Despite recent criticism that some organisations are now neglecting their commitment to DE&I by laying off their DE&I teams, DE&I is still high on the agenda for many organisations, according to recent research*.
New research released as part of the annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report* in partnership, which received responses from over 5,700 employers and professionals across the UK, found that more than two in five organisations now have a dedicated DE&I resource.
Of these, half (50%) have a DE&I team, just over a third (34%) have a DE&I manager, 31% have a Head of DE&I or Chief Diversity Officer, 15% have a junior level DE&I resource and 10% have an external resource, such as an agency or consultancy.
According to the research, significantly more very large* organisations have a dedicated DE&I resource (64%) than large** (42%), medium*** (29%) and small**** (22%) sized organisations.
In terms of different sectors, those within the public sector (53%) are more likely than those in the private sector (34%) to have a dedicated DE&I resource. Organisations based in London are also the most likely to have DE&I resources in place (47%), as well as those working within the education industry (52%).
Many employers merge wellbeing and DE&I resources
Majority (71%) of professionals say positive employee wellbeing is linked to DE&I in the workplace. As such, nearly a quarter (23%) of employers say they have always combined their wellbeing and DE&I resources and a further two in ten (21%) employers made the move to combine these resources in the last 24 months.
Looking ahead though, just 8% of organisations plan to combine their wellbeing and DE&I resources in the future, whereas 44% say they don’t have plans to and close to half (48%) are unsure.
The top five factors that professionals believe DE&I will positively impact in an organisation are company culture (69%), recruitment including attraction and selection (39%), staff morale (36%), company reputation (29%) and retention (29%).
Dan Robertson, MD of FAIRER Consulting, comments: “Whilst recent news reports suggest organisations are now dialling back their DE&I initiatives and budget, many organisations continue to acknowledge the ongoing importance of DE&I and do have a dedicated DE&I resource.
A capable and committed DE&I resource, whether that’s an entire team or a specific manager, is essential for pushing forward and making progress in building diverse and inclusive teams; the more organisations with a DE&I resource the better, but there is certainly still room for improvement.
There needs to be better communication and transparency around where the responsibility for DE&I sits within an organisation and what plans they have for improving their commitment in the future. Employers who neglect this not only risk missing out from a talent attraction and retention perspective but from an employee morale, job satisfaction and company culture perspective too.
Ultimately, getting DE&I right in the workplace is not a destination to reach but a long-term journey that requires regular reflection on what is going well and, crucially, what can be done better.”
* Very large (more than 1,000 employees)
** Large (between 251 and 1,000 employees)
*** Medium (between 51 and 250 employees)
**** Small (between 11 and 50 employees)
*Hays in partnership with FAIRER Consulting
About the research: The survey on which these findings are based was carried out between 22nd July and 12th August 2024 and received over 5,700 responses. The survey was completed by employers and professionals from across the UK and Ireland, working across a range of industry sectors and employed in various types and sizes of organisation in both the private and public sectors.
