Nearly three in four professionals say they experience ‘discriminatory or exclusionary’ workplace behaviour

New research from The Young Foundation – conducted on behalf of 12 professional membership and regulatory bodies including the IET – reveals that while EDI initiatives are increasingly commonplace, there is growing scepticism among professionals that these are ‘box-ticking’ exercises.

Findings from the report, Beyond Buzzwords, show that nearly three-quarters of respondents had experienced barriers to career progression (73%) or some form of 'discriminatory or exclusionary’ behaviour in their workplace since the start of 2019 (72%). The report therefore cautions that unless change is urgently prioritised, recent progress risks unravelling.

Key concerns highlighted in the research include:

• Widespread scepticism that ambitious EDI goals are being translated into meaningful actions, with a perception that rhetoric and box-ticking exercises bring few tangible improvements. As a result, support for EDI efforts seems to be waning.
• Access and entry routes into many professions that remain challenging for people from minority backgrounds, with systemic barriers related to affordability of qualifications, accessibility issues, and lack of role models. This contradicts notions that professional success is based on merit.
• Many professionals feeling excluded from informal networks and opportunities to develop. More than half (53%) have considered leaving their employer or profession due to EDI concerns, related to feeling undervalued or having limited scope to progress.

Dr Laura Norton, Head of EDI at the IET, said: “The report findings are concerning and it’s no secret that the engineering profession faces barriers when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion. Organisations can’t become the blueprint for EDI overnight, but there is huge value in leading by example and creating robust policies and processes, as well implementing small but meaningful actions.”

The report also provides a recommended action plan for professional membership and regulatory bodies for embedding a systematic approach to EDI, including setting higher standards for professionals by integrating EDI across all learning and development opportunities, and actively involving professionals in change by providing meaningful opportunities for members, learners and employers to shape action around EDI in their profession.

Positively, the research shows that tailored solutions can have significant impacts. It reveals a range of initiatives viewed as effective when well-executed: from normalising flexible working and creating accessible learning resources, to targeted development programmes and removing biases in hiring.

Laura added: “In order to design and engineer inclusively and ensure we serve all of society, we need to involve many different people with different backgrounds and experiences.

“The engineering profession needs to be creating more inclusive learning environments and harnessing everyone’s unique capacity for knowledge, creativity, and innovation. That’s how we engineer a better world – and create a talent pipeline that ensures the future of engineering is sustainable.”

The research incorporates insights from more than 7,000 professionals across accountancy, engineering, health and safety, facilities management, human resources, insurance, law, management, procurement and public relations, with negative experiences even more pronounced among those with multiple marginalised characteristics.