The extent and progress of diversity and inclusion initiatives vary greatly

Workday unveiled the results of a new diversity and inclusion (D&I) survey on Monday. The survey was conducted in spring 2021 by Sapio Research on behalf of Workday among more than 2,200 HR managers and executives from 14 European countries to understand motivations, actions and progress in the area of belonging and diversity - B&D for Belonging & Diversity.

The investment and progress of the initiatives differ greatly among the organizations surveyed in Europe.

Three out of four respondents stated that their management teams consider B&D to be important: The highest score was recorded in Spain with 84 percent. Germany and Switzerland came in at 76% and 74% respectively, with Austria at 62%. The lowest proportion of supporters is found in Norway with 46%.
In addition, three out of four respondents stated that they have a budget to fund D&I initiatives. More than 41 percent want to maintain this, despite the current economic challenges. Over a third even plan to increase it. In Germany, 74 percent and in Switzerland 76 percent of respondents currently have financial resources for these initiatives. Increases are also planned for the coming year in both countries. Austria shows the highest figure for companies without a budget (27%) and only 18% of respondents see opportunities for an increase in funding.
Almost all organizations are also implementing at least one B&D initiative, but more than a third do not have a strategy in place. A fifth have taken initial steps to develop one. In Germany, 37 percent have no strategic approach and 21 percent are changing this. In Switzerland, 40 percent are currently without a fixed concept, while 23 percent would like to take a more planned approach in future. Austria is the country in Europe where most of the companies surveyed do not have a strategy (57 percent) and only 8 percent are taking steps to change this.

Measures are taken based on data

Data evaluations enable comparisons and changes, and make successes visible. Of all respondents, 75 percent trust their organization's D&I data to take measures on this basis. Denmark and Spain trust their data the most (85% and 83% respectively), while Switzerland and Germany are just above and below the European average at 77% and 70% respectively. Only 55% of Austrians have confidence in their data.

There is clear potential in all countries surveyed when it comes to measuring the impact of D&I initiatives on business success: this data is only collected by 17% of respondents. Here too, Spain (24 percent) has the highest figure, while Germany is in the middle of the field with 15 percent, with Switzerland (9 percent) and Austria (8 percent) at the bottom of the table.

The survey found that of the companies surveyed in Europe, 92% use technology to support D&I initiatives to some degree. In comparison to Europe, only 88 percent in Germany, 85 percent in Switzerland and 83 percent in Austria rely on technology.

Concrete and sustainable measures are needed to generate benefits for organizations and their employees. To achieve this, it is advisable to consistently embed the concept in the corporate strategy and implement information systems that enable effective management. A fact-based approach can help organizations move from good intentions to lasting change.

"Far-reaching social changes have led us to rethink how we want to work and interact with each other. Topics such as employee wellbeing, diversity, belonging and inclusion have automatically become the focus of attention," explains Daniela Porr, EMEA HCM and D&I Specialist. "We wanted to use the study to find out more about the progress, but also the challenges, that companies see when implementing a culture focused on diversity and belonging. The results make it clear that it is important to convince both management and employees to implement D&I initiatives in order to achieve sustainable change. This can only succeed if companies view D&I as a central component of their corporate strategy and embed it in their corporate management. The use of innovative products and solutions can accelerate cultural transformation by bringing together the relevant information and developing strategic approaches to diversity and inclusion."

The Study was conducted by Sapio Research in fourteen countries among more than 2,200 HR managers and executives with an influence on D&I. These include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The interviews were conducted by Sapio Research in February and March 2021 via email invitation and online survey. 

The Report "The state of ED&I in Europe: from good intentions to lasting change" can be found on the Website of Workday can be downloaded.