Survey Reveals Desire for Inclusive Workspaces

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become a major focus for many organizations in recent years. When a franchisor actively works to create a diverse and inclusive workspace, the whole franchise system benefits.

Franchisors who design and implement DEI strategies find that their employees are engaged in helping the organization reach its goals. In addition, they can hire and retain the top talent in the industry.

While there is overwhelming evidence that diverse teams and companies that promote inclusive cultures perform at high levels and have positive impacts on the bottom line, until now, there has never been research to benchmark DEI efforts specifically within the franchise sector.

Each year, Franchise Business Review conducts the annual Franchising@WORK study to benchmark employee engagement in the franchise sector and identify trends to help franchise employers better understand how they can recruit and retain top talent.

This year, the survey included seven new questions to measure DEI efforts across the franchise sector. All franchise employers, including franchisors, franchisees, and franchise suppliers, were invited to participate in the survey. More than 6,000 franchise employees responded, representing 40% corporate staff and 60% unit-level employees across nearly 180 franchise organizations.

Key findings include:

•  84% of employees surveyed said their company values diversity.
•  86% of employees felt their co-workers demonstrated a commitment to creating an inclusive work environment.
•  83% felt senior management understands that diversity is important to the company’s success.
•  80% said their company represents a diverse group of talent.
•  79% said their co-workers are comfortable talking about their social and cultural backgrounds at work.
•  71% of employees surveyed reported that their employee training promotes inclusivity.

Benefits 

In today’s competitive economic climate, recruiting the most talented and motivated employees has become increasingly difficult. Through a commitment to DEI, you’ll find that it’s easier to find qualified individuals for your open positions.

But hiring the most qualified people isn’t enough. You will have to actively work to retain them, particularly during a labor shortage when workers have plenty of opportunities available.

While overall feedback from the survey related to DEI initiatives was positive, nearly one-third of employees thought company training programs could do more to promote inclusivity. With more employees than ever before looking for meaning, purpose, and a broad social connection from their careers, franchise brands that find creative ways to be transparent, open, and genuine about their mission and values will have greater success recruiting and retaining top talent than brands that don’t.

The easiest and best way to show your commitment to DEI and measure your recruitment and retention efforts is to implement an active listening strategy with your employees using regular surveys. Franchise Business Review has created a set of diversity and inclusion survey questions that will provide you with actionable data about the overall effectiveness of your DEI strategies. Survey questions set themselves apart from similar surveys because they are tailored to the franchise sector. The responses you receive will help you measure your own success and allow you to compare yourself with other franchise employers in your region or industry.

The costs associated with conducting a DEI survey are nominal, but it does require time, dedication, consistency, and, most importantly, acting on the feedback you receive to be successful.

Michelle Rowan is president of Franchise Business Review.