Diversity is playing an increasingly important role in the world of work. It is not only about the economic success of various teams, but also the social responsibility that employers bear.
Diversity in companies is becoming increasingly important and is anything but a fleeting trend. Many employers have recognized how important the issue is not only socially but also economically and are trying to establish appropriate strategies for inclusion and equality. how important it is shows a current survey by career platform Monster in cooperation with YouGov: When looking for a job, the majority of those surveyed take into account the extent to which companies are committed to diversity.
Applicants see advantages in diversity
Half of those surveyed prefer companies that work hard when it comes to diversity, and 25 percent even consider it very important. Only 33 percent do not pay much attention to diversity in companies. The applicants are primarily concerned with seeing to the outside that potential employers are making an effort to promote diversity and are not just abusing it for marketing purposes. Employer branding therefore plays a major role, as 58 percent of those surveyed see it as advantageous if companies promote tolerance. 52 percent are also convinced that various teams work better and more effectively – a belief that has already been scientifically proven.
Diversity is particularly important to younger employees: 69 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds pay attention to this when choosing a company, and 58 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds. In the 35 to 44 age group, this awareness decreases somewhat and while 44 percent believe diversity plays a role when looking for a job, it is unimportant for 42 percent. From the age of 55, this trend changes. Older applicants place a little more value on it again, probably especially on the point of age diversity.
Companies need to step up their game when it comes to diversity
And although diversity is such an important issue for employees, many companies lack concrete measures. 39 percent are not pursuing any diversity and inclusion strategies, according to the 2021 Monster Insights Report. And those who try often think too one-sidedly. Diversity represents a variety of underrepresented groups and includes categories such as age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, origin (social and geographical), skin color and disabilities. However, companies tend to focus on one category and forget about the bigger picture. Age (33 percent) and gender (32 percent) receive the most attention, although it is worth noting that efforts on gender relate primarily to equality between men and women. Non-binary gender identities are often not taken into account.
Ethnicity (19 percent) and sexual orientation (four percent) also receive little attention. Companies should therefore urgently become aware of the comprehensive importance of diversity and develop strategies that are not just limited to a marginalized group. The following results from the Monster Insights Report show how important diversity and, above all, openness is in the workplace:
- 40 percent of people in Europe think that discrimination is widespread in their country.
- Women are often paid less fairly than men.
- 37 percent of people in Europe think that skin color reduces job opportunities.
- Only 51 percent of transgender people in Europe have jobs.
- 26 percent of queer people hide their affiliation with the LGBTQ+ community at work.
- 41 percent of people in Europe think that disabilities reduce job opportunities.
These figures, alongside which there are many more studies that prove something similar, clearly show how important more diversity is in the world of work. The fear of hatred and prejudice constantly accompanies the groups of people described above. With the right measures, companies can therefore ensure that equal opportunities for all people are increased and, moreover, that diversity is normalized.
Awareness in companies is growing
So far, only 22 percent of companies have adjusted their recruiting strategies and placed a focus on diversity. At the same time, 31 percent are aware that they should implement this as soon as possible and twelve percent are planning corresponding strategies for this year. So it’s going in the right direction. Maren HallinHead of Marketing DACH at Monster, explains:
Companies should ask themselves how diverse they already are and how diversity and inclusion is lived in the company, which measures they are already implementing specifically for more diversity and which ones could still be. And then they should show that clearly to the outside world. Since around half of job seekers are interested in this topic, it is definitely worth it. For job seekers, job advertisements and the company’s website, especially the careers page, are usually the first point of contact with potential employers. Here, the topic of diversity and the attitude of the company should by no means be ignored.
The results of the survey and report show that diversity is one of the most important issues in our working world and that employees in particular are aware of this. Although many companies have also recognized the benefits of having diverse teams, most still lack concrete strategies for more diversity. However, it is to be expected that progress will be made in the future and that the world of work will become a little more colourful.
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