Results of the Wave II of Global DEI Census are now live, and shows high recognition of industry efforts but no improvement on inclusion.

Nearly 13,000 respondents from 33 markets took part in this survey between March 15 and April 30, providing detailed insight into people’s experience across the advertising and marketing industry. The report covered characteristics such as race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status or disability as well as positions, salary and most importantly, lived experiences in the workplace.

Despite one in two saying things are improving, inclusion scores remain the same as in 2021. Greatest forms of discrimination are unfortunately still on basis of age, gender and care-giving status.

The top takeouts are the following:

1. 1 in 7 still say they would leave our industry on account of a lack of diversity and inclusion. This rises to 1 in 6 for women and LGBQ+, 1 in 5 for ethnic minorities and 1 in 4 for disabled respondents.
2. 72% of respondents recognise efforts are being made. But this figure varies across countries. 87% recognised efforts in US and Canada. Just 49% in Japan.
3. 1 in 2 respondents say things have improved. But level of positive sentiment depends on where you work. 7 in 10 agree in Spain and Brazil. Just 3 in 10 agree in Sweden, Poland and Japan. And people in senior positions were more likely to say things have improved (58%) compared with managers (49%) and junior staff (42%).
4. Critically, we have not moved the needle on inclusion, according to Kantar’s Inclusion Index. In 2021, Kantar’s inclusion score was 64%. Now it is 63%.
5. Women, LGBQ+, ethnic minority and disabled respondents still have worse experiences than their counterparts.  
6. The worst experiences by far are reported by disabled respondents.
7. The most common forms of discrimination are still around age, gender and family status.
8. Women and ethnic minorities feel underrepresented in senior positions.
9. Mental health is a big issue. 42% say they feel stressed and anxious at work.

“We should see this as glass half empty – and half full. We are not greatly surprised to see no measurable change across the global industry in just two years because the challenges are so deep-rooted and systemic in society. They take time to address and overcome. But the first step is building awareness of the problem. We may not have meaningfully moved the needle globally but industry efforts are increasingly visible. Now is the time to double down and stay the course because ultimately our efforts will be rewarded with more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces where the best talent will flock,” said Stephan Loerke, WFA CEO.

You can find the findings in full here.

Source: European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA)