As the Chamber continues our longstanding commitment to the fight for equality, we are highlighting ways our business community can implement new strategies to meaningfully increase diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) to bring about lasting change in our organizations and throughout the region.

This month, we’re shining a light on metrics and the vital importance of data in establishing a long-term vision for equity in your organization, providing you with the information needed to determine where you are today and where you want to be.

Metrics at Vault Communications

Vault Communications, a Philadelphia-based public relations firm, has always prioritized DEI, but the events of 2020 inspired greater urgency to see equity as an organizational imperative. CEO Kate Shields and her team use metrics as a tool to not only analyze the effectiveness of their DEI strategies, but to hold themselves accountable as they monitor and track their efforts.

There are a number of ways to approach metrics as a method to monitor DEI, but the data gathered will generally be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative data is measured in numbers or counts and collected through numerical comparisons and statistic evidence. Qualitative data is descriptive and can be observed but not numerically measured; this type of data is collected by interviews, surveys, or observation, to analyze common themes.

Can you think of examples of quantitative and qualitative ways to measure your organization’s DEI practice?

  • Examples of quantitative data in the context of DEI can include:
    • The number of Black and brown executives in senior leadership within an organization
    • The rate at which which Black and brown employees are promoted compared to their white counterparts
    • The retention level of Black and brown professionals at an organization
  • And you can collect qualitative data by gathering information like:
    • The answers to a survey asking employees, “What does inclusion mean to you and what does it look like in the workplace?”
    • Employee sentiments on their sense of belonging (feelings of acceptance, inclusion, and support) in the workplace

Gathering this data can help your organization identify areas for improvement. Leaders at Vault Communications use the following three data-gathering techniques to continuously assess the trajectory of their DEI practice.

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Take your own temperature.

Equity is vital to your organization’s health and the strength of our business community. To determine success in the workplace, DEI should be monitored and measured. This year, Vault Communications’ internal DEI committee put together a substantial organizational survey — which more than 90% of employees answered — to provide insight into where Vault is meeting the mark or failing on DEI. The survey revealed that their organization had a lot of work to do, but it also showed them a path. Those metrics set a benchmark for Vault and laid the groundwork for the organization’s future DEI initiatives.

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Set measurable goals.

In addition to measuring employee sentiment on the business’ prioritization of DEI, Vault Communications sets measurable DEI objectives for leadership to ensure accountability and intentionality. This year, Vault has rolled out new monitoring systems to measure and track performance on DEI-focused improvements in the workplace, specifically in hiring and recruitment, employee education and training, and vendor/partner sourcing.

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Connect with leaders in your industry that can offer unique resources.

There are numerous resources that exist for businesses and business leaders to get started. Shields leans on other organizations working in her industry for insight into their successes and setbacks. In addition to the Chamber, she turns to the Diversity Action Alliance, an organization geared towards public relations, advertising, and marketing and communications industries, which has proved rich in ideas and thoughts that could extend to any industry. Additionally, she and her team regularly tune in to the webinars and content provided by Diversity Inc. and their Best Practices library.

Why should you take action?

Embedding metrics into your DEI strategy can provide your organization with a set of actionable insights to benchmark your progress, set intentional goals, and make evidence-based decisions.

Leaders at Vault Communications are intentional about DEI every step of the way. Shields calls for businesses of all industries across the region to do the same: “If [you] aren’t measuring the effectiveness of [your] DEI strategies, that immediately denotes that the strategies are … not a vital component of [your] business’ long-term health. Without measurement of strategies there is no way to know if you need to adjust and recalibrate a strategy that’s falling flat or whether or not you need to amplify a strategy that’s working well.”

This summer, the Chamber and leaders across the region made a commitment to equity, pledging to identify areas for change to hold ourselves accountable to a high standard of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces and throughout the region. With the creation of Recharge & Recover PHL, we set out to develop tactics to position Greater Philadelphia for success beyond the pandemic — among these aspirations is the idea that we can become a place known for investing in and growing small Black, brown, and locally owned businesses.

We position diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical for business maturation and growth. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative drives economic competitiveness, highlights diverse employee populations, and promotes inclusive growth throughout our region.