Long story short: Employers need to rethink their definition of diversity

By Alyssa Place, This is my expertise

Published May 14, 2021 10:30 AM EDT 1 Min Read

Employers have talked the talk when it comes to diversity and inclusion, but their policies are falling short in supporting the groups who need them the most.

Black and BIPOC employees, working parents and those with intellectual disabilities are all demanding more support and recognition of their challenges during COVID-19. Yet our top stories from the week found that employers are missing the mark: Black and BIPOC employees are increasingly dissatisfied with their employers’ commitments to diversity, according to Glassdoor. Additionally, more than 60% of parents say they will quit their jobs if they are not offered greater flexibility to work from home after COVID.

Diversity and inclusion efforts among employers have spiked as organizations look to hire the best talent from a greater pool of women and BIPOC candidates. Yet there is one underserved group that ranks last among company’s DE&I priorities: individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In order to reap the benefits of hiring from this talent pool, employers need to reconsider how they search for prospective employees. Specifically, hiring managers need to think about how they are presenting questions to interviewees with IDDs.

Alyssa Place

Editor-in-chief

Alyssa Place is the editor-in-chief of Employee Benefit News and has been with the team since 2019. Her work covers mental health, DEI, women at work, financial wellness, retirement and workplace … Read full bio

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