Radical Adventure Riders designed the Cycling Industry Pledge Survey to help track the CIP Network’s collective progress towards making our workplaces, communities, and world genuinely inclusive.
In December 2020, we conducted a 42 question survey with 123 responses from cycling companies, non-profits, and organizations that signed the Cycling Industry Pledge.
The CIP Survey Key Findings help us understand where the primary gaps are in the pledge’s actions and commitments. We recognize that those who filled out the survey are still on their journey towards change, and there is still work to do collectively. We also acknowledge that genuine change requires long-term commitments and progress. As a result, these critical findings will shed light on the main areas where change and action are most needed:
- Workplace diversity
- Accountability mechanisms
- Engagement initiatives
We share these key findings to hold ourselves accountable and give transparency to our collective progress towards growth.
About the Respondents
Out of the 123 responses, small companies led the way with the most responses to the survey. For example, 70% of respondents had five or fewer full-time employees. In terms of company type, most of the respondents were bike shops (23.6%), followed by bicycle manufacturers/components (18.1%) and nonprofits (18.1%).
When formulating the key findings, we kept in mind how company size and type can influence the limitations in workplace hiring, accountability mechanisms, and engagement initiatives.
Top 3 Key Findings
1. Workplace Diversity is Lacking
There is still a lot of work to do to make workplaces more diverse, regarding racial diversity, with 82% of companies having a majority of white employees.
Even though respondents are taking action to broadcast opportunities on a diverse range of websites/groups and include diversity and inclusion statements in job descriptions, there is still a significant disparity of racial and gender diversity among workplaces.
2. Accountability Mechanisms Matter
Conversations and shared definitions about inclusion and diversity are an essential first step, but accountability procedures matter, especially from top leadership.
When senior management and employees have accountability steps and transparent tracking methods regarding DEI practices, there is more motivation to take action.
According to *Diversity Best Practices, “there are increasing correlations between diverse representation at all levels when managers’ and leaders’ compensation are tied to these results. But there remain a lot of workplaces that haven’t made this connection yet.”
3. Engagement Initiatives are Limited
A majority of respondents have a budget of less than $5k, or no funding for DEI initiatives, making engagement with diverse communities very limited.
Companies that do provide support for athletes and ambassadors most often provide gear, and discounts. While providing gear can be an excellent first step, there needs to be recognition of the difference between tokenization and representation when supporting people through branded products.
Summary of Key Findings
The 2020 CIP Survey Key Findings indicate that meaningful action still needs to come from within for most respondents. Diverse hiring practices, DEI accountability procedures, and engagement initiatives are all actions that require meaningful internal processes. Without this foundation to grow from, DEI actions can only be surface deep.
The CIP Survey key findings are an opportunity for cycling companies, non-profits, and organizations to understand that these commitments to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion will take long-term and deep-seated commitments.
CIP Next Steps
We recognize that since launching the Cycling Industry Pledge one year ago, we have an opportunity to take the feedback from the survey and update CIP to be more beneficial for signees. We want to be transparent in that as creators of CIP we know that we have work to do ourselves too.
That is why in the upcoming weeks, we will announce CIP updates such as a CIP Network accountability working group, jobs board, and a structured open enrollment process for 2021. Please stay tuned!