If you missed out the Market Research Society (MRS) webinar reviewing the results of the latest member survey on diversity, inclusion and equality in the research sector then here is the recording! You can find the full report here: https://www.mrs.org.uk/article/mrs/new-report-inclusion-diversity-and-equality-2020
Hosted by CEO of MRS Jane Frost, Versiti's Dr Marie-Claude Gervais, FRSA shares the headline results and Babita Earle, Chair of the Diversity, Inclusion & Equality Council, answers questions.
key findings from the report include:
A majority of participants in the survey felt that more needs to be done to ensure the market and social research sector adequately represents wider British Society and young people in particular are eager to drive change
Researchers under the age of 35 who took part in the survey are more likely than their older colleagues to take action on improving diversity, inclusion and equality in their day-to-day work. This includes 77% of young participants who are willing to learn more about the issues and their own privileges, compared with 56% on average.
When discussing their personal workplace experiences, most researchers believe that they are given opportunities and resources to work flexibly (86%), get recognition for the quality of their work (73%) and have a sense of belonging (70%). However, compared with their white British colleagues, ethnic minority researchers are less positive on all measures of workplace inclusion – of those surveyed, just over half (51%) reported a sense of belonging.
The survey identified important issues in relation to pay parity in the sector and confirmed further work is needed to address lower pay among women, ethnic minority and disabled researchers.
LGBTQ+ researchers involved in the survey tended to report a more positive view of their workplace experiences, in particular being somewhat more likely than average to report feeling valued. The group is also the exception in terms of minority pay gaps, with LGBTQ+ researchers, on average, earning more than their colleagues.