Ten Diversity in the Workplace Facts Leaders Should Know

Diversity and inclusion are top of mind for many managers and C-suite executives in the workplace. But it’s no secret that these workplaces still have much work to do to make employees feel represented, heard, and supported.

In fact, according to a 2019 Glassdoor report, 61 percent of U.S. employees have witnessed workplace discrimination. Another survey of Americans found that 34 percent of participants left jobs because of unresolved issues with harassment.

It’s no surprise why, according to a 2020 Glassdoor survey, 76 percent of job seekers and employees agree that a diverse workforce is essential. 

Being aware of a wide array of workplace diversity statistics may help you navigate it easier. Using these insights, you can create a more inclusive company culture that can ultimately help boost business. 

 

Ten facts about diversity at work

 

Here are ten facts about diversity in the workplace you should know.

 

1️⃣ The world is becoming more diverse.

All in all, the world is becoming more racially diverse.

The number of people who identify as white and non-Hispanic in the U.S. (which is currently the biggest racial population in the country) decreased for the first time in 2020. By 2060, one in three Americans are expected to belong to a race other than white. 

 

2️⃣ There are generational differences in diversity.

Some generations are more diverse than others. Generation Z, for example, is the most racially diverse in the U.S.

About half (48 percent) identify as non-white. Meanwhile, about 56 percent of millennials are white, and 75 percent of baby boomers are white.

 

3️⃣ Women are most likely to experience biases at work.

Women still only earn 83 cents to the male dollar.

Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of them face microaggressions in the workplace, and 78.2 percent of sexual harassment charges to the U.S. EEOC between 2018 and 2021 were filed by women.

 

4️⃣ Women face more career climb struggles than men.

Women are less likely to be hired for entry-level and manager-level jobs than men with the same qualifications.

And even though women may hold the same characteristics as men, they’re 30 percent less likely to be given an interview. There’s no surprise, then, that only one in four C-suite roles are occupied by women, and women only make up 10.6 percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies (which is the highest number we’ve seen yet).

 

5️⃣ Women are more likely to focus on DE&I efforts than men.

Women in senior management are twice as likely as men in the same positions to spend “substantial time” on DE&I efforts outside of their job descriptions.

That’s why you’ll find many women running initiatives like employee resource groups.

 

6️⃣ Most of the workforce is still white.

While the world is indeed diversifying, the workplace isn’t quite keeping up. Most of the U.S. workforce (77 percent) identifies as white.

Meanwhile, Hispanic or Latino people make up 18 percent, Black people make up 13 percent, and Asian people make up seven percent of the workforce. 

 

7️⃣ People of color experience the most workplace biases.

People of color experience significantly more workplace discrimination than people who identify as white.

For example, 24 percent of Black and Hispanic or Latino employees have experienced discrimination in the workplace. Job candidates with “distinctively Black names” are less likely to hear back about the status of their applications compared to candidates with “distinctively white names.”

 

8️⃣ Employees would like to see more LGBTQ+ diversity at work.

There’s still a lot of work to be done to support the LGBTQ+ community at work. In fact, 40 percent of U.S. employees don’t feel like their companies are doing enough to hire more community members.

 

9️⃣ People with disabilities tend to be unemployed more than those without.

People with disabilities are less likely to be employed than people without them. This is true for people across all age groups. For example, in 2022, 7.6 percent of people with a disability in the U.S. were unemployed.

 

? Diverse companies do better business.

While diversity in the workplace still has a long way to go, companies would be wise to speed up the process.

Those with diverse teams have more inclusive and collaborative cultures, which boost motivation and satisfaction, ultimately driving results. In 2020, companies with more than 30 percent female executives outperformed those with 10 to 30 percent. Similarly, companies with 30 percent women on their boards saw higher revenue.

The same is true for the most racially diverse companies.