Catalyst experts on measuring inclusion data now

Building trust during measurement involves ensuring anonymity and confidentiality so employees can share honest experiences without fear of identification. Transparency requires clear communication about how data will be used as well as ongoing updates on findings and planned actions.

“I think it's risky to ask your employees to share their experiences, and then never follow up,” Shaffer says. “If you don't follow up, it's going to undermine that trust because employees will learn that they share feedback and nothing's done about it. So, the next time you ask, why would they participate? And then you're really not getting that full picture of what's going on at your organization.”

She advises connecting the dots for employees as well. “It's important to be explicit. Say ‘We got our results back, and we heard X, Y, and Z from you, and here's what we're doing to address it’ — really making those links clear.”

Ellie Smith, Director of Research for EMEA at Catalyst adds: “Too often, organizations do the work but fail to tell employees what’s happening. Without that communication, progress remains invisible and employees miss the chance to feel part of the change.”

Measurement efforts should start by asking, "What do we need to know to make decisions?" and work backwards from there, Smith advises. “The key is to measure what matters most to your organization's goals, ethically and transparently, and with a clear plan for how the insights are going to be used,” she says.

Shaffer cautions that teams should work cross-functionally to ensure organizations aren’t duplicating efforts and that they’re leveraging all available information. “Something we see often is that organizations have this data; they are collecting it in different functions, but the functions don't necessarily talk to each other.”

No matter where you start, you shouldn’t be stymied by inconsistent or incomplete data.

Recognizing data gaps is the first step toward improvement. Prioritizing what to measure and then iterating over time allows organizations to make meaningful progress without attempting a complete overhaul. “Don't let perfect be the enemy of good,” Shaffer says. Van Bommel adds “It's not about perfection. It's about progress. And measurement's that tool for learning and evolving.”

Because after all, Smith asks, “How can we know how far we've come if we don't know where we started? Measurement is key to that, and it's what allows us to respond to that shifting landscape and to make sure that our actions are getting us closer to the goals that we care about.”

Combining quantitative surveys with qualitative methods like focus groups enriches understanding by bringing data to life and uncovering hidden factors affecting inclusion.

Shaffer illustrates this with an example: “Maybe you see some gaps or group differences in your employee survey. It can be helpful to talk with employees to see if something might be contributing to them that you're not aware of. Maybe you're not measuring that one thing in your survey, and you wouldn't know if you didn't have these conversations. So, focus groups can make the data that you see on paper come alive and give you even more ideas to improve your workplace.”

To secure senior leadership support in uncertain climates, measurement should be positioned as a strategic tool that connects intentions to outcomes. “Leaders are balancing a lot,” Smith says. “So, when we talk about measurement, it's important to position it not as another task, but as a tool that's going to help them lead more effectively. Leaders really care about outcomes, so show how measurement connects the dots between intention and impact.”

Identifying a leader’s "holy metric"—the key performance indicator they care about most—can help align inclusion data with business priorities. “Whatever it is, that's your way in. If you can make your data speak to their data, if you can show how inclusion metrics influence the outcomes that they're already tracking, then you're much more likely to get their attention and support.”

“You could also position measurement as risk management,” Van Bommel adds. “Without it, you’re flying blind, making decisions based on assumptions rather than evidence. In today's climate, where transparency and accountability are under the spotlight, having robust data is really expected.”

Data becomes powerful only when used to inform action. Smith says that a common mistake organizations make when it comes to measurement is “treating it as a compliance exercise and not striving to excel. The data just sits in a dashboard or gets reported externally without driving internal action. Instead, organizations should treat measurement as a strategic tool to help them uncover patterns, challenge assumptions, and ultimately take meaningful action.”

Organizations should move beyond surface-level metrics and focus on outcomes such as knowledge acquisition, mindset shifts, and behavioral adoption. Examples include pre- and post-program assessments to measure learning; pulse surveys or managed feedback to detect changes in mindset and commitment; and downstream outcomes like promotion rates and team dynamics to indicate whether inclusive behaviors are embedded day-to-day.