Failure to act on accessibility will cause declines in employee satisfaction, retention, brand value, customer satisfaction, and revenue

Inclusively, a workforce inclusion partner that utilizes our proprietary platform, training and processes to unlock the value of previously screened out talent, today announced the results of a new survey designed to explore the benefits of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) with a focus on disabilities. The custom survey, commissioned by Inclusively, was conducted by Forrester Consulting and included 156 human resource leaders across the United States, representing companies with 1,000 - 30,000+ employees.

DEI HAS TRANSFORMED INTO A BUSINESS NECESSITY

The study found that while firms have committed to DEI and accessibility initiatives, most have not embedded these initiatives into their daily processes. As a result, employees are not equipped to reach their firm’s DEI and accessibility goals. Three years ago, DEI practices were largely considered to be compliance-driven. Today, 70% of respondents said that DEI initiatives were driven by employees, leadership or both. Leadership teams understand that DEI is important, but they are still scrambling to expand beyond compliance or employee experience (EX). Most respondents said their firm has basic DEI practices like employee resource groups (ERGs), but few have embedded DEI into their ecosystems by creating KPIs or processes that enable DEI initiatives.

HIRING PRACTICES DON’T SUPPORT DEI DISABILITY GOALS

Hiring is a pivotal component of DEI initiatives, and firms understand and value this. Seventy-one percent of respondents said their firm aims to hire a diverse workforce. However, their organizations’ current business practices aren’t set up to reach that goal. Findings include:

• 33% of hiring managers and recruiters are incentivized to hire diverse teams
• 24% of hiring managers and recruiters are incentivized to hire people with disabilities
• 30% have inclusive interview practices in place that are clear and easy to understand
• 40% have an accommodation practice in place that is clear and easy to understand

ACTION IS REQUIRED TO IMPROVE DEI & ACCESSIBILITY PRACTICES

Respondents understand that change is needed. They said that during the next 12 months, their firms are committed to improving their DEI and accessibility practices.

• 66% said their firm is creating KPIs attached to accessibility practices, and
• 66% said their firm is obtaining accessible technology for its employees and clients.
• 69% said their firm is creating KPIs attached to DEI
• 80% of respondents said their firm is focused on providing a culture of acceptance for those with a disability

“Companies that are really serious about inclusion have to do the upfront work to reap the benefits of sustainable, scalable and replicable success,” said Charlotte Dales, CEO & Founder, Inclusively. “Those that take an actionable, progressive approach to inclusion will drive value by future-proofing their ability to attract and retain the best talent. It’s time to take action.”

To view the full study, please visit inclusively.com.

About Inclusively

Inclusively is a workforce inclusion partner that utilizes our proprietary platform, training and processes to unlock the value of previously screened out talent. Our experts work with clients to rebuild historically exclusionary processes. Our platform matches diverse candidates to roles based on candidate skills, experience, and accommodations. And our lean-learning model ensures clients have access to knowledge and expertise when they need it. For more information, please visit inclusively.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220518005538/en/

New Research: Survey of U.S. HR Leaders shows action is required to improve DE&I & Accessibility practices @workinclusively @Forrester #DE&I #HR #workinclusively