Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace (“DEI” for short) is a top-of-mind topic for professionals and leaders across organizations and industries. It’s no different at ClearlyRated. In the past year our team has taken collective action towards addressing our own policies and culture, while also focusing research and product initiatives towards helping ourselves and our customers contextualize the scope of the issue within our industry, understand our employees’ needs and perceptions, and build informed plans of action for creating positive change. One thing that we’ve learned along the way? None of this work happens in a vacuum. In fact, some of our greatest breakthroughs have come through honest, vulnerable, sometimes challenging (and always enlightening) discussions with peers and colleagues who are placing DEI at the heart of their work. It makes sense, then, that I would jump at the opportunity to moderate a discussion between three professionals who are driving innovative thinking and creating lasting outcomes for DEI in their respective industries. Last month, in partnership with the American Staffing Association, I had the privilege to host DeLibra Wesley, CEO and Founder of National Recruiting Consultants, Leslie Vickrey, CEO and Founder of ClearEdge Marketing, and Robin Mee, President and Founder of Mee Derby, for a panel webinar where we reviewed the latest DEI research from the staffing industry, and discussed their experiences and strategies for making real organizational change. The recording of this webinar is free to members of the American Staffing Association >> This panel covered a lot of ground in one hour, and in Part 2 of this blog series, I’m going to share some of the key strategies and takeaways that can, and should, influence how your business thinks about investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion. But first, I want to take a little time to frame the conversation and provide some context in the form of data we’ve collected this year. What the Latest Data Tells Us About DEI in Staffing All three of our panelists serve or work in the staffing and recruiting industry, but their insights and takeaways are widely applicable to organizations across the business landscape. As a starting point, I shared some of the latest data that ClearlyRated has published about the state of DEI in staffing. Here are a few compelling findings: Compared to data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the staffing industry skews young, with approximately 71% of professionals identifying as Gen Y or younger. Black and Hispanic professionals are underrepresented when compared to BLS’ general workforce numbers, especially in leadership. The staffing industry does a good job of attracting female professionals (⅔ of employees identify as female) but less than 1 in 3 women make it to executive positions. Just 3.7% of white male professionals report being Detractors of their firm – making them the least likely group to experience dissatisfaction at work. Black and Hispanic males are nearly 3x as likely to be dissatisfied, white females are 2x as likely, Black or Hispanic women are more than 3x as likely to be dissatisfied than their white male counterparts. There is a gender pay gap in staffing. On average, women make just $.77 for every $1 that men earn. We find the pay gap is less problematic in earlier, better defined career positions, and becomes more egregious as women advance in their career. All of this data, and much more, can be found in the full report, which is available for free! Check back next week for Part 2 of this blog series! Now that you’ve seen some of the data I urge you to, if you have not, watch the webinar! Our panelists bring a lot of vulnerability and passion to this topic, and share so much great information. Best of all – it’s free for ASA members. In our next post we will: dissect the rich conversation from the webinar, share key takeaways, and provide you with action items you can implement right away at your firm.
