Corporate diversity: Columbus companies making progress, but how fast?

Columbus-area companies and nonprofits have remained focused on diversity, equity and inclusion despite staffing challenges, inflation and a shifting workplace environment.

However, those efforts need to grow to diversify and develop staff, guarantee equal pay, and implement effective reporting so equity is achieved, according to the results of a Columbus Dispatch survey.

What a Dispatch survey found about companies' progress

The Dispatch sent the survey to more than 2,000 companies and nonprofits, as well as chambers of commerce and city governments. Questions were developed with assistance from Adrian Sullivan, president of the Central Ohio Diversity Consortium, a collective of DEI practitioners.

The survey received 31 responses (1.5%) from participants with five to nearly 50,000 employees — more than double the participants in last year's survey. Nine companies participated for the second year in a row.

The results this time around show that DEI efforts are continuing to evolve.

Although 64% of companies surveyed reported a change in the diversity of their boards — up from 38% last year — efforts to add women may be outpacing efforts to add minorities. While women make up about 40% of boards of participating companies, the number is 29% for people of color — down from 31% last year.

Read the full article here.