New Data from NPower's Command Shift Coalition Reveals that 75% of U.S. Consumers Mistrust Companies' DEI Commitments

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Jul 20, 2023, 09:00 ET

Command Shift, a Coalition of Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and other leading organizations, introduces the Diversity Directive, a comprehensive new digital resource to guide companies in increasing women of color in their workforce

What you need to know:

New research from NPower's Command Shift coalition found that 75% of American adults do not believe US companies are following-through on their DE&I commitments made during the pandemic, nor are they doing enough to employ underrepresented women of color.
Yet, despite these concerns, more than one-fourth of US adults do not know what actions companies should take to honor and improve their DE&I commitments.
For companies that want to increase consumer trust and take action to improve diversity across all levels of their organization, NPower's Command Shift coalition today unveiled the Diversity Directive - a new, extensive resource that provides companies with guidance, strategies, relevant case studies, data and more to support companies in jumpstarting or revamping their DEI policies and practices.
NPower's Command Shift Coalition is on a mission to double the representation of women of color in tech jobs from 5% to 10% in 10 years to move toward equity in the sector.

NEW YORK, July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, NPower's Command Shift Coalition unveiled new data about consumer attitudes towards US companies and their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. Results from a recent Omnibus show that 75% of American adults do not think US companies have followed through on their DEI commitments made during the pandemic and the same amount do not think companies are doing enough to recruit women of color in their workforce. Additionally, more than one-fourth of Americans do not know what companies should do to help solve this issue.

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In the tech sector, women of color make up merely 6% of the workforce, despite accounting for 20% of the population.

The new research from Command Shift, a national coalition mission-driven to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of women of color in tech and tech-enabled sectors, also revealed that more than 67% of US adults believe that both C-Suite (corporate leadership) and the U.S. government have some level of responsibility to diversify their workforce by recruiting women of color.

"Tech and tech-adjacent companies that lack an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion will lose in the next decade," said Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO, NPower. "They will lose in the continuing war for talent, in the race for innovation, and in the war for consumers, especially as the US population becomes more diverse."

To support companies in making good on their promises to increase diversity, Command Shift created the Diversity Directive, a comprehensive series of clear, concise, strategies, guidelines, case studies and other resources. The new digital hub, across four different unique toolkits, provides step-by-step guidance-- to meet companies where they are on their DE&I journey, whether they are looking to make an initial DE&I reporting/assessment or looking to make investments toward skill-building programs for employees/for those across nontraditional backgrounds.

"Achieving equity for women of color in the tech workforce cannot happen in a vacuum, and we need to bring as many like-minded companies together as possible," said Ann Marr, EVP, Global Human Resources. "We are proud to support Command Shift in this effort to provide industry leaders with the resources and tools they need to create a culture of inclusion within their organizations, for the betterment of people, businesses and communities."

While the focus of the recommended strategies and insights within the Diversity Directive are catered to accelerate women of color in the technology industry, the resources are available for use to meet a widespread range of diversity goals.

The Diversity Directive focuses on four major areas:

Measurement: The Disrupt your DEI by the Numbers toolkit provides action steps to help employers foster a culture of inclusion and belonging through thoughtful data collection and analysis.
Hiring: The Shift Towards Inclusive Hiring toolkit guides companies through employment-related biases - how to spot them, avoid them, and how to reassess hiring criteria for future positions to include more diverse candidates.
Investment: The Shift Towards Transformational Investment toolkit highlights the successful implementation of strategic investments that boost alternative pathways for diverse candidates, including training and skills development via workforce development programs, community colleges, and other nontraditional settings.
Retention and Advancement: The Shift Towards Equitable Culture toolkit guides users on different strategies and programs that can be utilized to promote and retain Black, Latina and Native American women within the technology sector .

"Increasing employee diversity at tech companies by hiring more women of color will require business leaders, human resource officers, recruitment managers and others throughout business to reassess and revamp their existing policies to prioritize hiring more women of color including those from underrepresented communities and non-traditional backgrounds," said Candice Dixon, executive director, Command Shift.

To read The Diversity Directive, and to learn more about Command Shift, visit www.commandshift.org/diversitydirective.

About NPower
NPower is a national nonprofit, rooted in community, that is committed to advancing race and gender equity in the tech industry. Through skills training, real world experience, support and mentorship, NPower graduates launch burgeoning careers and a pathway to financial freedom for themselves and their families. Students who enter their free, six-month program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience. Eighty-one percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today's limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit http://www.npower.org.

About Command Shift
Command Shift, Accelerating More Women of Color in Tech, is a national consortium of women and allies that advocate for strategies that invest in and inspire the advancement of young women of color in tech careers—with particular focus on women from underrepresented communities and non-traditional pathways. The coalition is composed of business leaders, corporations, nonprofits, and community organizations, who will address the glaring inequalities of women of color in tech. To learn more and join Command Shift, visit https://www.npower.org/commandshift/

Research Methodology
This original survey was conducted to 1,205 adults using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov panel of individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails are sent to panelists selected at random from the base sample. The email invites them to take part in a survey and provides a generic survey link. Once a panel member clicks on the link they are sent to the survey that they are most required for, according to the sample definition and quotas. Invitations to surveys don't expire and respondents can be sent to any available survey.The sample definition can be considered "US adult population" or a subset such as "US adult females". The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry accepted data. The survey's margin of error at a 95% confidence level is 2.73%.

Media contact:
Hillary Ovalle
hillary.ovalle@finnpartners.com

SOURCE NPower