Companies in Slovakia do not connect diversity with business results
28/06/18
It is mainly subsidiaries of foreign corporations in Slovakia that have increased their attractiveness to potential employees by implementing diversity and inclusion programmes. Almost half of the surveyed companies (48 %) will implement or have implemented an internal or external pay equal review
Bratislava 28 June 2018 – Consulting company, PwC, has for the first time mapped the activities and attitudes of companies with their registered seats in Slovakia regarding diversity and inclusion (D&I), and compared the results of the Slovak survey with a global survey. The Slovak survey mainly included subsidiaries of foreign corporations, most of which operate globally. 7 % of the surveyed respondents are Slovak-owned and only operate in Slovakia.
With regard to their ambitions and priorities, Slovak companies are beginning to adopt policies similar to those at companies in the global survey as regards diversity and inclusion (D&I). A number of companies have publicly declared their D&I commitments. Up to 97 % of the surveyed companies in Slovakia and 87 % of the companies in the global survey state that diversity and inclusion is one of their corporate values. 73 % of the surveyed companies in Slovakia communicate their diversity goals in their external communication. 83 % of the companies regularly inform their employees about diversity and inclusion results achieved in teams and in management. Leaders of Slovak companies communicate diversity in their internal communication – 43 % of the companies occasionally, one third regularly, 13 % always in internal strategic discussions, and 10 % do not communicate in this area.
Companies in Slovakia do not connect diversity with business results
The main objective of the D&I programmes in Slovakia and globally is to attract and retain talent, and enhance the reputation of the company. Three times more companies in the global survey than Slovak companies also have legal reasons to address D&I. 17 % of the companies in the global survey primarily want to achieve improved business results, whereas no Slovak company stated this reason in the survey.
“Diversity brings better business results, and companies in the global survey more often stated that this is their goal when implementing diversity programmes. Companies in Slovakia will also have to employ groups of people that have up to now not been at the centre of their interests. Companies will have to address the creation of an inclusive environment for all employees,” said Alica Pavúková, Assurance Leader and CEE Diversity & Inclusion Leader, PwC Slovensko.
Based on the results of the McKinsey & Company survey, gender and ethnic diversity in top management leads to better business results. For more information see:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity
In Slovakia, responsibility for D&I programmes most often lies with a leader who reports to middle management, whereas the personnel department is primarily responsible for D&I initiatives
Implementation of D&I programmes requires a responsible leader with the competencies and capacities to professionally deal with the issue. Less than one third of the companies in Slovakia and in the global survey have D&I leaders that are part of top management. More than one third of the companies in the global survey have dedicated D&I leaders who report to middle management. In Slovakia 37 % and in the global survey 14 % of the companies do not have D&I leaders specifically responsible for D&I.
D&I programmes implemented by the companies are directly linked to human resources management
Due to the current labour market situation in Slovakia, which is characterized by a smaller generation entering the workplace, a shortage of skilled labour and a historically low unemployment rate, it is not surprising that companies are seeking to make their brand as an employer more attractive on the labour market. D&I programmes at companies in Slovakia focus mainly on the creation of an inclusive environment for all employees (47 % of companies), one third of the companies focus on a wide spectrum of areas, and one fifth of the companies specifically address one or two issues. One third of the companies in Slovakia implement programmes to ensure fairness and equal opportunities when measuring performance and deciding on pay. Almost one third of the companies have programmes to employ a diverse range of candidates, and one fifth of the companies are developing pipeline for diverse leaders. One tenth of the companies have programmes that provide targeted development opportunities for a diverse range of employees. The results of the survey show that there is much room for the improvement of opportunities in the area of diversity and inclusion when selecting suppliers, as only 3 % of companies systematically consider diversity when selecting suppliers.
Companies in the global survey implement D&I programmes more intensively – more training programmes, and more activities of D&I teams
There is a big difference between companies in the global survey and those in Slovakia as regards training provided by the organisations. In Slovakia, there are 25 % fewer organisations providing training in non-discrimination and regulatory compliance than in the global survey. Training in overcoming unconscious bias and managing diversity for team leaders is provided in Slovakia by 50 % fewer organisations than in the global survey. In the global survey, almost half of the organisations offer training programmes on embracing differences in the workplace, while in Slovakia this figure is less than one fifth. The biggest difference is in training programmes on how inclusive behaviour can be embedded in everyday job activities, such as new product design, customer service, etc. – here the difference in the share of the organisations is almost sixfold.
About the survey
The survey was conducted by PwC in Slovakia online using questionnaires and the survey sample consisted of 31 companies with their registered seats in Slovakia. Data gathering took place from May 1 to June 10, 2018.
For more information, please see: https://www.pwc.com/sk/sk/publikacie/prieskum-diverzity-a-inkluzie-2018.html
The global survey was conducted on a sample of 810 respondents in 25 industries in five regions – Europe, North and South America, Asia and Pacific. For more information, visit: www.pwc.com
About PwC
The companies of the PwC network help build trust in society and solve important problems. Our offices in 158 countries with more than 236,000 employees are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. For more information, visit us at www.pwc.com/sk.
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