Centering DE&I in the New World of Employee Experience

HR leaders are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) after a year of unprecedented challenges.

After a year of unprecedented challenges from COVID-19 to reckonings with racial justice, companies around the world continue to shape policies that meet the needs of a diverse workforce. At the center of these efforts is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), with reports showing that HR leaders are navigating recruitment and policy-building for a newly expanded, global talent pool.

HR Leaders are Prioritizing DE&I

According to a recent survey report of 201 HR executives, companies have placed racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policies at the front of company initiatives. According to the report, 26% of companies held guided discussions about race, while 19% updated their DE&I policies. Additionally, nearly 60% of companies reported that they are actively working to develop diverse talent, and 26% said they recently recognized and promoted diverse talent, showing a considerable focus on DE&I efforts over the past year.

Remote Work and Technology are Increasing Access to Diverse Talent

In another survey of over 1,000 senior HR leaders in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, 86% said that diversity and inclusion are priorities in their post-pandemic hiring processes, and that they’re using technology to “prioritize rebuilding a more equal and inclusive workforce, one year into the pandemic.” Remote work has provided an opportunity for hiring managers to tap into the global workforce like never before. The survey found that 92% of HR leaders no longer consider location to be a recruitment barrier, while 45% are expanding recruitment efforts to include candidates from locations that previously may not have been considered. One-third of respondents are also rewriting job listings to include inclusive language.

Worldwide ERC®’s new research of 600 senior HR leaders from across the globe also explored the shifting landscape of leadership priorities in the new world of remote work. It found that 80.9% of employers with more than 10,000 employees anticipate that 50% or more of their workforce will be working remotely on a permanent basis. HR leaders are now tasked with creating and perfecting remote work policies that take into consideration such factors as mental health, employee attraction and retention, and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce with access to an expanded, global pool of talent.

The Increase in Inclusivity of Hiring Practices

Another report confirms that some hiring managers are aware of inclusivity roadblocks, such as conscious and unconscious bias, in hiring practices. According to a survey of 400 U.S. hiring managers and 400 job seekers, 15% of hiring managers said that age impacted hiring decisions, either consciously or unconsciously, while 11% said the same of ethnicity. But even just a 1% gender bias effect in recruitment could result in at least 32 failed hires, poor hiring decisions, and an annual loss of $2.8 million in productivity according to research from Oregon State University. Diverse, qualified talent is out there, and it’s up to business leaders to tap into them to reap the benefits.

Want to Learn More?

With an abundance of reports showing that HR leaders are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their recruitment practices and overall company policies, we are likely to see DE&I continue to shine a light on access to diverse talent no matter where work is going. To learn more about what this means for businesses and mobility, read our features on corporate employee experience, the ABCs of DE&I, how to empower employees, and more in the latest issue of Mobility magazine. Check it out!

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