Want to Attract More Qualified Candidates? Prioritize Diversity!

Nearly 60% of respondents reported that diversity gives companies a competitive advantage; women have experienced discrimination in the workplace at the same rate as people of color.

On June 25, 2021, Jobcase release the results from our recent State of the Diverse Worker survey exploring opinions and beliefs toward diversity in the workplace. The findings indicate that diversity efforts benefit companies by attracting qualified candidates, but that attitudes appear slower to change among certain groups.

Our study indicated that a majority of people consider a company’s policies around supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace when looking for work. That includes 84% of respondents who identified as LGBTQ+, 78% of people of color and 74% of women. Less likely to consider an employer’s diversity efforts when seeking work were men (60%), and specifically white men (52%).

“This study shows us that diversity, equity and inclusion are not just buzzwords but are actually key tenets of good corporate practice,” said Gerry Brun, head of member product at Jobcase. “As a person of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I feel personally inspired by these findings because they show that diversity is a real asset. It can be used to recruit and retain top candidates, which can not only help boost productivity but also create an inclusive workplace culture and community.”

People also appear to be embracing the benefits of diversity, the survey indicated, with nearly 60% of all respondents saying that diversity gives companies a competitive advantage. This includes 63% of LGBTQ+ respondents, 61% of people of color, and 58% of women. However, even though 58% of white men also claim to recognize the benefits of diversity, this is not reflected in their behavior to support it. Only 24% of white men look to work for companies that have openly LGBTQ+ executives and only 27% of white men seek organizations with people of color in leadership positions.

“This past year has taught us all that we have to do more than just say the right things — and white people, in particular, need to work together with everyone else in making sure we are delivering meaningful change,” said Fred Goff, co-founder and CEO of Jobcase. “Companies that can walk the walk are going to see countless benefits in recruiting, retention and the bottom line. We live in a wonderfully diverse world. Businesses that will best succeed this century are those that build and empower a workforce that reflects and understands the world in which we operate. Embracing DEI is not just the right thing to do ethically, it’s also the prudent thing to do to grow a business.”

Jobcase’s survey highlights diversity, equity and inclusion challenges that remain in the workplace. Other key findings include:

Discrimination still haunts the workplace

• 46% of women say they have experienced discrimination in the workplace compared with 32% of men
• 54% of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced discrimination in the workplace
• 46% of people of color, and, more specifically, 45% of Black people say they have experienced discrimination in the workplace

Diversity affects the bottom line

• Many workers say they would be willing to purchase a product or service from a company that prioritizes diversity:
  • LGBTQ+ – 65%
  • POC – 62%
  • Women – 54%
  • White men – 45%

Organizations are taking action on diversity

• More people of color feel that their company is committed to diversifying its workforce compared to any other group:
• People of color – 59%
• LGBTQ+ – 55%
• White men – 52%
• Women – 52%

• 78% of Black people said it has been easier to find a job in the past year, followed by:
  • People of color – 70%
  • LGBTQ+ – 64%
  • Women – 61%
  • White people – 60%

While diversity is improving, there is still work to do

• When asked if they’ve seen a change in diversity among their company’s leadership team over the past year, 33% of workers reported seeing a positive change. However, 26% of Black people reported a negative change in diversity, compared to only 9% of white people
• Separate from leadership, 38% of respondents report seeing an increase in diverse workers at their workplace over the past year

Our State of the Diverse Worker Survey was conducted  among 815 workers through the Qualtrics platform in June 2021.