Get – and Keep – a Clear View of Your Workforce

Get – and Keep – a Clear View of Your Workforce

Many companies are required to collect and report EEO data for their permanent workforce. And they might look at opportunities within contingent workforce management to maximize and measure diversity spend. That's fine for compliance and access to federal contracts, but advancing DE&I requires a lot more within an organization. That includes having a clear picture of your pipeline, candidates, offers, hires and your contingent workforce.

?Build in tools to track your whole workforce – Many organizations have increased focus in recent years on understanding how their workforces are comprised. With thousands – and sometimes tens of thousands – of contingent workers worldwide, companies have an interest in knowing in real-time who has access to their systems, for what purpose, at what times and for how much money. What started as an effort to mitigate risk, improve compliance and predict costs is now an opportunity to get a clear picture of diversity.

?Examine your systems – If your organization is like most, digital transformation is underway. Now is the time to increase the sophistication of your technology and data collection. A few questions to ask:

·??????What opportunities exist to build DE&I metrics into the VMS?

·??????What can your ATS tell you about the candidates you're attracting?

·??????How is EEO data collection used to advance strategy?

·??????What targets do suppliers have to help advance your DE&I strategy? How are they reported and measured?

?Adding data fields to these systems is not an insignificant exercise. It takes time and work with technology teams and suppliers. How this takes shape will also differ by industry and geography (e.g., countries vary in the types of data collection that is legally allowed). In other words, it's similar to addressing large-scale regulatory changes. It's not always easy, but it is achievable.

?Look at micro-measurements – Diversity doesn't live at ten thousand feet. If we look exclusively at the macro level, we'll continue to miss the mark. Consciously Unbiased gives the example of the "three countries" analogy: You're not really diverse if your marketing department is all one group, your tech team is another and your engineers are another. For true diversity, you have to look at the micro-level. That means asking more specific questions, even when the answers aren't what you're looking for.

?·??????What's happening across the organization and within functions?

·??????What progress is being made in leadership and at what level? Do people have the opportunity to progress and grow in their careers?

·??????Where are the most significant improvements being made? Are they at early career levels? What do the macro numbers look like when entry-level progress is removed?

?Understanding the makeup of your workforce is an essential first step in advancing DE&I to everyone who works for you. While compliance and spend are key selling points for worker tracking, we also know it provides an essential baseline to know where DE&I efforts must be focused and a starting place for improvement. That alone should be enough to gain buy-in for the effort internally.

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