Chances are, your workplace tracks and measures many different things. It may track the effectiveness of its advertising, or the profitability of a certain product, or how many days of PTO its employees usually take each year. These metrics help guide the organization to make crucial decisions for the future—decisions that could affect its bottom line.
So, why don’t we place this kind of emphasis on inclusivity?
Some might argue that terms like diversity, equity, and inclusion are too hazy to measure. How is it possible to gauge inclusion? What does that look like? What metrics can you possibly use?
This week, let's discuss 4 ways to measure workplace inclusion.
1. Recruitment Practices
One way to measure workplace inclusivity is to track the diversity of candidates applying for positions, as well as the diversification of the recruitment process. This includes analyzing the response the company receives to job listings. When listings use inclusive language, companies typically attract a more diverse pool of candidates.
Keep in mind, recruitment is an important first step, but your inclusion work doesn’t end there! It is just as important to foster a welcoming environment in which people of all backgrounds and perspectives have a chance to thrive.
2. Gauge Worker Satisfaction
It is vitally important to continually collect feedback to ensure the company is addressing the needs of all employees. One-on-one meetings are great (and necessary for building trusted relationships), but it’s equally important to request anonymous feedback. Send out surveys or develop another private feedback channel.
When collecting information, researchers from Gartner determined that it’s important to ask about 7 key areas of inclusivity: fair treatment, integrating differences (taking into account multiple perspectives and needs), decision-making, psychological safety, trust, belonging, and diversity. For example, a question about trust could be framed like this:
On a scale of 1-5 (1=highly disagree, 5=highly agree), how much do you agree with this statement? “I can depend on company leadership to be honest and open with me.”
Once you establish your baseline metrics, you can see how worker satisfaction goes up or down as you take initiatives to become a more inclusive workplace.
3. Measure Worker Involvement
Which demographics are represented on your leadership team? How about special committees? Or other groups in charge of making important decisions? Representation is important, and it’s crucial to pay attention to who is involved in decision-making at all levels.
4. Evaluate Retention Rate
No company can prosper if it is continually losing its best talent. Keep an eye on retention rates for certain groups. If certain populations are being retained at lower rates than others, it’s time to take a closer look and really examine why that is.
In addition to paying attention to who is leaving, it’s critical to listen to what they are saying. When you conduct exit interviews, pay attention. Ascertain why people are leaving, and track the reasons in a chart or spreadsheet (that is, ideally, contributed to and shared with other company leaders).
--
Tracking the progress of your inclusion initiatives is crucial. You need to know what works, what doesn’t, and where to focus your efforts. Implementing these four methods of measurement can help you benchmark your progress and hone your strategy for nurturing a truly inclusive and equitable workplace. Inclusion is a continuously growing process, and tracking the right metrics is a key part of making sure things are improving.
Leave a Comment