Written by Ellie Chen, Marketing Intern

 

Over the months of June to July, The Civil Service College conducted our own survey into Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) within the workplace. In putting together this survey, we set out to find out what you believe about ED&I, what you want from your organisations, and where we can step in. We received a fantastic amount of response, and are now ready to share our insights.

 

What did we find out?

There is no doubt that self-belief in, and personal commitment to, ED&I is very strong. For instance, 98% of individuals believe that ED&I is important in the workplace, and even better, 100% believe that people from all backgrounds and identities should have equitable opportunities to advance their careers.

However, things look a little different between each level of an organisation.

How does ED&I appear across the structure of your organisations?

Those we surveyed were asked who they would feel confident to discuss their concerns with if they felt discriminated against or harassed in the workplace. A huge majority of people felt confident that they could turn to someone within their organisation – 74% of people would speak with their manager, 52% would speak with their colleagues, and 39% would speak with their teammates

 

It appears that most people do generally feel comfortable within their organisations. However, our findings suggest that those who do feel comfortable seeking ED&I guidance from those within their organisations, seek it at the level of their immediate management. This comfort level and confidence does not fully extend to senior management.

Though many organisations have publicly committed to actioning ED&I, we have found that 33% of individuals do not agree that their senior leaders actively ensure the fair and equal treatment of their employees, and 34% do not believe that their senior leaders clearly articulate the importance of ED&I, and 39% do not feel that their senior leaders demonstrate ED&I with their actions.

This is not to say, however, that individuals conflate their organisation with their senior leadership – 80% agree that their organisation does demonstrate a commitment to creating an inclusive and culturally diverse environment.

 

To put it simply, a consistent third or more of those we surveyed have recognised that ED&I could be most improved at the senior ranks of their organisations.

It is interesting then, to note that senior employees are more likely to have actually attended ED&I training.

It’s time to consider how we can transform ED&I training.

How can we optimise ED&I training to make a difference in your workplace?

We asked which are the areas of ED&I you believe your organisation can improve on to become more diverse going forward. Across of levels of seniority and all types of organisation, the five most applicable areas were (in order):

 

 

Our research has indicated to us that – regardless of seniority level and type of organisation – internal and bespoke training is favoured by individuals. And in terms of delivery, a very significant 77% favour training that is delivered either online or through a blended format.

It is our priority that we not only meet your training needs but tailor to them too.

Going forwards with ED&I

As a thought-leader in our field, we believe it is important to generate our own insights, especially ahead of ‘The Festival of Doing ED&I Differently’ we are hosting on the 21^st and 22^nd of September 2022, and to guide our exciting plans for 2023.

ED&I is ever evolving, and we know we need to evolve with it. Now, even more, we know how.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our 2022 survey on ED&I, and we'll see you at the festival!