Over 77% Indian employers believe diversity, inclusion and belonging are crucial for organisational performance: Report

Indeed’s report looked at how prepared Indian employers are for DI&B initiatives, the impact of such programmes on organisations, and how companies can achieve greater workplace inclusion.

This, according to the report, demonstrates the gap between what employers believe and the reality of DI&B policies within the organisation. This is primarily due to a variety of challenges, such as a lack of leadership vision or the use of a one-size-fits-all approach that they are implementing informally. Only 21 per cent of the organisations polled have formal DI&B policies in place.

According to the survey, 73 per cent of employees want to work for companies that actively promote such initiatives. This demonstrates that culture plays a significant role in attracting and retaining employees, and as a result, employers must implement appropriate initiatives to address the current talent shortage.

Large organisations are leading the curve

When it comes to DI&B initiatives, large organisations have been ahead of the curve. More than two out of every three large businesses are aware of or sensitive to the issue, with 37 per cent of all large organisations polled having formal DI&B policies in place and 33 per cent have implemented these policies. Despite the fact that 73 per cent of small businesses have insufficient or no awareness, a significant proportion of medium-sized (19 per cent) and small (12 per cent) organisations are on the path to formalisation, compared to large (10 per cent) organisations.

IT and Knowledge Services lead the way, with 33 per cent of respondents having formal policies in place, while 71 per cent of respondents in the Media and Entertainment sector intend to formalise. Hyderabad has the highest proportion of respondents who have implemented formal policies (35 per cent), while Delhi leads in terms of intent to formalise (71 per cent) and Chennai leads in terms of adoption (36 per cent).

Unconscious bias in the workplace

Unconscious bias against racial and gender groups, LGBTIQ+ people, and other marginalised groups is a well-documented phenomenon. Almost one-quarter of employees (24 per cent) believe they are ignored in social settings and meetings, that they are physically or emotionally threatened (23 per cent) or that they are subjected to slurs and innuendos during interactions (22 per cent ). Biases related to disability status (47 per cent) and gender and sexual orientation (44 per cent) dominate Indian workplaces, followed by age and marital status (36 per cent) and religion, caste, and ethnicity (36 per cent) (33 per cent).

Employers have implemented a variety of measures to address these concerns about discrimination and to be receptive to inclusivity. Sensitization workshops and communication initiatives (68 per cent), Employee Resource Groups and similar measures (41 per cent), and promoting LGBTIQ+ rights in the workplace are the most prevalent of these measures (37 per cent). This emphasises the importance of DI&B measures in combating unconscious biases in the long run.

Achieving inclusivity in the workplace

According to the study, the majority of employees believe that DI&B measures are critical and that employers should focus more on better policymaking and more effective implementation in order to sustain in the long run. Employee scepticism casts doubt on the sustainability of existing DI&B measures, with only 21 per cent of respondents believing in them. However, DI&B has gained recognition as an intelligent talent strategy, not just a social good practice, over the years. Organisations have begun to implement DI&B initiatives, regardless of formal policies being instituted, as evidence of tangible outcomes such as increased productivity, innovation, and employee engagement has grown. DI&B implementation is accelerating, and a surprising number of employers intend to roll out initiatives over the next 6-18 months.

Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales, Indeed India, said, “The new configurations of work due to the pandemic and the ongoing talent war have accelerated the journey towards Diversity, Inclusivity and Belonging. With nearly half of all employers surveyed (49 per cent) having implemented DI&B initiatives over the past 18 months or more, we can see that prioritizing DI&B is at the forefront for organisations.”