In the world of work today, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are critical components for fostering innovation, enhancing employee engagement, and driving organisational success. Though many employers have good intentions when it comes to enhancing their DE&I practices, identifying the key areas to focus on can be challenging.

Our recent survey, which received over 700 responses from accountancy and finance professionals, sheds light on the current state of DE&I in the workplace and offers valuable insights for employers aiming to improve candidate attraction, staff retention and employee wellbeing. Read on for an overview of some of our findings:

Bridging the resource awareness gap

More than two-in-five (42%) organisations across all industries now have a dedicated DE&I resource, according to our research. However, fewer respondents (35%) from the accountancy and finance profession say their organisation has a dedicated DE&I resource, highlighting an area for potential improvement.

These differing results may be influenced by some respondents being unaware of such resource despite its existence within their organisation – perhaps a portion of the 14% who responded ‘unsure’ – since those working in accountancy and finance might be less likely than some other teams to cross paths with a DE&I function. If your organisation does in fact have a dedicated resource, then it would be a good idea to communicate this to your team and advise of some of the work they do – it may be incredibly encouraging for them to hear, especially as an organisation’s commitment to DE&I continues to be a crucial factor for talent attraction and retention.

The role of DE&I on employee satisfaction

A strong link between DE&I and wellbeing was identified, with 70% of accountancy and finance professionals agreeing that positive employee wellbeing is linked to DE&I in the workplace. This highlights the importance of integrating DE&I initiatives with overall employee wellbeing strategies to create a supportive and inclusive work environment.

What’s more, respondents also identified several areas where greater diversity and inclusion could have the most positive impact (they were able to select more than one response). The top answer given by professionals in this industry was around improved company culture (74%), followed by attraction of top talent (40%) and boosted staff morale (34%).

Leadership support has risen – but efforts must persist

Leadership backing is crucial for the success of DE&I initiatives. Currently, over a quarter (29%) of accountancy and finance respondents rate their leadership as very supportive, and more than half (52%) as quite supportive, of DE&I efforts. Encouragingly, 52% of respondents also believe there has been an improvement in leadership support over the past five years, reflecting a positive trend towards greater commitment from the top.

Of course, there are always improvements to be made. If you’re looking for a simple way to drive DE&I within your team, you may want to consider offering more flexibility, since the availability of flexible arrangements, such as hybrid and remote working, has been seen as having a positive impact on DE&I by 93% of accountancy and finance workers, while return-to-office mandates could have the opposite effect.

The findings from our survey highlight the critical role that DE&I plays in shaping a positive and productive workplace. Prioritising DE&I not only enhances company culture and staff morale but also drives recruitment, retention, and overall organisational success – ultimately benefitting employers and employees alike.

For more insights and guidance on DE&I in the workplace, download the full report here.