Data collected by Instant Offices shows there’s been a  global spike in searches for ‘diversity and inclusion manager’ over the last 10 years, with interest in the term growing by 122% since 2010. There has been an even more significant jump since 2004, with searches for ‘diversity and inclusion manager’ growing 200% in 2020.

According to The CV Squad, the number of CVs submitted to their free CV review service, which includes ‘diversity and inclusion’ have increased by around 20% in the last 12 months.

Backing up this trend is one of Glassdoor’s top hiring trends for 2020: a greater focus on diversity and inclusion jobs. Glassdoor predicted that there will be a wave of hiring for leaders and managers that are able to drive more diversity and inclusion in their workplace.

Between August 2018 and August 2019, online job postings for diversity and inclusion (D&I) roles soared. Glassdoor saw a 30% rise in the US and a 106% rise in the UK. Searches by job-seekers are up by 35% in the US and 19% in the UK. These roles include D&I Directors, D&I Programme Managers, D&I Consultants and Diversity Officers, to name a few.

Reports show that most people across all markets, age groups and incomes say they must be able to trust a brand to do what is right. In recent years the younger workforce has been leading the way, but it seems that older generations are also waking up to the importance of diversity and inclusion.  This belief that diversity and inclusion is important is shared by 81% of 18-34-year-olds, and 79% of all those surveyed above 55+.

However, a recent report by Glassdoor also found that during the coronavirus epidemic, diversity and inclusion job openings in the US had a declined at twice the rate (60%) as overall job postings between March and June, 8th. As discussions around race became centre stage in June due to the Black Lives Matter movement, however, diversity and inclusion job openings have rebounded 55%.

In the report, Glassdoor said: “This drop is partially due to the nature of D&I-related jobs. Most D&I jobs are in HR departments, which typically are hit hard during recessions. For example, as companies undergo hiring freezes, the need for diversity sourcers and recruiters decreases. HR job openings were down 49% over the same time frame, indicating that while D&I job openings have dropped more severely than the rest of the economy, this decline is similar to HR functions more broadly.”