DEI is now a hot topic in almost all organisations, especially in hybrid or remote settings.
And metrics are definitely the hottest issue in diversity and inclusion now. If you are a company looking to become future-proof, how can you improve your strategies if you don't know what you're working toward?
You can't manage what you don't measure. Metrics will never tell the whole story, but they will diagnose it.
How to Allocate Budget for DEI – Insights from Oana Iordachescu.
In D&I, metrics have their own naming. The concept of a DEI scorecard is emerging as a critical tool in enabling organisations to measure and enhance their DEI efforts systematically. But what exactly is a DEI scorecard, and why is it so crucial for modern businesses?
A D&I scorecard, sometimes referred to as a diversity dashboard, is essentially a visual tool that helps organisations track their progress towards DEI goals. It quantitatively captures data on workforce diversity, equity in compensation, progression opportunities, and inclusiveness in workplace culture.
Such tools provide a clear snapshot of where an organization stands in terms of diversity and inclusion and highlight areas that require improvement. By setting specific metrics and regularly reviewing them, companies can make informed decisions that lead to more equitable workplaces.
Navigating The 5 Stages Towards DEI Maturity In Global Organisations with Oana Iordachescu, founder Fair. Full keynote available here.
Start with this DEI Scorecard as a draft model
1. Assess current DEI status: gather comprehensive data across various DEI aspects such as workforce demographics and pay equity. This baseline is crucial for setting realistic and impactful DEI goals.
2. Define DEI goals: with a clear understanding of the current DEI landscape, the next step is to define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. These goals should aim to address identified gaps and align with the organization's strategic objectives, like enhancing female representation in leadership roles or improving equity in recruitment processes.
3. Select key metrics: these might include the percentage of underrepresented groups at various organisational levels, discrepancies in pay scales, and rates of retention and promotion among different demographic groups.
4. Develop the scorecard: it should be a user-friendly visual representation, such as a dashboard, that displays these metrics over time.
5. Regular reviews and adjustments: a DEI scorecard is not a set-and-forget initiative. Regular reviews are critical to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. These reviews should involve key stakeholders and leverage the scorecard data to refine strategies and reinforce commitment to DEI goals.
A Gartner survey found that “setting goals and tracking DEI progress through metrics” was one of the two top priorities for DEI leaders in 2021.
DEI scorecards can vary widely depending on the organization's specific needs and maturity in DEI practices. Some may focus more on recruitment and hiring metrics, while others might emphasise employee engagement and leadership diversity. The key is to customise the scorecard to reflect the organization's unique DEI journey and priorities.
Why you should not skip implementing DEI Scorecards
Improved recruitment and retention: by highlighting areas for improvement in hiring and retention, DEI scorecards can help organisations become more attractive to diverse talent.
Enhanced innovation and performance: diverse teams are shown to be more innovative and perform better. A DEI scorecard helps track diversity levels and foster environments where diverse ideas can thrive.
Increased employee satisfaction and engagement: transparency in DEI efforts can boost employee morale and engagement by demonstrating a commitment to fairness and inclusion.
According to McKinsey, as with any other component of an organization’s strategy, progress on DEI initiatives must be tracked with clear metrics, and leaders should be held accountable for results. To facilitate accountability, some companies use DEI scorecards and set milestones for completing specific DEI goals. A European consumer brand, for instance, created a dashboard for its CEO and senior managers to track representation, hiring, promotion, attrition, and inclusion, which helped leaders stay more engaged in the work. Some organisations monitor both leading indicators (for instance, an increase in applications from underrepresented demographics) and lagging indicators (for example, an increase in diversity representation across different levels of an organization).
According to Gartner research (Gartner Inclusion Index), the number of HR leaders who cited DEI efforts as a top priority was 1.8 times higher in 2020 than in 2019.
According to Harvard Business Review, when done right, the collection, analysis, and disclosure of diversity data holds the promise of being a powerful lever for progress. Organisations looking to make the best use of their diversity data must: 1) Present it in a way that’s simple, salient, and comparable; 2) Leverage it to empower the right people to act; 3) Use it to set goals that create accountability and increase follow-through; and 4) Leverage it to shift social norms around DEI.
As the workforce continues to diversify, the need for robust DEI measures becomes more critical. DEI scorecards are not just tools for measurement but are catalysts for change, driving organisations towards more inclusive, equitable, and diverse futures.
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