Comprehensive, Cross-Continental Research Reinforces that Now is the Time to Move from Ambition to Action
Beamery, the leading Talent Operating System, announced the findings of a comprehensive research initiative, “The State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Talent Transformation.” Focused on bringing diversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront of global talent transformation efforts and helping organizations make tangible impact in 2021 and beyond, the data from over 400 organizations across the U.S. & U.K. revealed that while the vast majority of companies have a strong sense of purpose around DEI, they lack the resources, ownership and budget to affect meaningful change.
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“Because Beamery believes that talent equity is fundamentally important, we undertook this body of research to challenge ourselves and others to translate our stated priorities around diversity into real progress,” said Kyle Lagunas, Director of Strategy, Beamery. “What we found is that while there is plenty of general support, a lack of focused goals and a preoccupation with diversity rather than inclusion is holding many companies back.”
Key research findings include the following:
Widespread support and a desire to make an impact
Organizations are clear on why DEI is important to them. When asked for the primary reason they prioritize diversity, half (50%) reported that their workforce should reflect the communities they serve, another 48% cited competitive advantage, and encouragingly, fewer than one in three cited compliance as their leading motivator. Similarly, many companies — 58% of those surveyed — reported having clearly defined DEI goals.
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Goals without resources, aspirations without accountability
Despite this strong sense of purpose, no diversity program can succeed without proper support and resourcing, yet:
- Only 40% of organizations cite DEI as a C-level priority;
- Nearly two thirds (6%) have no DEI officer or owner; and
- Fewer than half, 42%, have any dedicated budget for DEI programs.