Efforts to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging in the Workplace Falling Short, New WebMD Health Services Survey Finds

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two-thirds of employees think their companies are not doing enough to foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) in the workplace, according to the results of a new survey from WebMD Health Services.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging: Uncovering What Employees are Offered, Want and Need, released today, found that while 89% of survey respondents work for companies with DEI&B programs, 62% believe that the programs are not doing what they are designed to do. Nearly half (46%) reported that DEI&B programs have failed them personally. DEI&B may include education and training, mental and emotional health support, mentoring, resources for gender identity and sexual health, and paid time off for volunteering.

Most respondents (64%) said they would benefit if their company were truly committed to DEI&B. Nearly nine in 10 reported stress over issues ranging from the economy and world events, and 68% said they needed more help from their companies in managing their financial, emotional, and mental and physical health concerns.

The online survey sampled 2,000 adults working full time in the U.S. for organizations with 2,500 or more U.S.-based employees. The survey was designed and conducted by Blue Research, an independent research firm, with WebMD Health Services approval.

Click here to view the survey: https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/campaign/webmd-health-services-2023-deib-research-project/
Click here for additional insights: https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/resources/whitepapers/deib-in-the-workplace/

Issues With Belonging

Although all aspects of DEI&B fell short, employees were particularly critical of efforts to support a feeling of belonging, i.e. they matter, they're valued.

More than half (57%) of respondents cited "belonging" as needing improvement, compared with 43% who said diversity was their key concern. Additionally:

• One in three employees reported their opinions are not valued.
• One in five reported that they feel like an outsider, isolated, and unfairly excluded from roles and tasks that would lead to advancement.
• More than one-third said their talents are neither utilized nor appreciated by managers, and 20% said they are treated differently based on how they look.

Issues May Be Greater for LGBTQ, Black Employees  

LGBTQ respondents were more likely than others to report concerns with belonging, while Black respondents were more likely to cite issues with diversity, and that they had been treated differently based on looks.

Taken together, eight in 10 LGBTQ and Black employees reported they would personally benefit if their company was truly committed to DEI&B. Additionally, more than three in four reported they want to work for a company that values DEI&B.

Call for Accountability

While the survey found that a wide majority (89%) of employees believe their company CEO would publicly endorse DEI&B, the results point to a disconnect between this high-level support, employee perceptions, and overall impact of programs and policies.   

Nearly half of survey respondents (46%) cited a lack of accountability in achieving DEI&B goals.  A majority (73%) said the job of promoting and implementing DEI&B should rest with managers or supervisors, rather than senior leaders, and only 16% said the job should be left to human resources departments.

"Although most employees work for companies with DEI&B programs, the majority are not experiencing the benefits," said Christine Muldoon, vice president of strategy at WebMD Health Services. "This survey tells us that programs and policies aren't enough on their own. What is needed now are strategies that can leverage those programs so they change workplace culture at all levels. This commitment, combined with effective accountability, can empower employees to bring their best contributions and authentic selves to the workplace."

Survey Methodology

The random, representative samples captured, as well as an "oversample" of specific employee segments, include:

600 randomly sampled respondents to represent the overall population, without any demographic bias; 1,404 targeted respondents to compare results with a high degree of statistical certainty across African-American/Black, Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ, Gen X, Gen Y (millennial), and Gen Z respondents. * 

*Sample sizes for each, including responses captured in the random sample, were: African American/Black n=327, Asian n=253, Hispanic n=268, LGBTQ n=385 (Identify sexuality as bisexual, homosexual, other and/or identify gender as non-binary, transgender, other), Gen X n=634 (42-57 years old), Gen Y (millennial) n=837 (26-41 years old), Gen Z n=310 (18-25 years old).

About WebMD Health Services
WebMD Health Services, a part of WebMD Health Corp., has over 25 years of experience driving positive behavior changes. Consumers trust WebMD for reliable, accurate, and clear answers to their most pressing health-related questions. At WebMD Health Services, we tap into these valuable consumer insights to design and implement successful, engaging solutions to help individuals meet their well-being needs. We understand that there are numerous paths to reach well-being goals. Our expertise, combined with a variety of third-party partner integrations, enables us to deliver unique and personalized experiences across a wide range of industries. See how we support these diverse populations at webmdhealthservices.com. 

About WebMD Health Corp.
WebMD, an Internet Brands company, is at the heart of the digital health revolution that is transforming the health care experience for consumers, patients, health care professionals, employers, health plans, and health systems. Through public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications, WebMD delivers leading-edge content and digital services that enable and improve decision-making, support and motivate health actions, streamline and simplify the health care journey, and improve patient care.

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SOURCE WebMD Health Services