Global business leaders recognise the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace. But while senior leaders are adopting diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives at greater rates within their organisations, those initiatives do not always impact recruitment for their board and C-Suite roles in meaningful ways.
A BoardEx survey of UK companies found that 68% of boards of all sizes have “not enough” members, or no members at all from underrepresented or diverse groups; 71% of C-Suite executive teams have “not enough” members or no members at all from these groups, either. This is despite the fact that, “an overwhelming majority of respondents are willing to broaden the requirements for background experience to attract more diverse talent” to join both boards and leadership teams.
These organisations are missing proven value due to these shortcomings—for example, “diversity of thought among teams, increasing productivity and retention, and creating cohesiveness among colleagues,” as one DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) senior executive describes in her Hunt Scanlon article. She says these benefits should be “obvious,” but executive leaders are all too often the “strongest barriers to inclusive environments” instead.
The headline is that leaders must take responsibility for diversity and inclusion and make sure that everyone can see diversity in the boardroom
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