Demystifying diversity data

I sat down recently with Hayley Bakker from Diversely and Jo Major to discuss why data is important, what we can do with it and what we can’t do with it. We wanted our discussion to guide organisations on how to get off the starting block and build a roadmap for collecting diverse data. 

Jo kicked us off by acknowledging that data is a challenge that sees her clients trying to navigate. Through her client work, Jo has watched others do it and identified best practices regarding ways to communicate with candidates.  

”We don’t have a grasp on what representation looks like in our talent pools” Jo Major

Hayley Bakker is the co-founder of Diversely, a diversity, and inclusion recruitment platform and has got her hands dirty on what you can do with data in the UK and globally. Hayley has seen the sensitivity and fears around diversity data, which has made it a no-go area. She wants to bring down the fear level and start to get an overview of diversity, and inclusion data.

There is a distinction between diversity and inclusion:

Diversity is the representation of people at the table, and inclusion is asking if are we getting their perspectives.

The inclusion data asks how are we working together? Combining the two is where you get the insights.

“That’s the utopia” Sally Spicer

The motivation for starting the business of D&I measures seems to be based on gut instinct rather than data-driven decision-making. There are organisations that ‘think the business looks like this’ purely based on gut a look around without data. Jo was keen to caution on the pitfalls of making assumptions about people being happy at work without data to back it up.

Who is in our organisation? Who is not in our organisation & how do they feel? Data can identify marginalised disengaged groups. 

”Not all diverse characteristics are visible” Sally Spicer“

Race, gender, and age are simply surface-level data.

Start with where you collect data as tracking needs to begin early into the hiring pipeline.  The job application might be the first touchpoint.

”Don’t wait until someone is hired because you’ve lost some insights”

Hayley Bakker

Check your application forms, there are still lots that ask for highly sensitive data with no reassurance on where stored, or how it will be used. A CV may also contain sensitive data so use caution on capturing that. Use due diligence on processing and be aware of compliance issues.

Asking about sexual orientation for example is personal & sensitive. 

Ensure you also track exit data: which groups are leaving your organisation.

How do we understand identity markers?

We can’t measure impact without data, we, therefore, need a thorough measurement tool which enables us to see deselection points such as assessments, or short notice of interviews; who left at those points?

A survey can also cause offence and deselection.

The D&I journey needs to get to a stage where your measurement and processes are honed to an extent that you could identify bias in a specific manager.

At this point of the discussion, I wanted to highlight the presence of resistance from some organisations because the deeper we go, the more work it exposes, and some simply aren’t prepared to do this. The conversation also acknowledged that this is hard for small businesses.

Hayley warned that targets not framed through data create a greater problem than the one they are trying to solve.

Quota setting is illegal, it can create demographics that aren’t realistic in society because there are also geographic considerations. The use of ill-thought-through quotas can bring about discrimination and the deselection of candidates because of their identity which goes against the ethics of the recruitment business. 

The key takeaway is to not have a short-term view of what impact we can have.

Think ahead to 3, 5 and 10 years in terms of our D&I outcomes because the decisions we make now will make an impact in the years to come.

DEI is a journey: things evolve

The psychological safety of humans is important, we simply must build trust and create an environment where people feel ok to self-disclose. Any sense people have that they will be penalised for disclosing their identity is a factor.

Identity is triggering, it’s a big ask. Respect the time and honesty given.

This means giving clear reasons why data is being collected such as a means of improving recruitment or because there is legal compliance; organisations must be transparent in sharing outcomes.

Ensure you communicate that you have an awareness of individuals’ rights in regard to religion, disability, and sexual orientation for example.

·      Be explicit & transparent about what you get wrong - encourage questions on data. 

·      Local/geographical knowledge is critical. 

·      Collaborative working groups are key.

·      Alphabetise groups – avoid defaulting majority groups like white. 

·      Celebrate self-describing so that people feel acknowledged. 

What you can’t do with data

Hayley and Diversely will be launching a data guide, check out their website for updates on this plus further PDFs & resources.

Here are some general dos and don’ts with data:

-         Data can’t inform sessions and be used on a personal level - it must be used to monitor trends and inform processes. 

-         Only collect what will be used. 

-         You can’t collect everything everywhere - global varying rules & data privacy. 

-         It must be consent-based - an opt-out must be clear.

-         You can’t create incentives to share data.

-         You can’t share with everyone. 

How you store datasets is important, make sure to separate different sets so they can’t be tied to individuals. Data must also stay in the country of origin with the only exception around outsourcing processing.

Data helps you do things, measure what works and allows you to see results or upticks in areas. Think of data in terms of empowerment rather than fear.

If you spend time asking and measuring, you may be pleasantly surprised and just how diverse your organisation is. Embracing the processes and appreciating the scope may lead to celebrating just how packed full of diversity your business is.

“Do the good we need to do with the data”.

We will be covering data again in another session later in the series.