Cultural Diversity Surveys

जैसे चाय में चीनी और समोसे में चटनी ज़रूरी है, वैसे ही वर्कप्लेस में diversity और inclusion ज़रूरी है! (Just like sugar in tea and chutney with samosas are essential, diversity and inclusion are essential in the workplace!) Creating an inclusive culture takes commitment—and tracking the right metrics helps us understand our progress and adjust our strategies as we go. Measuring diversity and inclusion isn’t just about numbers; it’s about gauging the depth of belonging and equity within the organization. Here’s a look at key metrics to consider: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟭: 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Track diversity rates by gender, race, ethnicity, age, and other relevant demographics across different levels of the organization. Examining representation across all roles—especially in leadership positions—helps ensure diversity is woven into the organization at every level. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟮: 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Monitoring hiring and promotion rates by demographic categories can reveal if there are disparities in career advancement. If certain groups are underrepresented in promotions, it may highlight areas for development in training, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟯: 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Retention rates among diverse groups provide insights into how inclusive the culture truly is. High turnover rates in specific demographics can indicate a need for improvement in support, workplace culture, or inclusion efforts. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟰: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆𝘀 Inclusion can be measured by how employees feel. Conduct regular engagement surveys to assess feelings of belonging, support, and overall job satisfaction. Surveys tailored to inclusion can help highlight whether employees feel valued and included in the company’s mission. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟱: 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Participation in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be a strong indicator of an inclusive culture. Track ERG membership, event attendance, and engagement to understand how employees connect with others who share similar backgrounds or interests. Measuring diversity and inclusion is about creating accountability, highlighting areas for growth, and making meaningful progress toward an inclusive culture. By consistently tracking these metrics, we can build a workplace where everyone feels they belong. 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨, metrics matter—they turn inclusion from an intention into a measurable reality. 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘱 𝘢 👍 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦! 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘴𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 #𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘴.

Data tell stories. But when we group people into overly broad categories for race and ethnicity, specific communities and their unique needs can be rendered invisible. NYU City Health Dashboard understands the power of detailed, disaggregated race and ethnicity data! In their new blog post, Isabel Nelson, Samantha Breslin, and Avalon A. share three best practices for collecting more accurate data on race and ethnicity. By doing so, we can uncover inequities that are masked by broad groups and work toward more effective policies that allow everyone to thrive. To get there, data collectors should consider: 1️⃣ Collaboration: Working directly with communities in every step of the data collection process will ensure the questions asked will lead to answers that actually inform solutions. 2️⃣ Cultural competency: All cultures are unique, so each survey should be too. Data collectors must prioritize building trust and making communities feel seen and understood. 3️⃣ Inclusivity: While multiple choice survey responses are simple, they don’t leave space for people to specify how they identify and it risks excluding meaningful data. It’s best to include write-in opinions. Collecting better data is an important first step in any research endeavor. For best practices on reporting, learn more in the blog: https://lnkd.in/eDhb3bbA 

This week's theme in my workshops (and, by that extension, my posts to you here) is – assessing data collection tools (like surveys) for inclusion and access. Most of my workshops start at the same place – where most have designed at least one survey in the current/past job/education. And then it takes three hours and some meaningful collective learning to realize that planning a survey is much more than just a list of questions. It is an opportunity to connect with your community directly, hear their stories, and understand their experiences and expressions of engagement. In this post, I want to share 5 "red flag" behaviors I often see during a survey design phase: ● When the only questions included are of positive feedback. We all love hearing good things, but only asking for positive feedback disables some real growth opportunities. Example: A question like, "What did you love most about our event?" assumes your respondent only loves the event, and then it offers no room for any different experience. ● When questions are overloaded with complicated words or jargon that only a few will know. You know your mission inside and out, but your community might not understand the same terms you do. Speak in their language. Think of your survey as a conversation. Example: A question like, "How would you rate the efficacy of our donor stewardship activities?" assumes everyone understands the details of "stewardship". ● When every possible question about every possible aspect of the mission is asked – because "why not". Designing surveys – without context – that go on for more than 10-12 minutes - can feel like asking for too much. Be mindful of the respondents and the needs of the data collection. Every question should have a purpose. ● When questions contradict anonymity. Our communities are diverse, and our surveys should hold a neat, safe space for those communities. Ensuring accessibility – balanced with truly useful demographic questions means not harming someone's anonymity – thus making the experience of collecting data easier and meaningful. Example: A survey asking about racial and ethnic diversity in a group of 99% homogenous population (thus making the 1% racially diverse population nervous about the possible breach of anonymity). ● When questions do not offer an 'Opt-Out' option by making everything required. Some questions may feel too personal or uncomfortable for individuals to respond to, and our surveys must create space for that. Give respondents the space to skip a question if they need to. Example: A survey that requires donors to disclose their income range without offering a way to skip the question if they're uncomfortable sharing that information. Stay tuned for a soon-to-be post on what we can do differently then. Have any other such behaviors? Share them here. In the meantime, try some of these resources (all designed to do good with data): https://lnkd.in/gUK-6M_Y #nonprofits #community