As organizations seek to improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, they often face challenges in determining where to look for the data to collect. Typically, organizations use sources such as demographic surveys, employee feedback mechanisms, and/or HR records. But there are often many other sources of insightful data available. For example:
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Affinity Groups
Performance Reviews and Promotion Data
Incident Reporting Systems
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Affinity Groups
ERGs and affinity groups provide valuable insights into the experiences and needs of employees from diverse backgrounds. These groups may have surveys that they deliver to their members or have initiatives in place that include gathering perspectives on organizational issues.
Regularly collecting data from these groups can offer nuanced perspectives on DEI issues within the organization.
Performance Reviews and Promotion Data
Analyzing performance reviews and promotion data by demographic groups can reveal patterns of bias or inequity in career advancement opportunities. For example, you may find that certain leaders are using biased language in their performance reviews, inhibiting the advancement of women or racial minorities in their team.
This data could be used to inform targeted training initiatives or pipeline programs in your organization.
Incident Reporting Systems
Implementing robust incident reporting systems where employees can anonymously report instances of discrimination, harassment, or bias can help identify systemic issues and areas for improvement.
For example, if one demographic group is reporting more instances of harassment or discrimination, this could indicate an urgent need for training or organizational change initiatives. If one individual is continuously being reported, it may indicate a need for stronger action.
These are just three examples of data you might collect and use to improve DEI in your organization. The most important thing to remember is if you are collecting data, it should be used to better your organization. It's likely that these sources of data already exist in your organization, along with others. So, instead of creating new surveys or other new data collection efforts, be sure to consider what might already be available and how it can be used to advance your DEI goals.
Looking to take the next step in measuring DEI at your organization? Contact Mattingly Solutions today to learn more about partnering with us to diagnose, build, implement, & assess the impact of your DEI strategy and programming on metric-based outcomes.