ATLANTA, June 6, 2019 — A new study released today found that while diversity and inclusion are becoming more mainstream in the Atlanta business community, the majority of organizations need better data and metrics to make these changes sustainable. 46 % of respondents said they needed clearer D&I performance indicators, on data including the number of promotions for women. With North American headquarters in Atlanta, Sage— the market leader in cloud business management solutions—commissioned the report which reveals a significant increase in education, training and awareness for employees as indicators of this change, with 69 % of Atlanta-based organizations actively making updates to their diversity and inclusion (D&I) processes to foster a more inclusive workplace.
The report uncovered three central findings :
The comprehensive D&I Atlanta benchmark report was released as part of a Sage-hosted collaborative business forum held at State Farm Arena, which brought together the region’s civic and business leaders to discuss Atlanta’s current D&I landscape and opportunities for a more inclusive future. The event featured an array of senior business leaders from such organizations as Amazon Web Services, Cardlytics, First Data, Google Fiber, the Atlanta Hawks, UPS and others following months of focus groups among the companies and facilitated by Sage.
“Since the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta has had a long-standing tradition of partnering with the private sector on addressing issues of race, equity, diversity and inclusion. This has been a large part of our region's collective success and why Atlanta is home to some of the most progressive companies in the world," said Reese McCranie, Deputy Chief Equity Officer, City of Atlanta. "Mayor Bottoms is committed to strengthening these partnerships with our corporate leaders, and she knows that a more progressive business environment drives our competitive edge and helps with recruiting and retaining world-class talent. Furthermore, having a more diverse and inclusive workforce is just the right thing to do. There are many opportunities for the city of Atlanta and the Mayor's Office to work together on solving our shared challenges and I look forward to deepening these conversations and relationships.”
“Sage is proud to operate in Atlanta and recognizes that commitment comes with a responsibility to help foster greater social, economic and workplace conditions in the communities we serve” said Nancy Harris, Managing Director at Sage North America. “Our report finds that Atlanta’s business leaders are ready to enact decisions that are more equitable and fair, they just need better data, dialogue and partnerships to support these newfound priorities. We are privileged to be in a position to help spur that widespread change.’
The Diversity & Inclusion Report in Atlanta : What Works and What We Need to Do In Order to Thrive was developed with input from established Indicators in The Opportunity Index and 100 Resilient Cities reports to measure the diversity and inclusion climate within Atlanta. The Opportunity Index is an evaluation framework designed by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) that is used by cities across the globe. It measures a city’s ability to respond to economic, environmental, social, and political threats.
Sage is the global market leader for technology that helps businesses of all sizes manage everything from money to people – whether they’re a start-up, scale-up or enterprise. We do this through Sage Business Cloud - the one and only business management solution that customers will ever need, comprising Accounting, Financials, Sage Intacct, Enterprise Management, People & Payroll and Payments & Banking.
Victoria Borges
PR Manager, North America
Sage
Office : 470-447-4086
[email protected]