Why you should still focus on diverse staffing in 2024
Diverse staffing is beneficial to businesses and should be prioritized, even in the face of varied economic and sociopolitical fluctuations.
Back to TopWhen the U.S. Supreme Court removed affirmative action protections it sent ripples far beyond the collegiate space. In recruitment, the sunsetting has effectively set the stage for larger problems, namely reverting to inequitable hiring practices. However, despite increased national pressure, diverse staffing is still important.
Today, we'd like to explain the current state of diversity in the workplace and why diversity hiring is slowing, as well as the benefits of the practice and how we approach it at Beacon Hill.
The state of workplace diversity
An equitable workplace begins with policy. Policy is created by leaders. Unfortunately, less than 50% of workplaces integrate DEI into their leadership and management competencies.
In addition to that fact, there has been a significant reduction in companies that solicit employee feedback via inclusion surveys and/or focus groups. In essence, leadership is not showing interest in the diversity-based priorities of employees and isn't making its integration one of their own.
Why diversity hiring prioritization has slowed
Amid economic uncertainty, pressure to cut costs is increasing. As such, budgets and strategies for diversity hiring efforts are trending downward.
Beyond that, diversity initiatives are also suffering from fatigue due to hyperfocus from recent years and heightened politicization of diversity-related topics. This combination has led diversity hiring and training to be de-prioritized in some companies.
The positive metrics
But it's not all doom and gloom--some numbers are improving despite the climate.
- The number of organizations with a DEI leader has risen
- Organizations that track race/ethnicity representation have increased
To move forward, organizations must keep things going in this direction and get buy-in for stronger budgets and strategies.
The many benefits of diversity hiring
Building diverse teams isn't just equitable, it's smart! Diversity hiring means:
- Unique experiences and new perspectives
- More innovation
- Enhanced company appeal
- Access to a wider talent pool
- Improved employee performance
- Higher revenue
Learn more in our companion article, Why diversity hiring is important: Elevating your strategies for recruitment.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill prizes DEIB. That's why we chose to take an effective and holistic approach to implementing supporting aligned initiatives.
Our first step was to create a DEIB Taskforce made up of staff from diverse professional backgrounds and minority communities to support effective outreach and education.
Since the creation of our DEIB Taskforce in 2019, we've also created an annual DEIB Report and have:
- Held DEIB seminars
- Upgraded how we recruit
- Provided Unconscious Bias Training
- Established Employee Resource Networks
- Engaged DEIB Consultant, Demetriouse Russell
You can learn more about this important work here.
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No matter what happens in the world, Beacon Hill is committed to DEIB best practices. If you'd like to connect with a partner like us, reach out.
