PR98089

CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

-- Leaders rank employees as the top reason for increased DE&I focus

-- 52% of executives say their diversity efforts contribute to business

   success to a large extent, up from 22% three years ago

Global leaders now overwhelmingly consider diversity, equity and inclusion

(DE&I) a strategic business imperative as employees increasingly place value on

equality advances in their work environment. A new report released today by

Heidrick & Struggles (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3662597-1&h=1071195078&u=https%3A%2F%2Fc212.net%2Fc%2Flink%2F%3Ft%3D0%26l%3Den%26o%3D3457073-1%26h%3D2167626742%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fc212.net%252Fc%252Flink%252F%253Ft%253D0%2526l%253Den%2526o%253D3268494-1%2526h%253D2870889604%2526u%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.heidrick.com%25252F%2526a%253DHeidrick%252B%252526%252BStruggles%26a%3DHeidrick%2B%2526%2BStruggles&a=Heidrick+%26+Struggles

) (Nasdaq: HSII), a premier provider of global leadership advisory and

on-demand talent solutions, finds that 93% of leaders view DE&I as more

important now than three years ago.

The report, Employees at the Center: What It Takes to Lead on DE&I Now (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3662597-1&h=479047255&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heidrick.com%2Fen%2Finsights%2Fdiversity-inclusion%2Femployees-at-the-center-what-it-takes-to-lead-on-dei-now&a=Employees+at+the+Center%3A+What+It+Takes+to+Lead+on+DE%26I+Now

), reveals findings from 420 executives across eight countries. 58% of leaders

say their companies currently engage in practices -- such as clearly defining

diversity, equity, and inclusion, and link them to strategy and business

outcomes -- considered to be 'leading edge' three years ago. Up from 20% in the

initial 2019 study, the nearly 30 percentage point increase suggests a new bar

for organizations. In addition, 52% of leaders say their diversity efforts

contribute to their business success to a large extent, up from 22% three years

ago.  

"These findings should give all of us a moment of pause to reflect on the

momentum gained in corporate DE&I efforts," said Jonathan McBride, global

managing partner of Heidrick's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practice. "The

practices that made a company a leader three years ago, are now considered

table stakes. Nearly every executive surveyed acknowledged a rise in importance

of DE&I, which underscores the pace of change and highlights the risk of

falling behind."

           Understanding Employees' Centrality to Engagement on DE&I

The survey found that 43% of executives rank employees as the key reason for

increased DE&I focus, placing them as priority over customers or managing

through the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, executives believe DE&I

initiatives improve business outcomes because they enhance employee engagement,

corporate reputation, and business transformation.

The survey indicates that leaders consider engaged employees as more central to

their corporate culture than ever, signaling that the enduring war for talent

and the pandemic-induced hybrid workplace has prioritized employees' wishes.

Leaders cited employees as the critical connection between DE&I and realized

business success. In addition to DE&I efforts as a compelling force for

attracting and retaining top talent, employees are also being recognized as an

engaged constituency – holding leaders and companies accountable over time.

Consequently, more leaders are realizing in fresh ways that an inclusive

culture is at the heart of a truly productive workforce.

"As workplace dynamics shift reflecting talent wars to a hybrid work

environment, getting DE&I right is more important – and more complicated – than

ever," continued McBride. "Across industries and geographies, CEOs are

acknowledging that complexity. They're committing to DE&I because, for

employees, it encourages different ways of thinking and promotes career

development and, externally, better reflects a company's customers and

constituencies."

             Priorities for Future Progress at Best-in-Class Companies

Heidrick & Struggles' report identifies four actions best-in-class companies

can take to enhance their DE&I efforts:

    -- Treat DE&I as a Strategic Imperative: When leaders treat DE&I as just

       as critical to business outcomes as a safety initiative and dedicate

       resources and planning in the same manner – companies notice real impact

       to their bottom line. Leading companies indicate they now approach DE&I

       like any other strategic initiative: with executive leadership,

       including the board, setting the standard, defining the scope and

       vision clearly, linking DE&I to business strategy and goals, tracking

       progress, and aligning processes and operations throughout the

       organization.

    -- Hold Leaders Accountable: Diversity and inclusion progress should be

       tied to talent goals at all levels, for example, and managers and

       senior executives must become role models and be held responsible

       for progress.

    -- Engage Employees with Intentionality: 40% of organizations cited

       increased employee engagement because of DE&I initiatives as the

       leading contribution to business success. To ensure the organization

       is held accountable, employees should be at the center of efforts,

       participating in ongoing conversations about their perceptions on DE&I

       with company leadership.

    -- Leverage Board Participation: Where there is an opportunity for boards

       to show their commitment to DE&I, take advantage of it. The survey

       uniquely revealed that the most progressive companies are turning to

       the board and leveraging those leaders to effectively communicate with

       employees about the organization's DE&I efforts.

The findings of the report are based on a survey of executives from Australia,

Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United

States.

About Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is a premier provider of global leadership

advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and

consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted

leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready

leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in

executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and

development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand,

independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of

executive search more than 65 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated

talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one

leadership team at a time.(R) www.heidrick.com　

Heidrick & Struggles Media Contact:

Molly Coughlin

mcoughlin@heidrick.com

SOURCE   Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.