Workday: A third of EU businesses don’t have a strategic approach to improving diversity

Workday has been looking at its own belonging and diversity program after launching VIBE, which helps companies track their diversity hiring efforts. But to better understand the landscape across the EU, the leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, decided to team up with Sapio to carry out research on diversity across the continent.

Workday and Sapio’s study asked over 2,200 HR professionals and business leaders with influence over diversity, equity and inclusion (D,E&I) in Europe about their views on diversity and their plans between February and March 2021. The responses were then analyzed by a consultancy group called EW Group.

The survey found that the majority of European organizations believe their executive teams understand the importance of D,E&I and have invested in the infrastructure to develop it.

Additionally, 75% of respondents say their executive leadership teams see D,E&I as important and had a dedicated budget for its development.

Despite this, there were areas where improvement was desired.

How to improve workplace diversity

A third of D,E&I leaders said that engagement with staff was still required. Similarly, a third didn’t have a strategic approach to D,E&I. Perhaps the most shocking statistic that was found was only a fifth of those surveyed had taken initial steps to develop a diversity strategy.

The study also identified an issue with the information and employee data that is being collected. This is because there are limitations on details gathered and it can be difficult to utilize this information and use it to further workplace development.

In terms of collecting and analyzing data, technology can help. In fact, 92% of UK respondents to Workday’s survey acknowledged that they use technology to support D,E&I initiatives to some degree.

However, with ongoing issues, companies may need to reassess what technology they need.

The likes of Diversio are working with Honda and Accenture to give them a platform that measures, tracks, and improves diversity & inclusion. Using AI, Diversio allows companies to apply the data gathered and uncover bias, recommend solutions, and quantify results.

Similarly, Pulsely delivers reports for action. The insight technology works with L’Oreal and Roche to provide a diversity analysis, workplace inclusion diagnostics, inclusion competencies diagnostics, leadership pipeline analysis, and D&I organizational self-assessment.

As a result of the data collected, Workday has reflected on its own personal areas of focus.

Carin Taylor, chief diversity officer, Workday said: “We are focusing our belonging and diversity efforts on four key areas — hiring and developing diverse talent, cultivating a culture of belonging, building inclusive products and technologies, and strengthening our communities”

Taylor added, “I’m encouraged to see other organizations throughout Europe support these too, as reflected in the survey findings.”

Carolyn Horne, president, EMEA, Workday, added: “At Workday, we work hard to build a diverse workforce. We want the best thinking to drive the best results and this is why we VIBE.

“This not only guides us internally but also in how we engage with our customers; developing innovative products and solutions to help them support belonging and diversity in their workplaces.

“We hope the research findings will help us hone our understanding of local needs and nuances further, to better connect with and serve our customer base in EMEA.”