Washington, DC, Nov. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seramount unveiled its sixth annual Inclusion Index today. The Inclusion Index provides organizations the metrics needed to understand trends and opportunities in demographic representation, creates a road map to drive internal change, and identifies diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) solutions to close any gaps. Organizations provided data and were measured in three key areas: best practices in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people from underrepresented groups—women, racial/ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people; inclusive company culture; and demographic diversity.
This year, 155 organizations applied to participate in Seramount’s 2023 Inclusion Index. Twenty-six of those listed on the 2023 Inclusion Index are recognized for superior achievement as Pinnacle Inclusion Index companies, which is defined as those receiving a score of 80 percent or higher. Thirty-eight of those listed received a score of 70 percent or higher, qualifying as a Leading Inclusion Index company and 42 of those listed achieved at least 60 percent of the available points to qualify for the overall index. Completed applications were collected online from December 2022 through March 2023. Results reveal opportunities for all organizations to target their diversity and inclusion efforts for greater effectiveness.
“We are proud to see important growth when it comes to DEI best practices and protocol among our Inclusion Index companies,” says Katie Oertli Mooney, Managing Director of Seramount. “These organizations are consistently measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of their policies, and by doing so, they are taking initiative to build a culture of belonging.”
Key findings from the 2023 Seramount Inclusion Index:
- Employee Resource Groups (ERG) continue to progress as an important source for employees: On average, 32 percent of company employees are members of at least one ERG; 53 percent of companies pay extra or offer incentives to employees who hold ERG leadership positions, not including ERG executive sponsors (vs. 41 percent in 2022); 30 percent have religious-based ERGs (vs. 24 percent in 2022).
- Inclusive recruitment strategies: 93 percent of companies highly recommend or require gender and racial/ethnic diversity in succession-planning slates (vs. 72 percent in 2022); 88 percent of companies require or highly recommend candidates for employment be interviewed by a diverse panel of interviewers (vs. 62 percent in 2022).
- Career and leadership development: 74 percent of companies provide formal sponsorship programs (vs. 66 percent in 2022); 96 percent of companies provide mental health education/training to all employees (vs. 88 percent in 2022).
ABOUT SERAMOUNT
Seramount is a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to supporting high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Over four decades, we’ve established a strong, data-driven understanding of the employee experience, which lays the groundwork for everything we do. Seramount partners with over 450 of the world’s most influential companies, large and small, to offer pragmatic solutions including best practice DEI research, workplace assessment, employee learning and development, and talent sourcing. These offerings empower organizations to navigate a dynamic corporate environment and to cultivate a resilient, connected workforce that achieves extraordinary outcomes.
