A new survey says 3 in 4 job seekers and employees today report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.
Respondents also believe disparities still exist within companies with respect to experiences with and perceptions of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. They want to work at companies that value diversity and inclusion as part of their culture, the survey says.
The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll for Glassdoor, which publishes online, anonymous reviews of companies. From Aug. 25 to Aug. 31, Harris polled 2,745 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are either currently employed or are not employed but looking for work.
The survey shows 32% job seekers and employees today say they would not apply to a job at a company where there is a lack of diversity among its workforce. This is significantly higher for Black job seekers and employees (41%) when compared to white job seekers and employees (30%).
According to the Glassdoor survey, 63% of job seekers and employees say their employer should be doing more to increase the diversity of its workforce, with significantly more Black and Hispanic job seekers and employees feeling this way (71% and 72% respectively) than white job seekers and employees (58%).
Further, nearly half of Black (47%) and Hispanic (49%) job seekers and employees have quit a job after witnessing or experiencing discrimination at work, significantly higher than white (38%) job seekers and employees.
“Job seekers and employees today really care about equity, and for too long they’ve lacked access to the information needed to make informed decisions about the companies that are, or are not, truly inclusive,” says Glassdoor CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong in a statement.
Sutherland-Wong says Glassdoor is providing greater transparency into diversity, equity and inclusion within companies by allowing employees to provide their companies with a diversity and inclusion rating. Also, employees and job seekers can share demographic information and read Glassdoor’s diversity FAQs – a list of the most popular questions job seekers ask about diversity and inclusion. Responses to the FAQs are taken from the employee reviews appearing on Glassdoor.
“There is immense power in the collective voice as a means for change. By inviting employees and job seekers to anonymously share their experiences on Glassdoor, we are helping millions navigate their careers and encouraging others to share their opinions without fear of retaliation,” says Annie Pearl, Glassdoor’s chief product officer.
Employers have a section to publish their specific goals for improving company diversity and inclusion by a specific year. Already, several companies such as Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Visa have begun publishing their programs, initiatives and goals on Glassdoor.
