As America grows more diverse and consumers scrutinize the values of companies they engage with, very diverse workplaces enjoy distinct and quantifiable business advantages over less diverse ones, according to research from Brodeur Partners’ Diversity & Inclusion practice.

• Morale is more than twice as likely to be rated “excellent” in very diverse workplaces, according to the online survey of 1,592 Americans. Fifty-six percent (56%) of respondents from very diverse workplaces described their teams’ morale as excellent versus only 23% of respondents from less diverse workplaces.
• For 3 out of 5 respondents (59%), personal productivity is higher in environments with people of varied backgrounds.
• Company loyalty, as expressed by net promoter score, is +46 for “very diverse” workplaces and only -1.4 for less diverse workplaces. A strong net promoter score indicates workers are more likely to stay in their jobs, say good things about the company, and aid in recruitment.

“Diversity drives business results, and the evidence continues to mount,” said Angela Collins, Brodeur Partners’ senior vice president of diversity and inclusion. “This research cements the case that creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace ultimately improves the bottom line. The business advantages of inclusion will only intensify as our country and the world evolve.”

Less diverse workplaces are defined as those saying they have a workforce that is somewhat, not very, or not at all diverse.

Here’s how the score is calculated: Among employees who rated their workplace as “very diverse,” 58% answered with a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale on their likelihood to recommend their workplace to a friend or acquaintance. Those ratings categorize them as “promoters.” Twelve percent (12%) of employees in very diverse workplaces answered with a 0 to 6, categorizing them as “detractors.” Subtracting 12 from 58 yields the +46 new promoter score. A negative score indicates that there were more detractors from those workplaces than promoters.

Diversity is intentional

Brodeur’s research also revealed a second major insight: Diverse workforces are developed intentionally, not accidentally. Approximately half of respondents working in very diverse workforces say their organizations:

• Actively recruit people from diverse backgrounds (50%)
• Design products and services for diverse communities (47%)
• Engage diverse communities through tailored communications and marketing strategy (48%)

Fewer than 1 in 5 say the same of less diverse workforces.

Diversity also attracts talent: Among women, African Americans, Hispanics and younger workers, diverse workforces were ranked second in personal importance in when deciding where to work, behind flexible working hours, in a list of six workplace attributes respondents reviewed, including continuous training opportunities, strong corporate social responsibility programs, wellness programs and the latest communications technologies.

Brodeur’s new practice

To help clients in their planning and D & I efforts, Brodeur Partners today launched a Diversity & Inclusion practice. Its mission is to help businesses, nonprofits and education institutions thrive in a world with rising expectations of inclusion and equity for people of every race, gender, preference, age and ability.

The Diversity & Inclusion practice will employ Brodeur’s proven Relevance approach to help organizations define their unique challenges, execute tailored solutions, and influence the behavior of their most important audiences. Brodeur will work with clients to attract talent, engage their workforce, cultivate new markets, lead by example and navigate crises. Services include diversity audits, Relevance Labs, culture transformation, internal communications, external communications, thought leadership, and more.

America is changing

Diversity has surfaced as a business priority as the country nears a tipping point: Nonwhites will constitute a majority of the U.S. population by around 2045, and the country’s children are projected to be majority minority by next year. Minority births have outnumbered Caucasian births since at least 2011.

“Society is evolving both demographically and culturally, which makes true inclusion essential for productivity, morale, teamwork, branding and revenue,” said Collins. “American political culture, and the flashpoints around race, gender and ethnicity, are only raising the stakes. Fortunately, organizations increasingly realize the importance of a relevant diversity and inclusion strategy to their success.”

Deep experience

Although the formal Diversity & Inclusion practice is new, Brodeur possesses deep experience helping companies achieve inclusion, including creating research-based communications programs to: reach African American women in the cancer community; increase colon-cancer screening across all races and psychographics; and engage opioid users by age, race and gender. Brodeur has also conducted extensive original research on the most racially diverse generation in U.S. history, Generation Z.

Hayes has previously led the American Cancer Society’s communications and marketing outreach to African American, Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander and LGBTQ audiences. She has partnered with several Fortune 500 companies to create marketing communications programs to increase engagement with underrepresented communities. She also serves as on the Public Relations Society of Americas’ diversity and inclusion committee.

“Diversity is important, yet the larger goal is true inclusion where everyone feels respected, valued and free to speak their mind,” said Brodeur Partners’ CEO Andrea “Andy” Coville. “Genuine inclusion enables employees to perform at their highest level, and customers, students and constituents to see organizations as trustworthy and relevant to their lives.”

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