Survey: 72% of Workers Agree that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Important to Them in Their Workplace
Of those, 80% of respondents said they ‘Strongly Agree’ that diversity is important to them at work.
UpCity conducted a survey of nearly 800 employees across a wide variety of industries in the United States and Canada asking for their opinions on diversity in the workplace. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” that diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to them within their company, with the vast majority being in the “Strongly Agree” camp.
QUESTION
Are You More Likely To Work For A Company That Is Either Minority-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, Or LGBTQIA+-Owned?
Veteran Owned | Minority Owned | LGBTQ Owned | Woman Owned | Not a Factor |
10% | 15% | 10% | 16% | 49% |
Especially in wake of the Great Resignation, job seekers want to work for an employer that shares values similar to theirs. Prospective employees are also more likely to feel included or believe that their employer values diversity, not only if there are more diverse employees, but if there are women, people of color, or other minorities in leadership positions as well.
When looking for a job, 51% said they are more inclined to work for a company that is either minority-owned, veteran-owned, woman-owned, or LGBTQIA+ owned, while 49% said it was not a factor in their search or decision.
QUESTION
Are you more likely to hire services from a company that is minority-owned, veteran-owned, woman-owned, or LGBTQIA+-owned?
Veteran Owned | Minority Owned | LGBTQ Owned | Woman Owned | Not a Factor |
10% | 19% | 10% | 22% | 39% |
If bringing new employees onto your organization’s team isn’t an option, hiring external services from a minority-owned business has been a popular strategy for companies to bring in diverse perspectives to help foster innovation and creativity.
When looking to hire services from another company, 61% of those surveyed said they are more likely to seek out and partner with organizations that are owned by minorities, veterans, women, or members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Thirty-nine percent said it was a non-factor.
Subscribe to the UpCity Blog
QUESTION
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to me in my workplace.
Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
58% | 14% | 17% | 2% | 9% |
QUESTION
My workplace values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
58% | 17% | 18% | 1% | 6% |
Amid the social unrest that’s taken place the last few years, companies and individuals alike, have been compelled to take a look at themselves and assess how diverse and inclusive their workforce truly is. In fact, many employers and employees have since committed themselves to making their workplace a more welcoming environment to people of all backgrounds and recruiting more diverse talent. Not to mention, more businesses and individuals are equipping themselves with resources such as diversity and harassment training.
On an individual level, 72% of respondents said they either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” that they value diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplace. Only 11% said they “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree.”
Within their own companies, 75% of respondents also said they either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” that their organization values diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplace. Only 7% said they “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree.”
QUESTION
Have you or a loved one served in the military?
YES | NO |
41% | 59% |
For additional perspective, we asked those surveyed if they or someone they love currently serves in the military or has in the past. Fifty-nine percent answered “No,” and 41% responded “Yes.” What’s interesting about this question is that it reveals that there doesn’t necessarily need to be a direct connection to still lean toward working with, in this example, a veteran-owned organization.
These findings show that diversity, equity, and inclusion play a very meaningful role in not only where individuals want to work, but also with whom they choose to conduct business. Additionally, the survey showed that the majority of workers feel like their organizations value diversity in the workplace and they feel content with the composition of their teams.
About the author
Rebecca helps keep all things content running at UpCity. Prior to joining, she was a magazine editor at an agency for several award-winning publications based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and a content specialist for several brands within the SMB/B2B landscape. She also has significant experience in digital content creation, most notably targeting hunters and anglers (despite being a vegetarian) during her time at Gander Outdoors. Rebecca has also worked in PR, covering a diverse terrain of products and events, including the promotion of local musicians and music festivals and the latest craft beer offerings from local breweries.
