Employers need to rethink their definition of diversity

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

May 14, 2021 10:30 AM

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.

While workplace diversity was listed as a top priority for 100% of employers, a study by HireVue found that just 33% had committed to taking action. If employers want to remain competitive in the job market, they should act now to create workplaces that encourage more diverse hiring and recruiting, offer more training and change workplace culture to create welcoming environments for all.

These stories explore diversity gaps and what employers should be doing to bridge them:

Want to make more diverse and inclusive hires? Time to think beyond race and gender

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.

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Want to make more diverse and inclusive hires? Time to think beyond race and gender

Black employees aren’t impressed by DE&I efforts

Companies may be in the midst of ramping up their diversity and inclusion efforts but the very employees the initiatives are meant to help aren’t impressed — and they’re not seeing any real change.

Black employees rated their company’s DE&I efforts 3.49 out five, according to a recent study conducted by Glassdoor, a job search platform. When surveyed on how satisfied employees are with their company’s initiatives Black employees are 8% less satisfied than their white colleagues — a discrepancy that has only widened since 2019.

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Black employees aren’t impressed by DE&I efforts

5 ways to support working parents post-COVID

When the pandemic hit, working parents’ schedules stretched from sunup to sundown as they added the responsibilities of teacher, nurse and nanny to their already-hectic days. Sixty-five percent of working parents (whose children participated in remote learning) have experienced burnout as a result of the pandemic, according to a 2020 survey by Eagle Hill Consulting.

As the vaccine rollout continues and employers begin to think about what the future of work will be, they must make considerations for employees who have created a new routine for their families.

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5 ways to support working parents post-COVID

Permanent WFH is the key to retaining working parents

Sixty-one percent of parents say they want to work remotely full-time and 37% prefer a hybrid work arrangement — rating childcare and flexibility as the leading reasons behind their decision, according to a study by Flexjobs, a job search and career coaching site. Should work from home options not be made available, 62% are prepared to quit their current job.

In an effort to sweeten the deal for their employers, working parents have even conceded to giving up benefits as a compromise if they can work from home — 19% offered to take a 10% pay cut, 23% are willing to sacrifice vacation time and 17% agreed to work more hours, the survey shows.

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Permanent WFH is the key to retaining working parents