15 DEI metrics to track DEI program success

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have become focal points in modern workplaces. Most employees (56%) believe increasing DEI at work is a good thing, and 53% of workers who’ve participated in DEI training find it very or somewhat helpful.

Human resources (HR) teams can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace through DEI programs. These initiatives aim to create an inclusive culture and ensure fair opportunities for all employees.

To measure their program's effectiveness, HR teams track DEI metrics for insights and future improvements. In this guide, we'll share 15 key metrics for evaluating DEI success and how to use them to drive organizational change.

DEI metrics measure a company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They yield quantitative and qualitative data that give organizations a clear picture of progress.

Measuring DEI is essential to creating an inclusive and innovative company culture. It encourages organizational accountability and helps HR teams identify employee experience (EX) gaps.

Organizations can use many different DEI metrics to monitor progress toward their goals. These 15 metrics help companies build more diverse and inclusive workplaces that empower employees from all backgrounds. 

Employee retention is a key indicator of an organization’s DEI success. High turnover rates among minority groups can signal significant room for improvement in an organization’s workplace culture, inclusion, or growth opportunities. 

To use employee retention data: 

Companies should review performance data quarterly or yearly to evaluate potential biases in the performance review process. While performance reviews are often valuable to employee development, the review process can perpetuate unconscious bias without a solid feedback system.

Analyze your rating criteria to ensure you're offering fair and equitable performance reviews to all employees. Standardizing the performance review process with surveys can also help support a structured, equitable experience.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are employee-led groups designed to foster a sense of belonging among employees who share common identities, life experiences, or interests. These voluntary groups help an organization ensure that every employee feels like they belong.

ERGs contribute to a more inclusive workplace and empower employees to advocate for themselves. Businesses can track participation levels in ERGs to see how effective they are and gauge their impact. 

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS®) is a variant of (NPS®) designed to measure employee engagement and workplace satisfaction. It asks one question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend working at this company to a friend or colleague?”

To measure eNPS® scores, HR teams should understand the three categories employees fall into.

To get your average eNPS®, take the percentage of Promoters and subtract the percentage of Detractors. You can ignore Passive responses when calculating eNPS®. For example, 60% of responses fall into the Promoter category, and 20% fall into the Detractor category. 

60% - 20% = 40 

Compare your score to a scale of -100 to 100. It is pretty rare for most companies to score above 30. However, the higher the score, the better the engagement and DEI. 

Candidate diversity measures the percentage of diverse candidates in the talent pipeline. You can use this metric to determine the impact of your diversity recruiting initiatives.

Review the percentage of candidates from underrepresented or minority groups that undergo the hiring process with your recruiting team. High percentages show a company’s commitment to DEI and a successful diversity recruiting initiative. 

Leadership diversity is extremely important to creating a workplace focused on DEI. Data shows 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women CEOs, and only 1.6% of top executives are Black.

Measuring the percentage of diverse employees in leadership positions helps assess advancement equity and experience gaps. Compare leaders across demographics like gender, race, ethnicity, and disability, and evaluate how this representation aligns with the overall employee makeup.

Fair and equitable opportunities for advancement are vital to promoting DEI in the workplace. Promotion rates can offer insight into an organization’s commitment to providing career advancement for diverse employees.

Analyze promotion data by demographic to identify disparities and ensure equal opportunities for career development. Evaluate the average time to promotion, the demographics of employees eligible for promotion, and track promotion rates by other relevant factors.  

Diversity recruiting is only successful if some of the diverse candidates in the process are eventually hired. HR teams should measure diversity in their hiring by examining new hire demographics.

Measure the rate at which your organization hires employees from diverse backgrounds or underrepresented groups. Hiring rates are a strong indicator of an organization’s DEI success. 

Pay equity measures how well employees are compensated for equal work, regardless of race, age, gender, disability, or other demographic factors. When organizations address pay equity gaps, it shows their dedication to a fair and inclusive work environment.

To measure pay equity, compare employees' salaries in similar roles across demographic groups. Be sure to also account for job title, experience, and geographic location to determine whether pay rates are fair and equal. 

Employee engagement reflects employees' commitment and enthusiasm for their work and organization. It's linked to job satisfaction and workplace inclusion, with engaged employees feeling more valued and respected.

Measuring employee engagement can help leadership evaluate their workplace culture and corporate diversity efforts. Send employee engagement surveys regularly to collect ongoing feedback and improve your DEI efforts.

Accessibility compliance ensures that every employee can fully participate in their workplace, regardless of physical or cognitive ability. Measure this DEI metric to understand how your company accommodates employees with disabilities.

HR teams should evaluate physical workplaces for compliance with accessibility standards. Additionally, teams should assess digital accessibility and compatibility with assistive technologies. 

DEI isn’t only about employees—it also extends to an organization’s supplier network. Organizations should monitor supplier diversity to ensure they remain committed to diversity and inclusion beyond internal operations.

Supplier diversity measures the demographics of an organization’s suppliers to assess the extent to which they work with underrepresented groups. A diverse supplier includes minority-run businesses, women-owned vendors, veteran-centered companies, LGBTQ+ businesses, and more.  

Measure employee representation demographics to assess the impact of your DEI initiatives. Regularly should assess the percentage of employees in different demographic groups, such as gender, race, age, to determine diversity levels. 

Organizations often use DEI training and education to help employees learn more inclusive workplace practices. HR teams should measure DEI training participation rates to determine how many employees are engaged in DEI efforts.

Compare attendance data by demographic to understand participation trends and gaps among your employees.

For more granular data, HR and leadership teams can measure initiative-specific DEI metrics. Set specific goals per your different DEI policies, programs, or campaigns to evaluate their success and overall impact. Companies can also use these metrics to track how each initiative contributes to their employee experience.

Determining which KPIs and methods to use will depend on your company's size, resources, and DEI goals. Use a system that works best for you, or build one with our five-step process outlined below.

Determine which DEI goals you want to meet within a set time frame. DEI goals can cover different target areas, from increasing leadership diversity to addressing bias in performance reviews. Some common DEI goals include:

Use organizational culture or culture pulse surveys to collect employee feedback on DEI initiatives they want to see. Document these goals for shareholders and emphasize your commitment to these goals to your employees.

Next, consider which DEI metrics closely align with your goals. Your metrics will ultimately impact how you collect data about your DEI initiatives from your employees.

Choose data collection methods that offer a mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data can often add context to your insights and provide a better understanding of the quantitative data you collect.

Some data collection methods include: 

Use your preferred data collection methods to gather feedback on your DEI initiatives over time. As you introduce new DEI programs, policies, and resources, email employee surveys, conduct focus groups, open a suggestion box, or host regular team meetings to collect feedback on your efforts.

Ideally, you should be collecting feedback regularly to allow for continuous improvement of your initiatives. Aim to reach out quarterly or yearly for consistent results.

As you collect feedback and data on your DEI efforts, look for patterns and gaps in performance. Benchmark your results against competitors in your markets and filter results into demographics like sex, age, and race to understand your initiatives' overall impact.

For example, data collected from an employee engagement survey may show that your female employees are less engaged than their male peers. With this knowledge, DEI leadership can determine strategies to close this gap with an ESG team,

The last step of the DEI metric process is to take action and improve your organization’s best practices policies. Use DEI metrics to improve hiring practices, boost employee development, and refine workplace inclusion initiatives.

The recommended frequency for measuring DEI metrics will depend on your organization's unique needs. However, you can use some general benchmarks to monitor DEI efforts continuously. 

When measuring DEI initiative progress, consider:

Once you've collected and interpreted your DEI data, present your insights to your program's relevant stakeholders, such as executives and employees.

Progress reports and yearly presentations are two common ways to share about your DEI initiatives. Here are best practices for sharing DEI data:

Consider each stakeholder's goals and roles when determining which insights to present to your audience. For instance, business executives may be more interested in eNPS® or hiring data, whereas employees may rather learn about accessibility measures and ERG participation.

Use tools or software to create charts, graphs, and other advanced data visualizations. Stakeholders can more easily interpret data insight when presented as clear visualizations. Use the SurveyMonkey Power BI and Tableau integrations to power data visualizations in your reports.

Data without context can lead to misinterpretation which you want to avoid. Be sure you present your data with insights to give the appropriate context to the numbers. Help stakeholders understand what the data means, why it matters, and how to take action.

Choose actionable insights for your presentation to drive real change in your organization. Focus on transforming raw data into actionable steps teams can take in real life.

Identify key problem areas from the data and propose solutions. Additionally, set measurable goals and prioritize initiatives based on their potential impact. 

When analyzing and presenting DEI data, share the whole picture to build stakeholder trust. Present the positive aspects and areas for improvement and publish DEI reports regularly to inform stakeholders about progress and setbacks.

Focus on transparency and encourage open feedback when sharing DEI metrics and data insights. DEI data may spark impactful conversations that can lead to action.

Consider hosting an open forum where employees can exchange ideas and provide active feedback to reports to encourage open dialogue and help further promote an inclusive workplace. 

Companies can harness the power of data collected through DEI metrics to inform decision-making and support organizational changes.

When driving change across your organization, consider:

Build an inclusive and innovative workplace where employees can thrive by tracking and acting on DEI data. Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs require continuous effort and refinement; measure progress and support positive change with SurveyMonkey.

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