Highlights –

  • According to the report, almost all (95%) of the CEOs polled indicate that their organizations hastened the adoption of digital technology due to the pandemic and the requirement to adjust to remote working modes quickly.
  • Around 51% of respondents stated that their firms utilize data and insights to gauge the impact of DEI, measurement is crucial.

In a recent research report titled, “Taking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from ambition to reality,” Genpact gathered the opinions of 510 senior executives from significant corporations worldwide, spanning various industries. According to the report, almost all (95%) of the CEOs polled indicate that their organizations hastened the adoption of digital technology due to the pandemic and the requirement to adjust to remote working modes quickly.

In the fall of 2021, Genpact and FORTUNE Brand Studio conducted an online survey with 500 senior executives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada. About 30% of respondents work at the C-level, with the remaining respondents being director-level or higher.

Insights from the Report

Of those who were asked about the effects of remote work on their organization’s operations, 50% of them said there was progress toward climate-related sustainability goals, 38% of respondents said doing so had a positive effect on their DEI objectives, 22% of them said it helped in better integration of company functions, and 5% said it encouraged employees to take part in learning opportunities.

The study found that using data and analytics in best practices helps advance and support business DEI goals. Many organizations are still having trouble taking their DEI efforts forward. The report offers a road map for companies that are lagging.

How do leading companies use data and insights to make better DEI decisions? With 51% of respondents stating that their firms utilize data and insight to gauge the impact of DEI, measurement is crucial. These insights can be used to redirect as necessary to improve DEI performance.

Following up next was the use of data and analytics to understand the strength of people’s professional networks (42%), eliminate prejudice in decision-making (40%), and increase the ability to hire and retain members of underrepresented communities (40%). According to the survey, inclusion front runners use their capabilities with data and insights to go deep into the many cultural components necessary to integrate DEI completely across all tasks, choices, and goals.

When asked about which technologies have the most potential to improve DEI, 47% selected process automation, 41% selected learning platforms, 37% voted for advanced analytics, 29% selected AI/Natural Language Processing, 28% said cloud-based technologies and 7% voted for digital communities to support affinity groups.

The survey sheds light on the need for businesses to increase their use of technology and data in today’s hybrid work module. Takeaways from this report include using data-led insights to embed DEI at all levels, encouraging employee networks, take the opportunity to meet employee needs by understanding the company culture.