How can you use data to improve your company's diversity and inclusion practices?

1 Assess your current state

Before you can set goals and implement actions, you need to understand where you stand in terms of diversity and inclusion. You can use data to assess your current state by collecting and analyzing information on various dimensions of diversity, such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, and more. You can also use data to measure the level of inclusion, which is how employees feel valued, respected, and supported by their colleagues and managers. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other methods to gather feedback from your employees on their experiences and perceptions of inclusion.

2 Identify gaps and opportunities

Once you have a clear picture of your current state, you can use data to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can compare your data with industry benchmarks, best practices, or your own aspirations to see where you are lagging behind or excelling. You can also use data to identify patterns, trends, or correlations that reveal the root causes or drivers of your diversity and inclusion challenges or successes. For example, you can use data to see how diversity and inclusion affect your recruitment, retention, promotion, performance, engagement, innovation, or customer satisfaction.

3 Set goals and track progress

After you have identified your gaps and opportunities, you can use data to set goals and track progress. You can use data to define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your diversity and inclusion initiatives. You can also use data to monitor and evaluate your progress towards your goals, using indicators, metrics, or dashboards that show your achievements and challenges. You can use data to communicate your progress to your stakeholders, such as your employees, customers, partners, or investors, and celebrate your wins or address your issues.

4 Test and refine your actions

Finally, you can use data to test and refine your actions. You can use data to experiment with different strategies, interventions, or programs that aim to improve your diversity and inclusion outcomes. You can use data to measure the impact and effectiveness of your actions, using methods such as A/B testing, randomized controlled trials, or quasi-experimental designs. You can use data to learn from your results, using feedback loops, lessons learned, or best practices. You can use data to refine your actions, using continuous improvement, iteration, or innovation.

Using data to improve your diversity and inclusion practices is not a one-time or linear process. It is an ongoing and cyclical process that requires commitment, collaboration, and curiosity. By using data, you can make informed decisions, take effective actions, and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace for your employees and customers.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?