The Modern Manager 177: Measuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your Team with Erica Lee
Organizations are prioritizing DEI, but what is guiding their decisions? It’s important to gather data that can inform strategies, programmatic investments, and help track progress. But what data is captured, as well as how that data is gathered, is critical.
Today’s guest is Erica Lee. Erica is the co-founder and COO of Pluto, a startup advancing DEI through analytics and communication tools. Her background is in law, international development and policy.
Erica and I talk about how to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion within your team or organization. We talk about the process of gathering data, protecting privacy, turning responses into insight and more.
Members of the Modern Manager community get a complimentary 30-minute consult with me to help you strategize rolling out a DEI survey. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.
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Read the related blog article: What Most DEI Surveys Get Wrong—And How to do it Right
KEEP UP WITH ERICA
Website: https://pluto.life/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-lee-2013/
Key Takeaways:
- We can approach DEI just like any other business goals: using data driven strategy and tracking progress.
- DEI surveys need to go deeper than HR data to help us understand diversity.. They should provide an opportunity for people to see themselves in the responses.
- DEI surveys should address equity and inclusion such as a person’s sense of belonging, if they are getting the promotions and pay they desire, and more.
- Pluto creates an evolving story from the survey responses rather than just a checklist. “Other” is never an option.
- The best surveys are ones where people can reflect and learn about themselves.
- When people don’t trust surveys, they disengage. They need to feel their information and privacy are protected.
- Managers were surprised to learn from Pluto about their team’s mental health issues.
- If Pluto isn’t the right tool for your team, find pre-built DEI surveys that ensure privacy. Don’t use an excel spreadsheet where you can see individual responses!
- DEI shouldn’t be siloed to an individual or team; it affects all aspects of business and is therefore everyone’s responsibility.
- After you gather information and prioritize your strategy, remember to track your progress. Repeat the survey to measure the impact of your DEI initiatives over time.