Nearly 58% of U.S. workers believe their organization devotes the appropriate level of effort and resources to their diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) initiatives, while 21% don’t believe their organization’s efforts go far enough, according to survey data from The Conference Board.
“DEI values and initiatives are essential for many US employees and continue to receive strong, positive feedback,” says Allan Schweyer, principal researcher, human capital, The Conference Board. “Leaders should focus on what really matters for their workforce amid the noise, as these initiatives are crucial for attracting and retaining current and future talent.”
Key takeaways:
- Nearly half of women (49%) and black (56%) respondents say they wouldn’t work for a company that does not take DEI seriously.
- 58% say their organization’s DEI approach is appropriate, but 21% say it is insufficient.
- 21% feel too much effort and resources are allocated.
- 81% say their company has fairness policies and executive leaders who actively promote DEI.
- 76% have programs that promote equitable compensation and benefits.
- 74% have a dedicated DEI leader.
- 63% report a positive impact from executive leaders communicating the importance of DEI.
- 62% say the same for initiatives that promote equitable compensation and benefits.
- 52% say that measuring DEI targets has a neutral or negative effect on their work experience.
- 52% of Millennials say their organization dedicates the right amount of effort to DEI and 32% say their efforts are not enough. Gen X: 57% and 22%, respectively, and Baby Boomers: 63% and 12%, respectively.
- 71% of respondents say that DEI initiatives improve their sense of belonging.
- 62% say they enhance engagement.
- 59% say they help collaboration and retention.
- Only 43% believe DEI positively impacts productivity, with 17% seeing it as detrimental.
- 49% of women wouldn’t work for a company that doesn’t take DEI seriously vs. just 29% of men.
- 73% of women report a positive impact from equitable compensation initiatives vs. 51% of men.
- 71% of women report a positive impact from DEI workshops vs. 50% of men.
- 56% of black respondents say they would not work for a company that does not prioritize DEI, compared to 40% of white (non-Hispanic), 33% of Hispanic, and 33% of Asian respondents.
- 40% of black respondents say their company’s current DEI efforts are not enough, compared to 19% of white (non-Hispanic), 25% of Hispanic, and 23% of Asian respondents.
- 63% of surveyed executives view the political climate for DEI as very or extremely challenging.
- 63% say the 2023 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action negatively affected their DEI efforts.
- 69% expect scrutiny of DEI efforts to persist or increase in the next three years.
- 53% say their company has adjusted its DEI terminology both internally and externally over the past year, with another 20% considering similar changes. They’re adjusting language to broader concepts like “inclusion,” “belonging,” and “engagement,” which are less prone to legal challenge.
- Only 9% of surveyed executives intend to scale back external DEI communications over the next year—and just 3% plan to do so internally.
“While DEI initiatives can establish a foundation for diverse perspectives and creativity, their impact is not easily quantifiable,” says Diana Scott, U.S. human capital center leader, The Conference Board. “Companies should methodically capture and communicate productivity improvements that stem from diverse teams to better illustrate DEI's contributions.”
