The importance of D&I in the workplace

COVID-19 inevitably uprooted the way our society works. Due to the pandemic, organizations have uncovered cracks in their foundations that shed light on long-standing issues such as social justice and equality. For many businesses, these efforts were already discussions, but after the events of this year, corporate leaders – including HR professionals – are prioritizing these initiatives in innovative, imperative ways to form stronger foundations. This movement of transformation, however, is contrasted by an alarming amount of organizations that have stood stagnant amid a time of progressive, necessary change.

While major corporations are acting fast (for example, Netflix created the “Netflix Fund for Creative Equity” to dedicate a $100 million investment over the next five years to support organizations that connect underrepresented communities with jobs in TV and film industries), according to Gartner, only a mere 40% of employees believe their supervisors foster a workplace that is equitable and inclusive.

This chasm between workers seeking an environment with meaningful DE&I policies and leaders crafting and adopting such procedures not only ignores the voices of employees, but more importantly, it neglects the facts of why organizations need to make these changes. In particular to the workplace, data has shown that Black employees are hired into entry-level roles, but representation figures sharply decline in upper management and senior roles. In 2019, white men comprised 63% of C-level jobs and women of color only accounted for 4%. While Hispanic individuals are forecasted to represent one out of every two new workers entering the workforce by 2025, the Economic Policy Institute reported that they were “least likely to be able to work from home and most likely to have lost their job during the COVID-19 recession. The importance of DE&I in the workplace is simple: we must create fair, safe environments for all workers, from recruiting to retaining.