Australian companies, government organisations and charities are wasting millions of dollars on diversity and inclusion programs, with human resources professionals conceding that nearly a third of initiatives designed to promote a more balanced workplace are either never or rarely effective.

A survey by the Diversity Council also found that only 25 per cent of diversity programs, which can range from introducing flexible work arrangements, mentoring schemes and unconscious bias training to establishing networks for minority groups, often or always work, raising concerns that Australian companies, institutions and government agencies will continue to be run by Caucasian men for the foreseeable future.