Over 5,000 respondents from over 30 different countries call out the areas of diversity and inclusion that the insurance industry needs to address
94% of respondents feel that inclusion is now a client facing issue
New research from Dive In, the global festival for diversity and inclusion (D&I) in insurance, reveals that gender equality remains the number one area to be addressed in over 60 cities on six different continents. The survey was conducted from a sub-set of more than 10,000 registered attendees in the run up to the festival’s fifth year which kicks off around the world on Tuesday.
Employees of all levels from over 30 countries identified the most pertinent areas that the insurance industry needs to focus on in order to build more inclusive workplaces as:
- Gender Equality (54%)
- Mental Health (47%)
- Culture & Ethnicity (38%)
- Family & Care Responsibility (28%)
Both the Middle East and the Americas highlighted gender equality as a key barrier to overcome, while mental health sits high on the agenda for Europe and the UK.
Findings also revealed that 94% of respondents feel that inclusion is a client facing issue. As companies wake up to inclusivity as a talent issue, they appreciate the need for their suppliers and partners to foster inclusive cultures in order to attract and retain the best people, understanding that it is no longer an internal issue, but a commercial concern.
The global research indicates that D&I is now not only a pressing issue for the developed markets, as countries all over the world including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia take steps to create more inclusive workplaces.
Commenting on the findings, Pauline Miller, Head of Talent Development and Inclusion at Lloyd’s comments: “More advanced markets have known for some time that D&I is not just a ‘nice to have’ but a commercial imperative, yet this research has made it clear that this is also the case all over the world. While addressing gender equality may be seen as the ‘first step’ in a company’s D&I journey, the research has shown that it is not the only step, as employees call for more work to be done in other areas such as mental health and culture and ethnicity. Attendees to this year’s festival will learn ways of creating positive action and creating an impact on all areas of D&I, from gender equality to disability.”
Jason Groves, Chair of the Dive In Committee (and Global Director of Media Relations at Marsh) said: “From a few small events in the London insurance market, the Dive In Festival has grown exponentially, gathering global momentum and spreading to countries where the issues around inclusion and equality can still be challenging. The adoption of the festival in places like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria shows that more and more companies have become determined to build inclusive workplaces, enabling them to attract top talent. By coming together to share good D&I practices we can help them drive cultural change more effectively.”
Since its birth in 2015, Dive In has grown far beyond its roots to include some of the world’s largest insurance companies, brokers and associated service providers. A global movement aimed to support the development of inclusive workplace cultures, the insurance industry is the first to run a sector-wide global diversity and inclusion festival focused on workplace culture. The festival’s mission is to enable people to achieve their potential by raising awareness of the business case and by promoting positive action for diversity in all its forms.
2019 marks the fifth year of the festival, which takes place from 24th – 26th September in over 60 cities and over 30 countries. Expected to be the biggest yet, countries such as Nigeria, Bahrain, Turkey and Indonesia are hosting events for the very first time. Hundreds of subject matter experts and high-profile names such as Sir Trevor McDonald, Frank Bruno, Reggie Yates and Esther Rantzen will be speaking at events this year and showing their support.
Building on last year’s campaign of developing ‘awareness into action’, this year invites participants to consider ways to make an impact, under this year’s theme of ‘inclusion impact’.
The festival counts on the support of 20 sponsors from across the industry. This year, these are confirmed as: AIG, Aon, Aviva, AXA XL, Chubb, CNA, CNA Hardy, DLA Piper, Gallagher, Guy Carpenter, Kennedys, Lloyd’s, Markel, Marsh, Miller, MS Amlin, Oliver James, PwC, RMS, RSA, Willis Towers Watson, and Zurich.
youTalk-insurance is an official media partner of The 2019 Dive in Festival