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Associations have the power to influence the industries and professions they represent, and their reach is often global. However, while the recent study, Diversity and Inclusion: Core Values Among Associations, identified diversity and inclusion as top priorities within associations, it also suggested that organizations don't have clear benchmarks to measure the success of their initiatives. Moreover, diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process remains a challenge, and leadership responsibilities need to be more clearly defined.

Vetted Solutions President James Zaniello, who has helped recruit top talent and executives for associations, and I, the former National Association of Broadcasters CEO, co-authored the study in question, based on the hypothesis that associations have the power to increase diversity and inclusion in the industries they represent. It was vital to uncover the current extent of diversity and inclusion within associations, how people view its importance, and what actions could be taken to make a positive impact going forward.

The study compiled the results of a survey completed by 227 association executives, two-thirds of which were CEOs, and while the findings indicate a positive view of increasing diversity and inclusion within associations, they also highlight which areas need work and pinpoint where change or an innovative approach is required.

The study revealed that 81% of respondents view diversity and inclusion as part of their association's core values, but 45% reported not having an action plan for implementing related initiatives. Furthermore, 75.11% of respondents ranked "ensuring the leadership and staff represent the diversity of its members/supporters" as the most important of their organization's actions, yet less than a third of them said their Board of Directors had a diversity and inclusion committee or subcommittee.

Associations play a fundamental role in addressing diversity in the industries they represent, but as the findings show, they need to lead by example by implementing strategies to increase diversity within their organizations and measure the success of such strategies, but benchmarks and data collection methods are currently lacking.

The key findings from the study include:

• 73% of respondents have in-depth diversity and inclusion policies within their association. However, 70% say they do not have benchmarks to measure the success of such policies.
• 84% said focusing on diversity and inclusion is "the right thing to do," but 55% said there remains a challenge in finding a diverse pool of qualified job candidates.
• While 84% of respondents agree focusing on diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do, less than 20% thought it was crucial to their organization's profitability.

The top four characteristics identified in the respondents' definition of diversity were ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and gender. Geographic background, religious views, and socioeconomic background were also, unsurprisingly, common characteristics.