Hone Inaugural State of DEI Report Highlights How Black Lives Matter Shifted Diversity Initiatives Across Organizations

• Report by next-generation learning platform finds that 66% of companies now have DEI initiatives
• Beyond public statements, few companies put money and accountability behind programs
• Front-line employees are leading the way, leadership needs to catch up

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hone, a next-generation live learning platform for leadership and people skills, today announced its inaugural State of DEI Report. The report delves into the impact of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in today’s workplace.

Hone surveyed hundreds of leaders and professionals from more than 100 organizations to understand what companies are saying — and what (if anything) — they’re actually doing to increase DEI in their workplaces.

“As protests against police brutality and racial injustice, the BLM movement made headlines and increased awareness of systemic inequities,” said Hone CEO and Co-founder Tom Griffiths. “These are now important conversations in the workplace, and employees are looking to their companies for leadership.”

Where only 18% of organizations surveyed had DEI initiatives in place prior to 2020, 66% of respondents have implemented DEI training in the past year or will do so in the next year. Leadership team diversity was seen to be a strong predictor of investment in DEI training. Companies with diverse leadership found themselves ahead of the curve, appearing to build organic momentum towards sustained diversity initiatives.

Hiring Sees Action, But Not Accountability

BLM was a driver of broader awareness, but the report shows that companies are still in the early stages of allocating budget and implementing best practices.

Most DEI progress has happened in hiring initiatives — 83% of the organizations surveyed have already implemented diversity tracking. But while 79% of organizations report checking job descriptions for inclusive language, only 24% report holding themselves publicly accountable — by sharing their DEI reports with stakeholders. Part of the problem is that results from diversity initiatives are hard to quantify, and most companies aren’t sure how to measure DEI success.

“Statements are popular: 61% have made a public commitment to DEI,” said Griffiths. “But the real work requires investment and dedicated personnel. That means finding budget and sacrificing elsewhere if need be — for long-term gain. Unfortunately, most aren’t willing to do that, yet. They’re not putting their money where their mouth is.”

Employees Are Leading the Way

People see top leadership as a major blocker for DEI — employees are five times as likely to be concerned about leadership’s commitment to DEI than that of front-line employees, according to the report. However, companies with diverse leadership teams set an example for others to follow. With investment and support, the movement towards equality can continue. Hone is blazing the trail with leadership, DEI and people skills training for all levels of employees, from leaders to those on the front line. To learn more and view the entire report, visit https://www.honehq.com/diversity-equity-inclusion/report.

About Hone

Hone is reimagining training for the modern workplace. Launched in 2018, Hone’s mission is to empower anyone, anywhere with the world’s most impactful learning experiences. As the first-ever platform for live online instructor-led training programs, Hone allows organizations of all sizes to level-up their leadership, DEI and people skills at scale. For more information, visit www.honehq.com, and follow Hone on Twitter @honehq, Facebook, and LinkedIn.