'The message is clear: create a truly inclusive workplace, or risk losing young talent'
Organisations without a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are at risk of losing the majority of their young employees, a new report has warned.
The report, which was conducted by Gender at Work and YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau, surveyed 606 young women and non-binary people in New Zealand to identify their experiences in the workplace.
It found that just 14% of the respondents who said they don't have or don't know if their organisation has a formal DEI policy in place plan to stay with their employer.
On the other hand, 73% of the 166 respondents who work for a company committed to DEI reported that they are likely to stay.
Source: Gender at Work and YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau
Teresa Lee, Gender at Work specialist, said the findings show that this generation of employees cares more about feeling a sense of purpose, belonging, and well-being over pay.
"The message is clear: create a truly inclusive workplace, or risk losing young talent," Lee said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the report also found that 38% of the respondents had experienced bullying, harassment, and discrimination in their current workplace.
Among them, only 42% said they reported it, while 28% said they didn't want it reported.
The report also found that there is widespread pressure on young professionals to "minimise their personal identity." It discovered that:
Dellwyn Stuart, CEO of YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau, said the findings should be a "wake-up call for organisations."
"Gen Z women are telling us that workplace culture matters. They're experiencing bullying, feeling they need to hide core aspects of their identities, and facing barriers to advancement. When people can't bring their whole selves to work, organisations lose valuable talent and perspectives," Stuart said in a statement.
"We've seen that businesses who acknowledge their challenges and take concrete action to address them retain their young talent. But those who maintain exclusionary cultures or fail to address discrimination will continue to see their young professionals walk away."
