New research finds many organizations remain committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives despite challenging business conditions. However, professionals leading these initiatives say they’re getting increased pressure from senior executives to accurately measure the impact of their DEI activities.
Joint research from the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) and software firm Blackbaud recently found:
- 96% of surveyed organizations have leaders who understand the positive contributions of their DEI efforts and continue to show strong dedication to them.
- 71% have seen an increase in executive-level demand for measurement of DEI and Social Responsibility program outcomes—up from 54% noted in last year’s report.
To Meet Expectations, DEI Teams Need Better Technology
When asked about the resources needed to accomplish the measurement leaders want:
- 30% of professionals responsible for social impact and DEI programming said their teams needed improved technology (double last year’s number)
- 28% said they required more staff who knew how to measure results
- 73% reported that their teams’ overall responsibilities had increased, resulting in longer work hours, burnout, and concerns about meeting expectations
Consequently, the ACCP report notes, “Leveraging innovative technology is becoming crucial for effectively implementing and demonstrating the value of corporate social impact.” Yet, researchers found that only one in four respondents had employed new tech solutions with another one in five teams discussing or planning similar action.
The absence of widespread adoption of AI and other new technologies presumably leaves DEI teams searching for measurement solutions and the means of interpreting data accurately and effectively.
Taking the Measure of DEI Initiatives
"For leaders seeking substantive shifts in organizational behaviors and culture, solutions have to reflect the unique experiences and needs of the workforce."
Forbes
Advancing DEI In 2024: Strategies For Leaders and Changemakers
Measurement of efforts to change behaviors and culture through DEI initiatives must capture the perceptions and actions of organizational employees. Teams responsible for diversity programs understand that and are increasingly partnering with their colleagues in learning and development (L&D) to leverage the power of new training technologies that provide meaningful insights into the outcomes of diversity and social impact training on employee attitudes and behaviors.
"For leaders seeking substantive shifts in organizational behaviors and culture, solutions have to reflect the unique experiences and needs of the workforce."
Forbes
Advancing DEI in 2024: Strategies For Leaders And Changemakers
Measurement of efforts to change behaviors and culture through DEI initiatives must capture the perceptions and actions of organizational employees. Teams responsible for diversity programs understand that and are increasingly partnering with their colleagues in learning and development (L&D) to leverage the power of new training technologies that provide meaningful insights into the outcomes of diversity and social impact training on employee attitudes and behaviors.
Cutting edge diversity-training products with built-in analytics capabilities can enable DEI teams without on-staff measurement specialists to have both data and accurate interpretation of the data at their fingertips—automatically generated and provided by a single, innovative training solution.
Metrics that Matter: DEI Training Effectiveness
To shift behaviors and build cultures that support DEI (i.e., interventions that demonstrate real change and return on diversity investments) training must be evaluated from the perspectives of critical success measures:
- What did employees learn?
- How do individuals feel about the concepts they learned?
- Will employees apply what they learned?
- If workers don’t intend to apply new knowledge, what’s holding them back?
As a leading innovator in the learning space, Atana’s training surpasses others in distinctive ways. The courses teach the concepts that are vital to understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion but also generate data-driven insights from employees’ engagement with the learning. Rather than simply testing knowledge like traditional check the box courses, Atana’s content embeds science-backed behavioral questions that assess employees' attitudes and perceptions while they’re learning thereby gauging behavioral intent.
For DEI teams, the real win comes when the Atana analytics engine turns aggregated data into a mineable dataset capable of providing insights that quantify ROI and measure organizational DEI progress over time. Because those data-driven insights are delivered via a user-friendly dashboard, worries about interpreting the metrics are eliminated. Teams have the numbers they need and the detail behind the data to share with senior leaders.
Organizational commitments to DEI and social responsibility contribute directly to business and talent results. With Atana's training solutions, teams can confidently showcase the value and effectiveness of their initiatives, providing clear evidence of positive change throughout the organization.
