shows that it’s not enough for employees. The expectations employees have for diversity and inclusion initiatives don’t align with what organizations are currently doing.
Methodology
The Eagle Hill Consulting Employee Experience Survey 2021 was conducted online by Ipsos in January 2021. The survey included 1,003 respondents from a random sample of employees across the United States. The survey polled respondents on employee experience aspects, including technology, diversity, employee engagement, and customer service.
