How can HR measure the success of diversity initiatives?

Citation

Marshall, D. (2008), "How can HR measure the success of diversity initiatives?", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 7 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr.2008.37207eaf.005

How can HR measure the success of diversity initiatives?

Article Type: Q&A From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 7, Issue 5

Leading industry experts answer your strategic HR queries

When I told a new acquaintance about my business activity at Marshall ACM, a company that specializes in managing workplace issues such as diversity with e-learning, he replied, “My old firm always talked about diversity and nothing ever got done.” Sometimes I am so used to talking to HR professionals and people who evangelize about diversity, I forget that this is often the common perception. And it is common. Really, you need to be able to measure the effectiveness of your diversity program to the business as a whole, showing that it is not just a laudable exercise, and it certainly is not futile.

There are already some clearly defined and recognized metrics for analyzing the impact of a diversity program. For example:

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  Analyzing your workforce composition; are all equality groups represented?

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  Looking at patterns of staff retention.

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  Reviewing internal staff surveys.

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  Reviewing numbers of cases that go to tribunal.

Identifying the drivers behind diversity programs

However, it might be useful to reflect upon why your organization implemented a diversity program in the first place. In reality, there is nothing standard about any one program. It is clearly important for organizations to take account of equality and diversity issues in order to stay within the law. However, there is also a wider established case that equality and diversity are “good for business” for the following reasons:

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  the organization doesn’t want to have to pay the financial costs of a discrimination case, or attract negative publicity;

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  having a workplace where staff feel fairly treated and comfortable will mean they are more motivated, work harder and are less likely to leave;

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  being open-minded about who is recruited will mean that the organization has a wider choice and can employ the people with the best talent;

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  staff from a wide range of backgrounds and with diverse experiences are innovative and creative;

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  a workforce that broadly reflects the customer base is more sensitive to the needs of customers;

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  services that take account of the needs of different customers are “better” services and customers will be more satisfied with the organization’s performance;

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  if the organization is seen to be committed to equality and diversity, this increases service user confidence in the fairness of the organization’s processes;

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  if citizens from all communities are involved in local democratic processes this brings social inclusion and community cohesion;

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  the organization can be a role model to other organizations on equality and diversity; and

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  it is simply the right thing to do to treat people fairly and equally.

Of the above, think about which are the most important to your organization. Then, apply them to the reasons why you’re tackling equality and diversity issues. Is it because of:

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  the “business case” – how equality and diversity will help your organization to operate more effectively;

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  the “moral argument” – it is the right thing to do; or

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  the “legal bottom-line” – to stay within the law?

Equality impact assessing

They are all important, and my view is that if looking at the legal bottom line and alerting managers to the risks of “getting it wrong” is the priority, then the already well-known metrics mentioned previously will be satisfactory. If your objectives are (and are more likely to be) a mix of all three, then different metrics are required. Here, I believe all organizations can learn from the practice of equality impact assessing their services and policies. What I mean by that, is implementing a process that allows an organization to map out all their policies and services and to audit them for possible ways to highlight areas where they may discriminate. Also, just as importantly, it provides you with areas of opportunity where equality can be promoted.

This process is the best thing we have to really measure the success of processes and the impact of our policies and practices. I would say it is outdated to talk of a separate diversity program. Really, diversity and equality should be mainstreamed through every single process within every organization. In practice, this means collecting evidence beyond just looking at statistics but actually consulting with your staff and customers. Once you do this and you involve your employees in the process, you are helping them to develop an equality and diversity “mindset” and build an environment where all groups have their needs considered.

To find out more about equality impact assessments you can consult The Equality and Human Rights Commission website at www.equalityhumanrights.com. By implementing your own processes, you can actively risk assess everything you do against equality and diversity rather than focus in on HR issues alone.

Pose your questions

Please send your HR queries to shr@emeraldinsight.com in an email marked HR Question (100 words max). If you would like to suggest an expert to answer your query, please include relevant contact details where possible.

David Marshall Founder and CEO of Marshall ACM, a company that specializes in managing workplace issues with e-learning. He was formerly head of research at Penna Consulting where he project managed all online services and e-learning. He has project managed over one hundred online diversity training projects. He can be contacted at: dmarshall@marshallacm.co.uk