Diversity And Inclusion Play Crucial Role In Business Resilience — Survey

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) plays a critical role in business resilience, according to new research from Dive In, the global D&I festival for the insurance industry.

The survey was conducted among more than 12,000 registered attendees across more than 30 countries in the run-up to this year’s festival, which is taking place through to Thursday this week.

This year — the festival’s sixth — 70% of its 12,000 attendees will be attending for the first time, which Dive In highlights as a “shift in attitudes” about the importance of D&I.

Ninety-seven per cent (97%) of survey respondents agreed that D&I plays a vital role in building resilience to help businesses overcome challenges, and 97% also agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an even greater need for businesses to focus on building inclusive workplaces.

Respondents were also asked to identify the areas the insurance industry most needs to focus on as a result of new ways of working. Mental health ranked as the number-one concern (44%), followed by gender equality (43%), flexible working patterns (41%), and culture and ethnicity (34%). However, the survey found regional differences in priorities.