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Workplaces are taking the lead in turning the US into a more pluralistic nation, according to a new study from Taft Communications and Rutgers University.
The State of Diversity public opinion survey, conducted by Taft and the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers, finds that almost seven in 10 employees (68 percent) say they come into contact with someone of a different race or ethnicity on a daily basis “in the physical or remote workplace.”
That compares to just 50 percent reporting that they come into contact with someone of a different race or ethnicity outside of work.
More than half (59 percent) of respondents said that they thought employers should make efforts to build a more inclusive workplace, with 56 percent saying that companies should also commit to increased efforts toward diverse hiring practices.
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Other steps recommended by those surveyed are making public statements (39 percent), making donations (38 percent) and publishing op-eds (37 percent).
When it comes to current practices from companies, 30 percent of respondents said the leadership at their workplace makes communications about the importance of diversity, equity & inclusion a “top priority,” while 35 percent say it is “somewhat of a priority.”
Almost half (47 percent) of the survey respondents said they have participated in some type of training or learning and development on DE&I in the past two years.
Feelings about the importance of diversity based on political affiliation or race vary considerably. Three-quarters (75 percent) of Black respondents said the issue was “very important” to them, while the number was 55 percent for Hispanic respondents and 48 percent for white respondents.
Comfort levels about addressing DEI issues at work seem to be rising, with 45 percent of respondents noting that they felt more comfortable talking about DEI with colleagues in the workplace than they did two years ago. Nearly as many (43 percent) said they also felt more comfortable discussing those issues with company leadership.
But offensive comments are still seen as a prevalent problem, with 45 percent of Black respondents and 39 percent of Hispanic respondents saying that they hear offensive comments about people of color at least “somewhat often.”
Equity in the promotion process also remains an issue, with 41 percent of Black respondents and 27 percent of Hispanic respondents saying they have felt passed over for a promotion due to their race. In addition, 34 percent of those under 35 and 25 percent of women felt similarly passed over.
“While there are many encouraging macro findings related to DEI in the workplace, the divide in perceptions by race, gender, politics, and sexual orientation are a distressing confirmation of the increased polarization we see in so many aspects of American society,” said Taft CEO Ted Deutsch.
The survey was conducted in January among 1,357 adults 18 or older living in the US.
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