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1、Inclusion Isnt Just Nice.Its Necessary.How a survey quantifying the responses of more than 27,000 employees proves the business value of inclusion.February 2023 By Gabrielle Novacek,Nadjia Yousif,Ashley Dartnell,Mario Farsky,Seema Bansal,Gretchen May,and Alex Zborowski1 INCLUSION ISNT JUST NICE.ITS
2、NECESSARY.Inclusion Isnt Just Nice.Its Necessary.But our extensive research,drawing upon data from more than 27,000 employees across industries in 16 countries,shows a clear mandate for leaders to make inclusion central to the business agenda.Improving employees experience of inclusionwhich we defin
3、e as feeling valued and respected;believing your perspectives matter;feeling happy,motivated,and like you belong;and feeling that your mental and physi-cal well-being is supporteddelivers enormous business value.Done right,inclusion positively changes the workplace experience,and not just for minori
4、ties and marginalized groups:inclusive cultures benefit all employees.Consider these statistics.When employees believe that DEI programming is a priority in the workplace,the number of all employees who are happy increases by 31 percentage points and the number of both women and men who feel motivat
5、ed increases by nearly 25 percentage points.This tells us some important things:DEI has influence beyond the groups it is traditionally thought to target,and inclusion is a win-win for businesses and employees and its the right thing to do.Despite the benefits of inclusion,most companies struggle to
6、 make progress on inclusion or to correct course confi-dently.Companies fall into a few common traps:making assumptions about the feelings and experiences that matter to employees,failing to use quantifiable and statis-tical data to identify the drivers of those feelings,and,crucially,overlooking th
7、e business impact of inclusion.This problem can be solved.To do so,BCG built the BLISS(Bias-Free,Leadership,Inclusion,Safety,and Support)Index,a comprehensive,statistically rigorous tool that uses modeling techniques to identify the feelings of inclusion that matter to retention decisionsand the wor
8、kplace factors that actually drive those feelings of inclusion.(See the sidebar,“What Is BCGs BLISS Index?”)Our analytical model shows for the first time that the felt experience of inclusion is not only quantifiable but highly actionable.By implementing the core drivers of inclusion,employers can s
9、ignificantly improve experienced inclusion,which in turn reduces the likelihood of attrition.Companies that increase their BLISS Index scores from the lowest quartile to the median can boost the number of employees who feel happiness,empowerment,and an ability to fulfill their potential by nearly 30
10、 percentage points;they can also slash attrition risk in half.And as BLISS Index scores improve beyond the median,outcomes continue to improve as well.Every year,billions of dollars are poured into diversity,equity,and inclusion(DEI)initiatives,yet business leaders have minimal in-sight into what wo
11、rksand whether the investments lead to results.Workplace inclusion,in particular,is hard to define,measure,and in-fluence.As a result,inclusion is often underprioritized in DEI efforts and seldom viewed as a business necessity.BCGs Joe Davis explains why inclusion mattersand how to create a more inc
12、lusive workplace.BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP|BLISS 2So how can companies introduce programming and cultivate behaviors that will make a difference for employees experi-ence of inclusion?Data from BCGs BLISS Index reveals a specific set of actions that companies can take to strengthen inclusion in the wo
13、rkplace.Whether your organization is just getting started with inclusion,isnt seeing the desired results from existing inclusion programs,or wants to improve feelings of inclusion,heres how to set the right course.The Drivers of InclusionImagine an employee who comes to work every day in a non-inclu
14、sive environment:They find that direct managers dont respect their working style,their ideas are frequently shot down in meetings,and they are regularly interrupted or talked over.At the office party,the company serves only chicken skewers and beer,though they dont eat meat or drink alcohol,and this
15、 makes them feel like they arent seen or included.Senior leadership is not diverse and none of the C-suite executives share their background,and they cant help but wonder if this could affect their advance-ment opportunities.Over time,these kinds of interactions and experiences make employees feel i
16、ncreasingly out of place.As a result,they are likely to start looking for a job where they will feel seen,understood,and respected.Senior leaders may notice that employees are burned out,taking more sick days,“quiet quitting,”or actually leaving their jobs,but they dont know why.When companies under
17、stand what matters most to employees,though,they can develop cost-effective strategies and programs to support workplace inclusion.The BLISS Index provides that understanding,revealing several key factors that enhance feelings of inclusion in the workplace for all employees,both diverse and nondiver
18、se,across industries and countries.Importantly,the actions that affect employees felt inclusion are within the influ-ence of management.Taken together,actions by senior leaders and direct managers account for two-thirds of the overall BLISS Index score:Senior leaders openly and publicly commit to DE
19、I.Senior leadership is diverse.Direct managers commit to DEI and build safe team environments.The work environment is respectful and free of discrimination and bias.Drawing upon a survey of more than 27,000 employees conducted by BCG,we set out to quantify and understand inclusion.Our primary goal w
20、as to reduce or eliminate subjectivity and rely on in-depth statistical analysis.The survey was conducted over the summer and fall of 2022 in 16 countries:Australia,Brazil,China,Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,India,Italy,Japan,Norway,South Africa,Spain,Sweden,UK,and US.The survey captures self-repor
21、ted data from part-time and full-time employees in large companies with 1,000 or more employees.We used an employee-centric approach to understand what actually drives feeling of inclusion and identify pat-terns in the correlations between responses.For example,if respondents felt valued at work,the
22、y were also very likely to feel that they belonged.From this,we identified the highly correlated variablesfeelings that make up our definition of workplace inclusionthat had a significant impact on a respondents likelihood to leave a job.We then sought to understand how other variables and factors i
23、mpacted feelings of inclusionand each other.To do this we created a Bayesian network.This is a probabilistic graphical model that allows us to understand both cause and effect,such as whether diversity in management results in a reduction in levels of bias experienced by diverse employees,or the rev
24、erse.When we tested our network on self-described feelings of inclusion at work and whether employees could be their authentic selves,there was a very strong and clear relation-ship between feelings of inclusion and authenticity.Through this robust approach,we have statistical represen-tation not on
25、ly of what affects inclusion and by how much but also of how those factors impact each other.The result is a single BLISS Index score ranging from 1 to 100,with higher scores indicating greater inclusion,a global median score of 66,and normal distribution patterns.What Is BCGs BLISS Index?3 INCLUSIO
26、N ISNT JUST NICE.ITS NECESSARY.1.Simons,T.(2002).Behavioral integrity:The perceived alignment between managers words and deeds as a research focus.Organization Science.13(1),18-35.2.Includes data from 15 countries but excludes data from China,where questions on LGBTQ identity(for example,questions a
27、bout sexual orientation or being transgender or nonbinary)were not asked.Actions by senior leaders and direct managers account for two-thirds of the overall BLISS Index score2/3Senior Leadership Commitments to Inclusion.Building an inclusive environment starts at the topand employees need to see tha
28、t leaders make it a clear priority.Inclusion is driven by what leaders do daily:the actions they take,the messages they communicate,the cultures they nurture,and the teams they build.When senior leaders make meaningful and sustained commitments to DEIinternally and externallywe see a massive uptick
29、in the inclusion that workers within the company experience.At companies whose senior leaders are committed to DEI,84%of employees feel valued and respected;in contrast,at companies where leaders are not viewed as committed to DEI,only 44%do.And employees who strongly disagree that their leaders are
30、 committed to DEI report feelings of value and respect of only 16%.These commitments must be backed up by tangible actionsincluding policies,processes,and adaptations to the work environmentto clearly demonstrate leaders care and concern for their employees happiness and well-being.And there are con
31、sequences for leaders who fail to walk the talk:research shows that misalignment be-tween leaders words and actions will increase the likelihood of employee turnover.1In an increasingly challenging labor market,senior leader-ship commitments to DEI have dramatic benefits when it comes to attracting
32、and retaining highly valued employees.By signaling a more inclusive culture,leaders can enable the company to hire and keep a more diverse pool of candidates.In our survey,almost one-third of Black,indige-nous,and other people of color;LGBTQ employees;and people with disabilities chose not to apply
33、for or accept a role owing to a lack of inclusion in the work culture.Further demonstrating the importance of inclusion to all demographics,so did 16%of straight,cis-gendered men.2 Inclusive cultures draw more ambitious candidates as well:25%of employees who indicate they are definitely seeking a pr
34、omotion in the next one to three years chose not to apply for or to accept a role because they had negative perceptions of inclusion within a companys culture,com-pared with 8%of less ambitious candidates.Importantly,inclusive initiatives do not in any way alienate majority groups;on the contrary,th
35、ey make all employees happier.When senior leaders are seen as committed to DEI,84%of straight,cis-gendered men agree that they feel happy at work.In contrast,when senior leaders are not viewed as committed to DEI,only 47%of straight,cis-gendered men report workplace happiness.Exhibit 1 is a snapshot
36、 of the value of senior leadership commitment.BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP|BLISS 4Source:BCG Diversity and Inclusion Assessment for Leadership Global Survey,2022.Exhibit 1-Inclusion starts with senior leadershipWhen senior leaders are strongly committed to DEI,companies are likely to have.7xas many direc
37、t managers who are committed to DEI3xas many direct managers who create safe working environmentsas much diversity in senior leadership5xDiversity in Senior Leadership.We found in our study that companies with a diverse senior leadership team provide better inclusion experiences for all employees.Wh
38、en compa-nies have diversity in senior leadership,85%of employees report feelings of belonging at work,whereas only 53%of employees who work at companies without diversity in senior leadership feel as though they belong.Importantly,employees of all identitiesincluding but not limited to traditionall
39、y defined diverse employeesexperience an improved work-place because of leadership diversity.While it is imperative to increase the representation of the most obvious diversity groups(women,people of color,people with disabilities,and LGBTQ employees),diversity comes in many different forms.Age,soci
40、oeconomic back-ground,level of education,level of ambition,and caregiving outside of work,to name a few,are all forms of diversity that influence who employees are and what they bring to the workplace.Percentage reporting feelings of belongingWhen leadership is diverse,employees are more likely to h
41、ave a sense of belongingCompanies without diversity in senior leadershipCompanies with diversity in senior leadership85%53%5 INCLUSION ISNT JUST NICE.ITS NECESSARY.Direct Managers Commitment to Inclusion.Senior leaders arent the only ones who influence feelings of inclusion:direct managers are a cru
42、cial part of the equation.Not surprisingly,a commitment to DEI at the senior lead-ership level has a positive effect on all levels of leadership.When senior leaders are committed to DEI,83%of employ-ees report that their direct managers are also committed to DEI and 86%say that their direct managers
43、 create a feeling of psychological safety(as opposed to just 17%and 29%,respectively,at companies without a senior leadership commitment to DEI).Because direct managers interact with employees daily,they are vital to an inclusive day-to-day work environment.Direct managers create a positive work env
44、ironment by reinforcing inclusive ways of working and adopting practices that support employees sense of psychological safety.We define psychological safety as the shared belief that it is safe to speak up in the workplace,make mistakes,and take risks without fear of being blamed.Its a top driver of
45、 team successand often overlooked.Because direct managers play such an essential role in the daily lives of employees,they are in an ideal position to offer both personal and professional support.Direct man-agers are the first people employees turn to for supportand they set the tone for what behavi
46、ors are permitted and whether employees feel safe challenging the status quo.These interactions add up over time,and managers re-sponses play an important role in fostering feelings of inclusionand reducing attrition.When direct managers create safe working environments,79%of employees feel that the
47、ir perspectives matter,a measure that drops to 36%for employees whose managers do not create a safe working environment.Employees who believe their manag-ers support them have a 4%attrition risk versus 17%for employees who feel their managers do not support them.Our survey found that certain groupsi
48、ncluding older employees,lower-ranking employees,and employees from less advantaged socioeconomic backgroundsare the least likely to feel psychologically safe at work.An awareness of this will allow direct managers to engage with these groups to proactively offer support and promote a culture of ope
49、n communication.A Discrimination-Free,Bias-Free,Respectful Environment.Companies that safeguard against discrimination,eliminate experiences of bias,and ensure consequences for disrespectful behavior directly improve employees feelings of psychological safety and thereby improve feelings of inclusio
50、n.Employees who experience or even just witness discrimination,bias,or disrespect are nearly 1.4 times more likely to quit.Importantly,when employees believe senior leaders are committed to DEI,they are 33 percentage points more likely to feel comfortable speaking out in the face of discrimination,b
51、ias,and disrespectful behavior.When employees feel emboldened to speak up or see conse-quences for these types of behaviors,they are more comfortable being their authentic selves at work,which makes them feel that the workplace is more inclusive.1LeadershipopportunitiesFlexibleSchedulingCoachingFeed
52、backProfessionaldevelopmentFacilitatingdifficultconversationsCorrectingpoorteam behaviorAnd much,much moreThey are positioned to offer daily personal and professional supportDirect managers play an essential roleEmployees who believe their managers support them are less likely to leave their jobs4%1
53、7%Manager supportNo manager supportEmployees who believe their managers support them have a 4%attrition risk versus a 17%attrition risk for employees who feel their managers do not support them.Attrition riskAttrition riskBOSTON CONSULTING GROUP|BLISS 6Is Your Company Inclusive?Heres How You Can Tel
54、l.Knowing what drives feelings of inclusion helps companies understand how to move the needle on inclusion,but how do companies measure and track progress over time?How do they know when they have achieved inclusion?BCGs BLISS Index establishes that employees feelings of authenticity at work are hig
55、hly correlated with feelings of inclusion and the positive outcomes associated with inclusion.(See Exhibit 2.)Per our definition,authenticity at work means that employees feel able to share the parts of their identity that they view as important,whether that be their sexual orientation,race,health,s
56、ocioeconomic background,personal living situation,or anything else.Employees who can be their authentic selves are happier and more motivated to give their best.They feel that their perspectives matter.And they are nearly 2.4 times less likely to quit.When a company gets inclusive culture right,empl
57、oyees feel able to bring their authentic selves to work.Importantly,authenticity is highly correlated with a sense of inclusionfor every single individual,regardless of identity markers,personality traits,and life experiences.Across and within all subgroups,people who agree that they can be their au
58、thentic selves at work achieved a BLISS Index score twice as high as that of people who strongly disagree.(See Exhibit 3.)Not surprisingly,the“BLISS abyss”the gap in inclusion experiences we observe in the datawidens when people feel the need to cover or hide parts of their authentic selves at work.
59、For example,69%of people who have dis-closed a disability to their employer say they can be their authentic selves at work,but just 59%who have not dis-closed doa 10-percentage-point difference.In the LGBTQ community,the gap is even wider:73%of employees who are out to some of their coworkers feel t
60、hey can be their authentic selves at work,compared with 53%who are not outa full 20-percentage-point difference.This pattern follows for socioeconomic background;we found that 64%of employees who come from less advantaged financial backgrounds feel they can be their authentic selves at work,whereas
61、75%of people who grew up advantaged feel that they can be authentic.These examples showcase the importance of creating environments where people with disabilities can disclose,LGBTQ employees can come out,and those from less advantageous backgrounds can talk openly about their experiences.So,how do
62、companies close these gaps to create a strong,inclusive work environment for all employees?How to Boost Inclusion at Your Company Inclusion is one of the most actionable levers companies can use to attract and retain talent.To improve employees happiness,well-being,and retention,leaders should focus
63、 their inclusion efforts on the following actions.Demonstrate senior leadership commitment to DEI.Leaders should view inclusion as a core strategic impera-tive.Advocate visibly and cogently for DEI and keep it central to the business strategy.Starting with the board of directors through to the C-sui
64、te and senior leadership,DEI must be a key strategic pillar with specific investment,ROI,and accountability attached.What this means,more specifically,is that leaders need to publicly share DEI aspirations and associated robust metrics to track progress and organization-wide accountability for conti
65、nuous improvement.The board should also hold lead-ership accountable by tying compensation to DEI outcomes.As part of 360-degree feedback reviews,leaders should collect data to find out whether employees believe compa-ny leaders are committed to DEI.Leverage internal survey data to understand what i
66、s most important to employees in terms of their workplace experiences and ability to thrive,then use that data to deliver tailored programming and policies that address these pain points.Its also important to offer a comprehensive package of DEI programming,including mentorship,affinity networks,and
67、 programs for high-potential employees.Offering multiple layers of DEI programming enhances the effective-ness and returns of each individual program,which results in the biggest improvement in experience for workers.Employees are motivated to combat discrimination when they believe senior leaders a
68、re committed to DEIWhen employees believe senior leaders are committed to DEI,they are 33 percentage points more likely to feel comfortable speaking out in the face of discrimination,bias,and disrespectful behavior.+33percentagepoints7 INCLUSION ISNT JUST NICE.ITS NECESSARY.Source:BCG Diversity and
69、Inclusion Assessment for Leadership Global Survey,2022.Note:The categories“not LGBTQ”and“LGBTQ”include data from 15 countries but exclude data from China,where questions regarding LGBTQ identity(e.g.,sexual orientation,identifying as transgender or nonbinary)were not asked.The“white”and“BIPOC”catego
70、ries are based on questions on racial minorities asked in only 4 countries:Brazil,South Africa,UK,and US.The category“parent”was defined as having responsibility for a child younger than 18 in the individuals household.The categories“high SES”and“low SES”refer to socioeconomic status and responses i
71、ndicate that an individuals upbringing was“very financially comfortable”(high)or“very financially uncomfortable”(low).BIPOC=Black,indigenous,and people of color.Exhibit 2-Being your authentic self is strongly linked to feelings of inclusion for all employeesAverage response rate to the statement:I f
72、eel free to be my authentic self at workSource:BCG Diversity and Inclusion Assessment for Leadership Global Survey,2022.Exhibit 3-Across all demographic groups,being your authentic self at work has dramatic benefitsAverage BLISS Index score of respondents responding to the statement:I feel free to b
73、e my authentic self at workStrongly AgreeDisagreeStrongly DisagreeNeutral0-1010-2020-3030-4040-5050-6060-7070-8080-9090-100Average BLISS Index scoreAgreeAverage Response RateEmployees who feel free to be their authentic selves at work all improve their inclusion scores,with an average increase of 37
74、 percentage points on the BLISS IndexMenThe BLISS abyss 37 Strongly agreeStrongly disagreeWomenWithout disabilitiesWithdisabilitiesNot LGBTQLGBTQWhiteBIPOCParentNonparentHigh SESLowSESAllrespondents80060BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP|BLISS 8Build diversity at the senior leadership level.Send a clear messag
75、e that diversity at the senior leadership level is a high priority for the organizationand a key driver of business success.Establish strong pipelines for diverse talent to move up the ranks within the organization.Think broadly about different types of diversity(including diversi-ty of thought,back
76、ground,and experience)and the ways diverse employees unlock innovative thinking within your organization.When senior leaders are open and honest about their diverse backgrounds and differences,they reinforce the message that diversity is integral to the business and its success.Equip direct managers
77、 to create safe teams and environments(and make them accountable).Employees need to feel that someone inside the organization cares about them,routinely engages with them,and has their back when they need support.Direct managers are uniquely positioned to fulfill this rolebut they need guidance on w
78、hen and how to intervene.Managers must ensure conse-quences for bad behavior and empower others to intervene or call out bad behavior when they see it.Build account-ability for creating a psychologically safe workplace envi-ronment into managers job descriptions and evaluations.Train leaders to reco
79、gnize when to speak out,how to cre-ate safe conversations about sensitive topics,and how to help employees open up and share important aspects of their identities(as opposed to covering up their authentic selves).Senior leaders can model this behavior for direct managers by sharing their own vulnera
80、bilities,destigmatiz-ing failure,and participating in listening sessions to ex-press their authentic selves.Build stringent safeguards against discriminatory and biased behaviors.Most companies already specify“code of conduct”norms and explicitly prohibit discrimina-tory behaviors in the workplace.T
81、hese policies should be accompanied by a set of clear,well-documented,well-understood processes for resolving situations when discrimination or bad behavior occurs.In addition to these top-down structural programs,a culture of allyship ensures that inclusion is built in to everyday interactions.Alli
82、es support and advocate for populations and communities that they are not a part of,using their power and privilege to uplift others.Important actions include drawing attention to prejudice and non-inclusive behavior when it is observed,using inclusive language,and participating in awareness-buildin
83、g activities and celebrations in support of diverse identities.Measure outcomes focused on DEI.Establish a portfolio of metrics that correlate to a set of experiences we know are the true indicators of inclusive environments.Set targets to achieve diversity in hiring,advancement,and retentionand tra
84、ck exit interviews to know whether a lack of inclusivity is a factor when people decide to leave the company.Listen to employees perceptions of the organizations commitment to DEI at all levels of manage-ment.Conduct annual surveys to measure employee satis-faction with DEI commitment and inclusion,
85、then disaggre-gate employee outcomes to identify the groups most vulnerable to negative experiences within the organization.When you identify areas of concern,start conversations to shine a light on these problems and design innovative policies and programs to address them.With the ability to measur
86、e employees feelings of inclusion and track the corresponding effectiveness of DEI initiatives,companies now have the power to do better by their employeesand seize a genuine business advantage.BCGs BLISS Index has shown conclusively that inclusion directly affects the decisions people make about th
87、eir jobs.Given the profoundly varied experiences employees face at work today,these findings on the power of inclusion in the workplace offer leaders a lifelineand a mandate for action.Inclusion is not just about meeting the needs of historically disadvantaged groups,such as women,racial minorities,
88、the LGBTQ community,or people with disabili-ties;it creates the conditions for every employee to bring their authentic self to work,contribute fully,and realize their full potentialall while delivering a powerful return for companies.By investing leadership focus and resources strategically to build
89、 a more inclusive workplace,companies can boost employees happiness at work and dramatically improve retention.9 INCLUSION ISNT JUST NICE.ITS NECESSARY.About the Authors Gabrielle Novacek is a managing director and partner in the Chicago office of Boston Consulting Group.You may contact her by email
90、 at .Ashley Dartnell is a senior director for global diversity,equity,and inclusion,located in BCGs London office.You may contact her by email at .Seema Bansal is a partner and director in BCGs New Delhi office.You may contact her by email at .Alex Zborowski is a project leader in BCGs Seattle offic
91、e.You may contact him by email at .Nadjia Yousif is a managing director and partner in the firms London office,and she is BCGs chief diversity officer.You may contact her by email at .Mario Farsky is an associate director,customer centricity,in the firms Hamburg office.You may contact him by email a
92、t .Gretchen May is a director for global diversity,equity,and inclusion,located in the firms Dallas office.You may con-tact her by email at .AcknowledgmentsThe authors are grateful to Kaitlin Roh,Megan Moore,Onyi Ozoma,Lily Feldman,and Edward La Cava for their contributions to this article.For Furth
93、er ContactIf you would like to discuss this report,please contact the authors.BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP|BLISS 10Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities.BCG was the pioneer in business strat
94、egy when it was founded in 1963.Today,we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow,build sustainable competitive advantage,and drive positive societal impact.Our diverse,global teams bring deep industry and f
95、unctional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change.BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting,technology and design,and corporate and digital ventures.We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels
96、 of the client organization,fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.For information or permission to reprint,please contact BCG at .To find the latest BCG con-tent and register to receive e-alerts on this topic or others,please visit .Follow Boston Consulting Group on Facebook and Twitter.Boston Consulting Group 2023.All rights reserved.2/23