Most DEI efforts stall on: "you can't measure this."
You can, and if you don't, you're flying blind. Research on HR teams found the biggest barrier to effective DEI was the lack of metrics to know where the gaps are.
To start tracking the right numbers, our DEI Metrics Tracker gives you the template to baseline where you are and measure progress.
Why Measure It
There's a moral case and a business case, and they're linked: DEI is people work, and it shows up in retention, innovation, and the bottom line. The popular studies showing diverse companies outperform don't always replicate, which is exactly why your own measurement matters: measure your impact, don't borrow someone else's numbers.
The loop: baseline, build a strategy around a clear purpose, then measure continuously.
The Four Things to Measure
- Diversity, representation (a numbers game: demographics, EEOC data), where most companies start.
- Equity, how you elevate those historically left behind: pay-equity analysis plus an audit of policies and practices (e.g., who's in the high-potential pool by demographic).
- Inclusion, what people do (a behavior), measured with "other-report" data: don't ask if someone thinks they're inclusive; ask the people they manage. Organizational network analysis helps.
- Belonging, the feeling of being valued, respected, seen, and heard, measured by self-report surveys.
How to Collect and Read It
Pair quantitative (demographics, equity trends, inclusion frequencies, belonging scores) with qualitative (interviews, focus groups, open-ended feedback). The quant tells you what; the qual tells you why. Then "double-click": break results down by identity, intersectionally, by employee lifecycle, and cross them with performance and turnover.
Avoid These Traps
Collecting no data; only one type (EEOC alone); reading only the average; analysis paralysis (prevent it with a clear purpose); measuring once every three years; and going it alone. On the fears: DEI data isn't divisive when it listens to every voice; and acting on the data you collect generally protects you legally more than not having it.
Turn Data Into Action
Tie the action plan to the company's mission and values (that wins leadership buy-in). Communicate in a phased rollout: executives, then managers, then all employees (an infographic plus an optional town hall). Share externally for accountability if you're bold. Then follow through, a dedicated DEI owner helps.
Led by Sertrice Grice of Mattingly Solutions, co-author of Inclusalytics.
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