The State of Global Communications & Marketing Report 2023 (SGCMR 2023) conducted by Iprex, highlights that global organizations are making positive progress in the fight for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).
For example, 90% of the companies surveyed provide diversity training within their organizations. The Americas and Asia-Pacific regions also top the list of countries with formal DEIB programs.
What role do an organization’s leaders, size and generational differences play in a DEIB strategy?
In this regard, David Rudd, Vice President of Rudd Resources and Chair of the Iprex DEIB Committee, assures that for a successful DEIB strategy to exist in any organization, it must have the support and involvement of the highest levels of leadership in the organizations, particularly in public relations and communications agencies.
“Yes, leaders must have a commitment to DEIB and definitely this interest in implementing it has to start at the top. If an agency, for example, is going to commit to recruiting in a diverse way then there may need to be changes in the processes of how talent is attracted and the language that is used to do so. Leaders must have and publicly display a willingness to listen to diverse voices so that their team members feel it is a reality and not just wishful thinking,” says Rudd.
Size matters
Larger companies are more likely than smaller ones to have formal programs in place, and are also more likely to conduct them in-house rather than outsource them.
According to the SGCMR 2023 results, the larger the organization, the more likely it is to have a comprehensive DEIB program that is consistent across the enterprise, and the smaller the company, the more likely it is to use third parties to manage its diversity training.
Smaller organizations are also much less likely to provide diversity training, with nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) to the study conducted by Iprex stating that they do not provide any diversity training, compared to their larger counterparts (2%).
“Camaraderie or groupthink is more prevalent in smaller organizations. Because of this, it is important to invite voices from outside the company to access new insights,” says Rudd. The advantage of organizations in this segment is that they can more easily change their systems and practices compared to what it may take for a large organization.
In contrast, medium and large organizations have many more voices that help to ensure a diversity of opinions. However, change in these companies tends to take much more time and effort. Regardless of the size of the company, what is important is that it clearly demonstrates its intention to change and embrace DEIB.
DEIB in the new generations.
Traditionally, the younger generations are the ones who adapt best to change and new ideas, so it is not surprising that it is among them that DEIB is most easily understood and appreciated. “Notwithstanding the above, it is important to say that DEIB is a way of thinking, so we could not excuse the older generations simply for being part of a certain cohort. The value that the younger generations bring is their influence in bringing the DEIB agenda to the public discussion table,” concludes Rudd.
While there is still room for improvement, it is encouraging to see that many organizations are prioritizing DEIB efforts. It is reasonable to expect that this will impact how companies communicate and show this commitment internally and externally, through marketing programs and relationships with other organizations, etc., because it is clear that these efforts are critical to building a better future for workplaces around the world.
To learn more about the study and the current state of DEIB among organizations in different regions read more in the Iprex Global State of the Marketing report via this link.