Employees of different racial and ethnic groups disagree about the current state of workplace diversity and inclusion, according to a just-released report from Glassdoor Economic Research, “America’s Workplace Diversity Crisis: Measuring Gaps in Diversity & Inclusion Satisfaction by Employee Race and Ethnicity.” The new data was gathered through a large sample of anonymous Glassdoor ratings that include employee sentiment about D&I at work and the self-identified race and ethnicity of those employees.
GER used a statistical model to determine whether D&I sentiment differs among racial and ethic groups, taking into account the differences in employees’ occupations, industries, company sizes, genders, lengths of time on the job and more. Glassdoor reported that the sample it used is “remarkably close” to actual population race and ethnic makeup determined by the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Critical to closing the D&I gap in the workplace: “avoid allowing white voices to dominate opinions of diversity,” the report stressed. This presents a challenge, because white voices dominate 60% of the U.S. workforce and 56% of Glassdoor D&I ratings, creating an overrepresentation. There is also a risk, the report said, of creating blind spots for employers who do not directly solicit feedback from and target investment in underrepresented groups.
The divergence in D&I satisfaction in the enterprise “is problematic for two main reasons:
- First, it highlights a systematic shortfall in the workplace experience for Black employees.
- Second, our data points to the dangers of evaluating employee satisfaction using simple averages alone.”
Tech industry rankings
The GER compared the average D&I ratings on a scale of 1 to 5.
By race/ethnicity and sector and for “information technology,” it reported the following ratings
- White: 3.74
- Hispanic/Latinx: 3.77
- Black: 3.53
- Asian: 4.02
- Multiracial: 3.81
By race/ethnicity and occupation group, also for “information technology,” it found the following ratings
- White: 3.79
- Hispanic/Latinx: 4.05
- Black: 3.69
- Asian: 3.95
- Multiracial: 3.92
Largest D&I gaps
D&I gaps vary based on industries, reported the GER.
Largest D&I perception gaps between Black sentiment and all other employees in these sectors:
- Accounting and legal
- Consumer services
- Travel and tourism
- Government
- Biotech
- Pharmaceuticals
Smallest or indistinguishable D&I perception gaps between Black sentiment and all other employees in these sectors:
- Media
- Business services
- Transportation and logistics
- Telecommunications
In one industry—media—Black employees rated workplace D&I above other employees.
No one-size-fits-all solution
GER concluded that “There is no one-size-fits-all approach for employers who are serious about cultivating diverse and inclusive workplaces.”
Their findings suggest that to remedy the gap “employers must look beyond ‘average’ employee opinion on workplace diversity, as doing so can conceal important gaps in D&I sentiment among employees of different backgrounds and racial and ethnic groups. Looking deeper in this manner may reveal gaps in employee perceptions or experiences, or highlight areas of the workforce where D&I programs are not reaching.” Glassdoor has a guide for employers on how to build a diversity, equity and inclusion program.