When we began the journey of writing Inclusalytics: How DEI Leaders Use Data to Drive Their Work, we realized that so many organizations were still early on in their DEI journeys and needed support determining what DEI is at its core, how to measure it, and how to turn that data into action. With those questions from our clients in mind, our research background in human behavior in the workplace, and through copious interviews with DEI leaders, Inclusalytics was born. The reception for the book over the last three years has been more than we could have ever imagined!
And while the book is an easy read, sometimes you need something even shorter to digest or perhaps a quick refresher on key points.
Never fear! Over the course of the next few months, we’ll be releasing “Inclusalytics Snapshot” blogs for each of the chapters of our book Inclusalytics. These recaps (or sneak peeks!) provide a glimpse of some of what we covered in our best-selling book. Up next: Chapter Five!
Chapter 5: Conduct an Equity Audit
This chapter provides an overview of what equity data is and how it can be evaluated in your organization. Equity data are any organizational policies, practices, and procedures that “govern” individuals. In other words, it is the data that is used to determine the level of fairness of how an organization operates.
In order to evaluate equity, one should conduct an equity audit. This audit needs to include both subjective and objective measures of equity.
What are subjective measures of equity?
Subjective measures of equity include perceptions of fairness within an organization. While these may not be true areas of inequity, they point to potential areas of concern.
"How employees think and feel about organizational practices, policies, and procedures will help you best direct your equity-building efforts into what matters most to your current workforce."
This information can be gathered via regular engagement or pulse surveys and should evaluate three major areas related to equity:
Perceived fairness
Distribution of resources
Decision-making
Beyond surveys, employees can also be asked via focus group. Areas that may be perceived as inequitable include but are not limited to recruitment, selection, professional development opportunities, and benefits such as paid leave, and hybrid/work-from-home policies.
What are objective measures of equity?
More objective measures of equity include the actual policies, practices, and procedures that are in place across the organization and analyzing how they are being accessed and impacting different groups. In addition to looking internally, aggregate data within a given sector or industry can provide benchmarks for organizations looking to evaluate their equity against other similar organizations or the industry at-large.
Once trends across both subjective and objective measures are identified, it’s important to be attentive to which groups are being affected by the inequitable policies or practices. This should inform the way forward to reduce inequity and embrace fairness.
Want to read more? Buy your own copy of Inclusalytics here.
Looking to get started on your DEI measurement journey in your organization? Contact us today.
Comments