Intersections of identity
Going deeper to drive transformational change
We are each made up of multiple identities that intersect in dynamic ways to shape who we are. Intersectionality captures this complexity of our human experience in our personal and professional lives. Originally conceived by Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality1 represents the way in which different aspects of social identity (such as race, gender, sexuality, class, marital status, ability, and age) overlap and intersect in ways that shape our day-to-day experiences in the world and workplace.
To advance the conversation on equity and make the systemic change that drives representation and sense of belonging, we continue to evolve our understanding of intersectional identities at Deloitte. In our 2021 DEI Transparency Report, we shared data about our workforce by race, ethnicity, sex, generation, sexual orientation, veteran status, and disability status. New and informative, these data elements drove alignment around a set of common goals. Now, by adding layers of intersectional data, we have additional tools to move us past incremental change, while providing more meaningful, nuanced ways for professionals to see themselves in the data.
In this report, we share new intersectional views by race, ethnicity, and sex for the identities we collect through self-identification including people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQIA+. Sharing this data highlights the rich diversity of our workforce and how we are all woven together in complex, powerful ways. Here we share intersectional views to better inform FY2023 actions for making meaningful progress against our goals for women and Hispanic/Latinx professionals.
- Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics,” University of Chicago Legal Forum 1, art. 8 (1989): pp. 139–67. ↵
FY2022 Deloitte US workforce intersectional data (%)
Elevating the work experience for all women at Deloitte
Note: At Deloitte, we believe that gender is not binary, and the interventions highlighted here are intended for those who identify as women. Due to the availability of data and goals from 2021, data in this section reflects sex. We will continue to explore ways to reflect gender while providing consistent data in future reports.
Making Deloitte a place for all women
Deloitte has a long history of shaping the diversity and inclusion landscape of corporate America, and that journey started with women. With some of the firsts in our industry—naming the first woman chair in 2003 and the first woman CEO of a Big 4 organization in 2015—we are proud of Deloitte women in leadership roles, Deloitte initiatives, and community collaborations that have elevated the work experience for women at Deloitte. We continue to see positive, incremental outcomes. Over the past five years, female representation on leadership teams and at the PPMD level increased year over year. Female professional retention remains higher in comparison to male peers. In the 2022 talent survey results, 84% of female professionals responded positively that they can “bring their authentic self to work” and 92% felt that they were “treated with respect at work.” This year, US Board representation surpassed 50% female leaders. This is a milestone worth celebrating and something we would like to replicate in leadership teams across the organization.
As we look to our goals and our trajectory, we see there is work to be done. According to National Center and Education Statistics (NCES), 58% of college graduates3 and 47% of the US labor force4 are women. Despite the availability of talent, we continue to see insufficient progress in female representation in our workforce. Female representation in recruitment remains below representation. This incremental progress is a clear call to action to evolve our approach to elevating the work experience for women at Deloitte to drive the transformational change, impact, and outcomes we need.
Elevating the work experience for women cannot involve one single intervention or program; it requires developing a layered approach for the myriad of identities and lived experiences Deloitte women represent. To that end, we are implementing several short- and long-term interventions to attract, advance, and retain women. Our targeted focus areas are around the advancement of racially and ethnically diverse women, increased recruitment of experienced hire female professionals, and the retention of Asian female professionals. Our strategies include:
- Formalize strategic succession planning: Refine succession planning and development strategies to include a more diverse pool of candidates for consideration.
- Monitor the impact of hybrid work: As we continue to move into a hybrid work model, continue efforts to mitigate any potential biases related to hybrid work, particularly as it relates to women and caregivers.
- Recruitment equity efforts: Implement diverse slates and expand our sourcing strategy, particularly in hot skills—as described in the Advancing Equity section—to help us increase female experienced hire recruiting, which will contribute to increased female representation.
- Mentorship and sponsorship: Continue to invest in mentorship and sponsorship programs to connect female senior managers to the resources and network that can position them for advancement to PPMD.
- Invest in women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM): Dedicate additional resources and efforts for recruiting and retaining women in STEM.
Our time for action is now, and we have begun the work of implementing both short-term actions and long-term interventions in order to elevate the experience for female professionals at Deloitte.
- Bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2019-2020. NCES tables 322.20: Bachelor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex of student: Selected years, 1976-77 through 2019-20; 323.20. ↵
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey: Labor force status by age, sex, and race,” 2021. ↵
Accelerating progress with the Hispanic/Latinx community
The Hispanic/Latinx community at Deloitte represents more than 30 countries across three continents. Incredibly diverse with respect to race, sex, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and people with disabilities, the community has higher representation of these identities when compared to the overall organization. Specifically, 12.0% of Hispanic/Latinx professionals identify as LGBTQIA+, 11.4% identify as a veteran, and 10.2% identify as a person with a disability. To accelerate progress in representation and belonging, we must act with thoughtful understanding and appreciation for the diversity of identity, experiences, and cultures within the Hispanic/Latinx community to best amplify the unique perspectives, needs, and aspirations of each individual.
FY2022 Deloitte US Hispanic/Latinx workforce by race (%)
Embracing the diversity of our diversity
While we have seen incremental gains in Hispanic/Latinx representation at Deloitte (0.9-percentage-point increase to 7.4%), representation of the Hispanic/Latinx population in the United States (18.7%)5 is growing quickly. Nearly one in five college students identify as Hispanic/Latinx.6 In FY2022, Hispanic/Latinx professionals represented 10.2% of Deloitte US campus recruitment and 8.8% of experienced hire recruiting. From an advancement perspective, the percentage of Hispanic/Latinx professionals who advanced to the next career level, 6.4%, was just under Hispanic/Latinx representation, 6.5%, by 0.1 percentage point. Male Hispanic/Latinx professionals choose to leave Deloitte at a rate higher than any other racial and ethnic identity measured. And yet, Hispanic/Latinx 2022 talent survey responses remained positive (above 80%) for questions on bringing your authentic self to work, being proud to be an employee of Deloitte, and being treated with respect at work. We will continue to learn from this community and intensify our focus on increasing Hispanic/Latinx representation.
We have committed to enhanced interventions to accelerate progress toward our Hispanic/Latinx community goals:
- Expand our sourcing strategy: Strengthen recruiting presence at the 30+ Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) at which we recruit today and work to improve recruiting outcomes at non-HSIs through targeted Hispanic/Latinx recruiting strategies. Continue investing in key collaborations with external organizations that provide access to candidates through both campus and experienced hire channels.
- MADE: Increase Hispanic/Latinx representation in the accounting talent pool through Making Accounting Diverse and Equitable (MADE), Deloitte’s investment in generating more advisory, auditing, and tax career opportunities and leadership pathways for the next generation of certified public accountants (CPAs).
- Increase mentorship and sponsorship: Identify Hispanic/Latinx managers and senior managers for coaching and sponsorship opportunities, enhancing awareness and insight into the advancement process.
- Increase executive sponsorship of PPMDs: Provide business-specific executive sponsorship to Hispanic/Latinx PPMDs to help prepare them for future leadership roles.
- Enhance the Hispanic/Latinx experience: Build a deeper understanding of our professionals’ needs and expectations to enhance their experience.
We have not made the progress we would have liked to see. We are confident that with the input of the Hispanic/Latinx & Allies community and long-term dedicated focus throughout our organization, we can make great strides. We know we can and must do better.
- Nicholas Jones et al., “2020 Census illuminates racial and ethnic composition of the country,” US Census, August 12, 2021. ↵
- National Center for Education Statistics, “Table 306.10: Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions: Selected years, 1976 through 2020,” accessed June 2022. ↵
Making Deloitte a place for all women
Susan Klink (she/her/hers)
Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
“I believe Deloitte can be, without question, 'the place' where all women want to come, stay, and progress. A place where they can thrive and be successful in their careers and personal lives.” As the National Women & Allies leader, that’s the vision Susan has for Deloitte.
An experienced hire nearly 20 years ago, Susan joined what was then referred to as the Women’s Initiative (WIN) as a way to find community. Today, some of her closest colleagues are women she met in that original group.
Over the years of advocating for women at Deloitte, Susan says her awareness of equity issues has evolved. “Part of my learning journey has been understanding that the experience and needs of our women are different based on so many factors including age, race, ethnicity, cisgender, transgender, caregiver status, and in so many other ways. So it’s important, as we think about equity, that we acknowledge that there is not one size fits all in terms of our strategy for equitable outcomes. That’s what I’m thinking about and working to solve for now.”
Susan believes allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship continue to be a critical part of that journey. “The best way I once heard someone speak about allyship is that it is a verb and there is no destination—that you earn being an ally every day through your actions.”
Embracing the diversity of our diversity
Alex Mirkow (he/him/his)
Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Enthusiasm, palpable excitement, and pride. That’s the spirit that greeted Alex during Deloitte’s Hispanic/Latinx & Allies (HLx) National Community launch this past fall. “The energy is incredibly high. There’s a strong passion for the community to amplify their voice.” Honoring that spirit, the community set the theme for the year as One Community. Thriving Together. Unidos. “This group spans nationalities, cultures, experiences, races, and many more dimensions, yet we are all part of a united community—one Deloitte familia.”
As an incredibly diverse group, linked by common threads, the HLx community has unique dynamics. “Some choose not to share their ethnicity or background and some others cover their real selves,” Alex says. “Improving their experience will mean helping people embrace their culture and identity in their work.”
One leading issue for Alex is the potential tension between cultural traits and corporate values. “Certain cultural norms can be misinterpreted in a corporate setting. We don’t want to perpetuate stereotypes. But we also need to consider where someone is coming from before we make assumptions about how they present themselves in the workplace.”
“We discussed this topic—and so much more—with more than 300 HLx community members and Deloitte leaders at the 2022 Hispanic/Latinx Leadership Summit,” says Alex. “I’m proud of how we’ve come together. Looking ahead, there’s a lot more work to be done—and not just by the community. Allies are, and will continue to be, a critical catalyst.”