GITNUXREPORT 2025

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Staffing Industry Statistics

Diversity boosts performance, engagement, innovation; many firms need stronger DEI efforts.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

Organizations with inclusive cultures are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their industry

Statistic 2

70% of employees say their company needs to do more to foster inclusivity

Statistic 3

42% of employees feel their workplace is not inclusive enough, leading to higher turnover rates

Statistic 4

67% of employees from minority backgrounds have experienced or witnessed bias in the workplace

Statistic 5

38% of workers from minority groups feel they have an equal opportunity for advancement

Statistic 6

61% of organizations report that DEI efforts have positively impacted their employee retention

Statistic 7

50% of employees from minority backgrounds believe their workplace is less inclusive than others

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63% of organizations have seen improvements in team collaboration after implementing DEI practices

Statistic 9

29% of employees from underrepresented groups have experienced or witnessed microaggressions at work

Statistic 10

46% of employees from minority backgrounds feel their voices are not heard in company decision-making

Statistic 11

68% of HR professionals agree that inclusive recruitment practices improve overall workplace culture

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Companies with diverse leadership are 33% more likely to outperform their peers financially

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Women hold approximately 28% of executive leadership roles globally

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The representation of Black workers in corporate leadership is just 4%

Statistic 15

Companies with diverse boards are 35% more likely to outperform less diverse competitors financially

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The percentage of Hispanic or Latinx employees in leadership roles is approximately 3%

Statistic 17

Representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership is only around 6%

Statistic 18

65% of organizations have DEI initiatives, but only 27% measure their effectiveness regularly

Statistic 19

Only 19% of companies have a dedicated DEI budget

Statistic 20

72% of hiring managers agree that diverse teams are more productive

Statistic 21

40% of companies include diversity metrics in their overall business performance dashboards

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4 out of 10 companies lack clear accountability for DEI initiatives

Statistic 23

58% of businesses have a formal DEI strategy, but only 29% have dedicated DEI leadership

Statistic 24

35% of companies do not set specific diversity hiring targets

Statistic 25

65% of organizations state that DEI efforts are a critical part of their corporate social responsibility strategy

Statistic 26

23% of organizations have only recently begun to address DEI issues seriously, indicating slow progress

Statistic 27

45% of hiring managers admit their company’s recruitment process lacks diversity

Statistic 28

50% of HR professionals believe unconscious bias affects hiring decisions

Statistic 29

29% of HR professionals see a significant increase in diverse candidate pools after implementing blind recruitment

Statistic 30

80% of organizations report that talent acquisition is their key priority for improving diversity

Statistic 31

60% of staffing firms have updated their recruitment policies to be more inclusive in the past two years

Statistic 32

25% of organizations have introduced bias training programs for their recruiters

Statistic 33

Only 22% of staffing agencies have formal DEI training for their recruitment teams

Statistic 34

44% of hiring managers admit that their interview processes are not sufficiently inclusive

Statistic 35

42% of job candidates say they withdrew from consideration due to perceived uncorrected bias or discrimination

Statistic 36

37% of companies believe that DEI initiatives are a key driver in attracting top talent

Statistic 37

42% of staffing firms report that clients are increasingly requesting diverse candidate pools

Statistic 38

44% of employers believe they lack enough qualified diverse candidates

Statistic 39

60% of staffing agencies track their diversity metrics publicly, but only 15% report on progress regularly

Statistic 40

78% of organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion report higher employee engagement

Statistic 41

67% of job seekers consider diversity an important factor when evaluating companies

Statistic 42

Only 20% of middle-management roles are held by minorities

Statistic 43

43% of millennials and generation Z prefer to work for companies committed to DEI

Statistic 44

56% of companies acknowledge that they need to improve their diversity efforts

Statistic 45

The median pay gap between men and women in the staffing industry is approximately 15%

Statistic 46

52% of organizations report progress in increasing the representation of underrepresented groups over the last year

Statistic 47

41% of employees from underrepresented groups have changed jobs due to perceived lack of inclusion

Statistic 48

73% of CEOs believe that fostering a diverse workplace gives a competitive advantage

Statistic 49

Multicultural teams are 35% more likely to deliver higher revenue

Statistic 50

55% of organizations say they plan to increase investment in DEI initiatives over the next year

Statistic 51

90% of companies agree that diversity among the workforce improves customer understanding

Statistic 52

Women make up 48% of the overall workforce in staffing but only 24% of executive roles

Statistic 53

53% of organizations have experienced challenges in implementing DEI initiatives effectively

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Key Highlights

Companies with diverse leadership are 33% more likely to outperform their peers financially
78% of organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion report higher employee engagement
67% of job seekers consider diversity an important factor when evaluating companies
Women hold approximately 28% of executive leadership roles globally
Only 20% of middle-management roles are held by minorities
43% of millennials and generation Z prefer to work for companies committed to DEI
Organizations with inclusive cultures are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their industry
56% of companies acknowledge that they need to improve their diversity efforts
45% of hiring managers admit their company’s recruitment process lacks diversity
50% of HR professionals believe unconscious bias affects hiring decisions
The representation of Black workers in corporate leadership is just 4%
70% of employees say their company needs to do more to foster inclusivity
65% of organizations have DEI initiatives, but only 27% measure their effectiveness regularly

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are transforming the staffing industry—yet only a fraction of companies are measuring their progress, while statistics reveal that diverse leadership and inclusive cultures significantly boost productivity, innovation, and financial performance.

Employee Experience and Workplace Culture

Organizations with inclusive cultures are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their industry
70% of employees say their company needs to do more to foster inclusivity
42% of employees feel their workplace is not inclusive enough, leading to higher turnover rates
67% of employees from minority backgrounds have experienced or witnessed bias in the workplace
38% of workers from minority groups feel they have an equal opportunity for advancement
61% of organizations report that DEI efforts have positively impacted their employee retention
50% of employees from minority backgrounds believe their workplace is less inclusive than others
63% of organizations have seen improvements in team collaboration after implementing DEI practices
29% of employees from underrepresented groups have experienced or witnessed microaggressions at work
46% of employees from minority backgrounds feel their voices are not heard in company decision-making
68% of HR professionals agree that inclusive recruitment practices improve overall workplace culture

Employee Experience and Workplace Culture Interpretation

Despite over two-thirds of organizations recognizing that DEI initiatives boost retention and collaboration, a significant portion of employees from minority backgrounds still face bias, microaggressions, and feelings of exclusion—highlighting that fostering truly inclusive workplaces remains essential yet remains a formidable challenge in transforming intentions into tangible equity.

Leadership and Board Diversity

Companies with diverse leadership are 33% more likely to outperform their peers financially
Women hold approximately 28% of executive leadership roles globally
The representation of Black workers in corporate leadership is just 4%
Companies with diverse boards are 35% more likely to outperform less diverse competitors financially
The percentage of Hispanic or Latinx employees in leadership roles is approximately 3%
Representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership is only around 6%

Leadership and Board Diversity Interpretation

While companies with diverse leadership teams show a clear financial edge, the stark underrepresentation of women, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ executives highlights the urgent need for the staffing industry to walk the talk on true inclusion beyond just numbers.

Organizational Strategies, Metrics, and Accountability

65% of organizations have DEI initiatives, but only 27% measure their effectiveness regularly
Only 19% of companies have a dedicated DEI budget
72% of hiring managers agree that diverse teams are more productive
40% of companies include diversity metrics in their overall business performance dashboards
4 out of 10 companies lack clear accountability for DEI initiatives
58% of businesses have a formal DEI strategy, but only 29% have dedicated DEI leadership
35% of companies do not set specific diversity hiring targets
65% of organizations state that DEI efforts are a critical part of their corporate social responsibility strategy
23% of organizations have only recently begun to address DEI issues seriously, indicating slow progress

Organizational Strategies, Metrics, and Accountability Interpretation

Despite widespread recognition of DEI's importance, the stark gap between strategic commitment and actionable measurement—highlighted by few dedicated budgets or accountability—reminds us that without concrete metrics and leadership, diversity efforts risk remaining superficial in the staffing industry.

Recruitment, Talent Acquisition, and Retention

45% of hiring managers admit their company’s recruitment process lacks diversity
50% of HR professionals believe unconscious bias affects hiring decisions
29% of HR professionals see a significant increase in diverse candidate pools after implementing blind recruitment
80% of organizations report that talent acquisition is their key priority for improving diversity
60% of staffing firms have updated their recruitment policies to be more inclusive in the past two years
25% of organizations have introduced bias training programs for their recruiters
Only 22% of staffing agencies have formal DEI training for their recruitment teams
44% of hiring managers admit that their interview processes are not sufficiently inclusive
42% of job candidates say they withdrew from consideration due to perceived uncorrected bias or discrimination
37% of companies believe that DEI initiatives are a key driver in attracting top talent
42% of staffing firms report that clients are increasingly requesting diverse candidate pools
44% of employers believe they lack enough qualified diverse candidates
60% of staffing agencies track their diversity metrics publicly, but only 15% report on progress regularly

Recruitment, Talent Acquisition, and Retention Interpretation

Despite widespread acknowledgment of its importance, the staffing industry remains paradoxically underprepared and inconsistent in advancing real diversity, with many employers aware of biases and barriers yet still hesitant or slow to implement the comprehensive changes necessary to truly democratize opportunities and attract top talent.

Workforce Representation and Gender Equity

78% of organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion report higher employee engagement
67% of job seekers consider diversity an important factor when evaluating companies
Only 20% of middle-management roles are held by minorities
43% of millennials and generation Z prefer to work for companies committed to DEI
56% of companies acknowledge that they need to improve their diversity efforts
The median pay gap between men and women in the staffing industry is approximately 15%
52% of organizations report progress in increasing the representation of underrepresented groups over the last year
41% of employees from underrepresented groups have changed jobs due to perceived lack of inclusion
73% of CEOs believe that fostering a diverse workplace gives a competitive advantage
Multicultural teams are 35% more likely to deliver higher revenue
55% of organizations say they plan to increase investment in DEI initiatives over the next year
90% of companies agree that diversity among the workforce improves customer understanding
Women make up 48% of the overall workforce in staffing but only 24% of executive roles
53% of organizations have experienced challenges in implementing DEI initiatives effectively

Workforce Representation and Gender Equity Interpretation

While 78% of organizations embracing diversity report higher engagement and most CEOs recognize DEI as a competitive edge, glaring gaps remain—as women hold just a quarter of executive roles, minorities occupy only 20% of middle-management, and nearly half of underrepresented employees leave due to exclusion—highlighting that despite widespread acknowledgment of its value, the staffing industry still has a long way to go from policy to progress.