Straight white men still dominate across all aspects of business according to Culture Amp global.

Less than half (46 per cent) BAME (Black, Asian and Latinx) women and 52 per cent LGBTQ+ women feel included in company decision making according to global research from Culture Amp, the people and culture platform. The research highlights gender disparity further, with only 54 per cent of straight white women saying they feel included, compared to 69 per cent for straight white men.

The findings, which assess the views of 34,634 employees around the world, also show that while 80 per cent of straight white men feel that people from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to succeed only 54 per cent of black women; 58 per cent of LGBTQ+ women; 63 per cent black men; and 69 per cent of straight white women agree.

The survey also found that, in the workplace, there are almost twice as many partnered men with children than women (13 per cent and six per cent respectively) while the proportion of men to women with no children is almost equal (21:24 per cent). The findings seem to support the argument that new mothers with professional careers don’t return to work after having children because they believe companies won’t accommodate their needs.

That said, 66 per cent of partnered parents think that perspectives like theirs are included in decision making at the company compared to 59 per cent of employees with no children. For single parents, only 56 per cent of parents agreed.

Culture Amp’s Workplace Diversity, Inclusion & Intersectionality Report was released in November 2019 against a backdrop of worldwide demographic research indicating an increasingly diverse population. Minorities are becoming an increasingly influential voice in the workforce in leading economies. UK academic research suggests that ethnic minorities will comprise 35-40 per cent of the UK population by 2061 and a majority by the end of this century, while the US is projected to have a majority-minority workforce by 2050.

Culture Amp’s survey data also indicate an increasingly youthful and self-aware global workforce. The youngest (under 24 years of age) cohort outnumbers the oldest participant group (55+ years of age) by three to one, with this cohort being more likely to identify as LGBT than any other (11 per cent).

The Culture Amp survey provides greater insight into global workforce diversity initiatives and priorities than a simple company diversity census because it draws on data regarding who is in the workforce as well as their experiences – increasing businesses’ potential to take meaningful action informed by data.

The study does however show where companies are now making effective progress on D&I strategies, finding that:

●      Companies that collect in-depth data on diversity and intersectionality are more likely to act on the findings

●      Organisations that incorporate diversity and inclusion (D&I) principles into everyday workplace life – instead of treating them as separate initiatives – are delivering on target outcomes

●      Teams taking a “small wins” approach to achieving D&I strategies – such as being  more transparent in their decision-making – typically see an uplift of between 4-8 per cent on target areas.

“Diversity and inclusion initiatives are integral to the success of an organisation,” said Jess Brook, senior people scientist and head of D&I Europe at Culture Amp. “They provide new perspectives, a wider talent pool, stronger innovation and even improved profits. Yet despite the world around us being increasingly diverse, these findings suggest that change still isn’t happening organically in the workplace. Organisations therefore need to focus on D&I with practical impacts if they want to reflect leading economies’ fast-changing demographics and fully embrace the opportunities a diverse workforce can offer.”