Diversity and inclusion initiatives are becoming more widespread across brands and, in the best cases, are being acted upon properly. Unfortunately, this is not the case worldwide, or within every company. Some brands seem to believe that changing their logo a few times a year, or writing a couple of blog posts is enough, and whilst it’s good to show solidarity publicly, what goes on behind closed doors has much more impact on people.
In 2020, 256 Fortune 500 companies published data showing an overview of the percentage of minorities at their companies, only 22 Fortune 500 companies provided a full breakdown. Even with the benefits that come with having a diverse workforce, brands don’t seem to be changing what they’re doing.
In the UK, the employment rate of disabled people is 53%. This is compared to the 82% employment rate of non-disabled people. Research conducted by Scope in 2019 found that on average, disabled people faced extra costs of £583 per month. With the cost-of-living increase that we are currently experiencing post-pandemic, this figure has no doubt gone up.
The Movement Advancement Project states that in the U.S. only 20 of the states and D.C. have laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Most industries are moving in the right direction, but they are not near reaching a place of complete inclusion. They may say that they are, and they shout about initiatives that they’re implementing, but how people actually feel when they go and work for these places is completely different. Companies seem to be aiming for the diversity whilst forgetting about the inclusion.
With this report we have analyzed 50 tech brands that are talking about and creating content on Diversity and Inclusion, looking into whether they are known to the influencer community and how much they’re spoken about in relation to Diversity and Inclusion. We have also included insights from industry experts to understand their journeys and what advice they have brands who want to be better and be known for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Embracing diversity in the workplace and appealing to diverse customer groups is essential for survival and growth. – Fields Jackson, CEO, Racing Towards Diversity Magazine
Shifting Perception
Online brand perception is something that every brand needs to be paying attention to, particularly when it comes to such important and relevant topics around Diversity and Inclusion. Potential job applicants and customers are increasingly paying attention to a brand’s contribution to the greater good.
The most important factor for brands to consider when it comes to shifting their perception on Diversity and Inclusion, is of course pushing for real notable changes internally to a brand’s mission, strategy, and policies. Without real change, we cannot expect to see changes in perception.
Social media is a great listening tool for brands to benchmark their own perception when it comes to Diversity and Inclusion compared to their peers, particularly when you hone in on the specific topical communities and the influential voices at the forefront of the conversations. It is these influential voices that can speak with credibility based off their own personal experience, their passion and their experience in leading change.
Brands can connect and collaborate with these voices to tap into their experience and expertise to make the key changes to their policies, but to also raise awareness of their key initiatives as a way to fast track their perception change online.
It is for this reason that we have analyzed the selected tech brands’ attention among these communities, to highlight where brands can improve and the influential voices that can help them get there.
Share of Voice (Top 20 brands) – associated with Diversity and Inclusion
What’s in the Report?
The Diversity and Inclusion report is split into 2 main sections:
- DEI Topic Trends
- Shining a Spotlight on Diversity and Inclusion, interviews with:
- Fields Jackson
- Debra Ruh
- Neil Milliken
- Dan Sodergren
- Theodora Lau
- Vessy Tasheva
Our aim was to create an in-depth study into social awareness & reputation within Tech brands & the Diversity and Inclusion community. We hope you find it useful in highlighting the importance of these discussions.