New research released in August by Worldwide ERC®, the professional association for workforce mobility and relocation professionals, takes a deep dive on corporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, finding broad global consensus on the competitive necessity of such initiatives, yet wide variances by region on what DE&I means and how programs are implemented.
The survey of HR leaders, as well as a select group of corporate HR mobility specialists and global mobility service providers, also showed that most organisations have specific policies to promote DE&I implementation at every level of their HR functions.
“Employers clearly support diversity, equity and inclusion within their companies, but what DE&I means around the world and how to achieve it gets very local very quickly,” said Senior Vice President for Product Strategy & Development, Karen Cygal. “The talent mobility professionals we represent—working at the intersection of diverse cultures and global recruitment—are well positioned to inform and advance DE&I initiatives.”
The report, The Road to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: What Companies Are Doing and Why, is the second in the Worldwide ERC® Industry Insights series. Major highlights include:
-
Near unanimous agreement as to the importance of DE&I, with 98% of survey participants reporting that their organization has a DE&I strategy in operation
-
The definition of DE&I is singularly local, as responses display a wide array of interpretations of diversity, equity and inclusion. Participants emphasised differing priorities in their DE&I policies, with snapshots of regional variations uncovering few common themes in the push for uplifting the underrepresented and historically disadvantaged.
-
Companies are taking concrete steps to implement DE&I-related policies at every level, with more than 88% of senior HR leaders reporting direct funding and resources committed to specific activities and programs reinforcing a larger DE&I strategy. From acquisition and retention to compensation and development, the survey found organisations using DE&I policies to identify best practices across every facet of key HR functions.
“Our research shows that the increasing corporate focus on DE&I has universally made its way throughout the HR function,” said Worldwide ERC® Head of Research, Matt Gilliland. “DE&I as a competitive priority cuts across all regions and organisation sizes, yet what it means and how exactly it’s implemented remains locally nuanced.”
Read the full report, The Road to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: What Companies Are Doing and Why, here.