A Mature Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Delivers Real Results
DEI programs in the workplace
Organizations that invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are seeing positive business outcomes such as better competitive position, increased agility and innovation, and better brand perception. The data comes from a newly published study that TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) conducted, commissioned by Amazon Web Services. The study found that the maturity level of these DEI programs determines the degree of positive impact, with organizations that have the most mature programs seeing the greatest returns on their investment.
DEI maturity levels
ESG surveyed 2,000 global business strategists about their companies’ level of commitment to DE&I and asked participants about benefits their organizations experienced as a result.
Based on the participants’ responses, ESG then categorized the organizations by four groups by their maturity levels, from least to most mature: Nascent, Emerging, Evolving, and Leading.
In the study, the majority of respondents from Leading organizations reported that their company’s DEI efforts improved their business’s competitive position, increased agility and innovation and brand perception, and helped drive a positive return on investment. The more mature the DEI program, the more likely the organization reported positive business outcomes.
Beyond the direct outcomes of DEI initiatives, the research shows a strong correlation between DEI program maturity level and other positive business outcomes. For example, compared to Nascent organizations, respondents from Leading organizations were:
2x as likely to report a lead over industry competitors to market by over a fiscal quarter
More likely to report average market share growth
Almost 3x as likely to report beating fiscal year revenue expectations by 10%
DEI key study takeaways:
Organizations with mature DEI programs see positive business outcomes directly and indirectly related to their efforts, including:
Increased agility and innovation
Better brand recognition
A four-month time-to-market advantage over their competitors, and more.
The more mature an organization’s DEI program is, the more likely the organization is to see a return on investment. While companies who are just starting their DEI journey sometimes report success, the DEI Leading organizations achieve more business outcomes than organizations that are considered to be Nascent, Emerging, or Evolving.
AWS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity
While these organizations’ programs are referred to as the widely-used “DEI” term in this article and report, AWS leads with inclusion and refers to its own initiatives as inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) programs, because while diversity is the reflection of the world in which we live, inclusion is a powerful force that enables each of our AWS Builders to be seen, appreciated and heard.
At AWS, we too are on a journey to create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable world. Join us by investing in diversity and inclusion as a business accelerator.
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