With diversity audits, data without action is meaningless.Getty Images
Ask Women and Work
Question: A new leader has come into my organization, and I’ve been tasked with doing a diversity audit. Similar efforts in the past have never had any real impact. How can I make this one count?
We asked Amina Djirdeh, founder of DEI consulting firm Global Mastery Partners, to tackle this one:
Diversity audits can help you get crystal clear on defining the problems your organization might have, and how to solve those problems. But data without action is meaningless. The real power lies in using these insights to create a more inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong.
Step one is defining the scope and objectives of the audit. What is the problem that we’re trying to solve? Is it turnover? Lack of diversity in hiring or leadership representation? Is it compensation? Culture? What are the areas that need change? This might be based on feedback they are getting from employees that something is not working.
Next is data collection by combining quantitative metrics with employee stories. You look at the hard numbers, so the demographic breakdown of the employee base, the turnover rate, the promotion rate, how people are getting paid within the same role. Then you look at qualitative data, which involves having focus groups and employee interviews. This is just to get a feel of what people are thinking about the firm. The biggest issue we run into here is employees are scared to talk. They’re scared about losing their job if they are open about their experiences. So, it’s important to reassure them about confidentiality which helps to build trust and improve participation.
Employee surveys give you an opportunity to listen at scale. Questions can include things like: Do you feel like you belong at work? Have you ever experienced microaggressions? Do you feel you have equal opportunities for advancement? It’s about keeping it simple, culturally sensitive, and making sure the language encourages honest feedback. Be sure to explain to employees why the survey matters. And again, it’s important to emphasize anonymity, so you shouldn’t ask for names when they respond, and surveys should be 100 per cent confidential.
Collecting the data is just half the job. You take the numbers and combine that with the stories and the survey, then use analysis and reporting to turn data into actionable insights. Identify discrepancies, representation gaps, pay inequality, patterns of negative behaviour. If you see a lot of people complaining about microaggressions in one department, that’s something you need to look into. You might look at other companies within that industry – how well are other companies doing?
The last step, which is usually the hardest step, is the action planning. Data without action doesn’t work. Organizations should be transparent and share the results of their audit with their employees. When we do audits, we focus on creating goals for measurable change and continuous improvement. We create accountability and assign ownership for each initiative. It’s a continuing process, it’s not a one-off event. Leadership needs to continuously monitor things and adjust the strategy as needed.
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