68% of white men ‘don’t feel they need more D&I education’
A study by Dynata has suggested that one in three employees fear that an unintended consequence of increased awareness around D&I would be losing their role.
The research polled over 1,300 workers from the UK and nearly 10,000 from countries such as France, Germany and the USA. It explored the attitudes and opinions of employees, managers and people leaders surrounding EDI programmes in organisations.
The study stated that, while one in three employees rated accountability and progress reporting as the most important element of a successful D&I strategy, the same amount also feared that the consequences of such reporting could endanger their chances of working for D&I-centric organisations.
A total of 68% of white men who responded to the survey believe that they don’t need any further education about the importance of D&I, yet a massive 46% believe that a greater emphasis of D&I may lead to their losing their own job.
According to the study, 66% of respondents noted that creating a safe environment and paying employees fairly for their work were the most desired and important outcomes of any D&I initiative.
The benefits of doing so, included greater feelings of confidence, productivity and belonging among workers.
It appears that there is a ‘significant’ gap between senior leaders and workers in measuring the success of D&I within organisations.
- 60% of bosses believe that they are creating a ‘culture of belonging’
- 41% of workers perceive their managers are, in fact, creating a culture of belonging
“A diverse workforce which brings together different perspectives, ideas and ways of thinking is essential for innovation in business, just as it is in wider society,” commented Samuel Kasumu, former advisor to the Prime Minister and Managing Director at Inclusive Boards.
