The State of DEI Across Organizations
The state of DEI strategy across organizations
Diversity, equity and inclusion is top of mind for HR teams and leaders today. Diversified talent ensures top minds from every walk of life can contribute to your organization’s mission and culture. Equitable and inclusive policies and opportunities encourage employee retention, and boost team morale.
What is the state of DEI strategy across organizations today, and how are DEI strategies impacting real organizational diversity overall?
One minute insights:
Most organizations have only had a DEI strategy in place for under two years
Organizations require mandatory DEI training for both employees and leadership
Mandatory DEI training for employees has had the greatest impact on DEI strategy overall 
Most HR professionals feel their organization’s approach to DEI strategy has improved real diversity in their organization
DEI strategy is nascent, but most organizations have a dedicated team and are already tracking employee DEI metrics
Of organizations with a DEI strategy in place (n=54), nearly a third (31%) have had that strategy in place for less than one year.
How long has your organization had a DEI strategy in place?
n = 54
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
76% of HR professionals report their organization has a dedicated DEI team or department.
Does your organization have a dedicated DEI team or department?
n = 54
Additionally 85% say their organization tracks and reports on DEI metrics for employees and leadership.
Does your organization track and report on DEI metrics for employees and leadership?
n = 54
Among those organizations tracking DEI metrics (n=46), over half track and report representation in leadership (80%), employee demographic data (70%), hiring and promotion data (61%) and diversity of the board (59%).
What DEI metrics does your organization track and report? Select all that apply
Employee engagement data 48% | Pay equity 43% | DEI metrics for suppliers, partners, vendors, etc. 37% | Employee Resource Group (ERG) metrics 28%
n = 46
Question shown only to respondents who answered “Yes” to the question, “Does your organization track and report on DEI metrics for employees and leadership?”
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Question: What should your organization be doing to improve their DEI strategy for the future?
Take the whole organization along rather than just focus on training leaders
Stay the course, it's not easy and the metrics don't move fast.
Most organizations mandate DEI training and offer it at at least quarterly
35% of organization’s require just employees to attend DEI training, while 24% require just leadership to attend. 28% require both employees and leadership to attend.
Does your organization require employees/ leadership to attend DEI training?
n = 54
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Among organizations who require employees or leadership to attend DEI training (n=47), most commonly, training occurs quarterly (28%).
How often is DEI training conducted?
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
n = 47
Question not shown to respondents who answered “[No]” to the question, “Does your organization require employees/leadership to attend DEI training?”
Question: What should your organization be doing to improve their DEI strategy for the future?
[Create] more initiatives and workshops that talk about diversity inside of the workplace, and especially, creating an environment that is safe for everyone.
I believe that improving our DEI strategy requires conducting more regular surveys and focus groups to gather employee feedback, investing in training on unconscious bias and microaggressions for all staff, creating a visible and vocal leadership team committed to DEI, and holding ourselves accountable for achieving our DEI goals.
Most HR professionals say their organization’s DEI strategy has already had real impacts on diversity
63% of organizations have diversified their recruiting team to improve DEI, while just under half (48%) have diversified hiring at the leadership level.
Has your organization launched any of the following initiatives to improve DEI? Select all that apply
Launched a mentorship/sponsorship program 35% | Established ERGs 28% | Updated company policy or procedure 22% | Launched accountability initiatives 19% | Diversified branding 17% | Ended relationships with outside organizations that don’t align with our values 4%
n = 54
Mandatory DEI training for employees is the initiative most HR professionals (20%) report had the greatest impact on their organization’s DEI.
From the same list – which initiative had the greatest impact on your organization’s DEI?
Set transparent DEI goals and initiatives 7% | Mandatory DEI training for leadership 7% | Established ERGs 4% | Launched a mentorship/sponsorship program 4% | Updated company policy or procedure 2% | Diversified branding 0% | Launched accountability initiatives 0% | Ended relationships with outside organizations that don’t align with our values 0%
n = 54
Just 7% of HR professionals disagree that their organization’s DEI strategy has increased real diversity across their organization.
How do you feel about the following: “My organization’s DEI strategy has increased real diversity across the organization.
Strongly disagree 0%
n = 54
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question: What should your organization be doing to improve their DEI strategy for the future?
[DEI] is a comprehensive and ongoing effort. Leadership needs to be fully committed [to] establishing a culture of inclusion. They need to develop an action plan and set measurable goals.
What should your organization be doing to improve their DEI strategy for the future?
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Respondent Breakdown
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Respondents: 54 HR professionals whose organization has a DEI strategy in place