Organisations are set to invest more in diversity and inclusion over the coming year, according to research from Glassdoor.
Its poll of 750 hiring decision-makers found that one in three (35%) expect to increase investment in D&I, and only 3% expect it to decrease. The remainder will continue to invest at the same levels.
The research found that recruitment activities are less effective when companies don't invest in D&I. Nearly three in five (59%) of those polled reported that a lack of investment here is a barrier their organisation faces when attracting and hiring quality candidates.
Information on organisations' D&I efforts was found to help sway candidates. Around one in five (18%) of those surveyed said that D&I initiatives are among the top elements that have the greatest influence on a candidate’s decision to join.
Carmel Galvin, chief human resources officer at Glassdoor, said candidates will research a company’s attitude towards diversity before accepting a job. “In today’s era of the informed candidate, jobseekers are hungry for as much information about a company as possible before they take a job,” she said.
“Jobseekers want insights into what businesses are doing to build a workforce that is diverse in all aspects of the word; be it age, gender, ethnicity or thought. Driving towards greater diversity in the workplace is a high-priority effort for many businesses."
Galvin added: "Increased investment in D&I programmes signals that employers are recognising the value these efforts are having on recruiting and on financial performance.”
She said that firms should be allowing their recruitment teams to communicate their culture to the outside world. “The opportunity today for employers is to highlight and leverage their company’s D&I efforts by enabling their recruiters, employees and others to speak about it online and off, so that jobseekers can gain access to this valuable information where and when they need it,” she said.
