Workday research shows that DEI has a positive outlook in South African organisations.
Workday, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, has commissioned its first survey of HR and business leaders across South Africa, with the purpose of better understanding motivation, activity and progress around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the country. This formed part of a survey also conducted across key European markets.
The South African survey was conducted among 104 HR professionals and business leaders across a broad range of industries that have influence over DEI in their organisations.
The report, the company says, reflects a positive outlook for the future, with results indicating a strong drive for DEI among respondents and their organisations. The research revealed that South African organisations are collecting more DEI workforce data than their European counterparts, which puts the former in a better position for meaningful action.
“The majority feel they have enough data to engage in a clear strategy, but aren’t using their data to make action-based decisions. Those experiencing diversity positively have the ability to drive change. Those who don’t have a positive experience in their workplace might find it more difficult to demonstrate the impact or value of difference. The findings suggest that for some, the topic of diversity is divisive,” says Workday in a statement.
According to the report,44 percent of the respondents said diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated in the organisation,13 percent said people can readily take each other’s perspectives and communicate accordingly, 18 percent said that diversity was trivialised, and a further 14 percent said it was viewed in a conflicting and polarising way.
Kiveshen Moodley, country manager, Workday, South Africa says: “South Africa exists in a strongly legislated ED&I [equity, diversity and inclusion] environment. However, for meaningful change to take place, organisations must create cultures where ED&I goes beyond scorecards to creating tangible impact. ED&I is something we must authentically embrace, value and place at the core of organisations. Data shouldn’t just be collected; it should be used for insight-driven strategies to drive meaningful change. By approaching ED&I from an employee-centric perspective, we ensure a positive shift from diversity in numbers to an authentic culture of inclusivity.”
