Metrics

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How do we measure the success of DEI actions? And how do we hold ourselves accountable? Results in equity initiatives will look different than typical metrics. A simple first step is to establish a clear objective and goal for culture change work. This important step will be used to measure improvement or movement toward the identified goal over time.

The employees most impacted by the work must be considered in the program design and its measurement. In this case, the data must be disaggregated by race to understand how the work affects People of Color. Understanding impact on PoC demonstrates the value of the work by focusing on outcomes, informs program design, and importantly, provides accountability.  

Develop measures that consider not just quantity (number of people, number of activities), but also quality (do people change for the better as a result of the program, are People of Color thriving, how does it feel to work at the business?). These metrics may include measurement of skills or knowledge change, attitude or opinion change, and behavior changes. Monitoring change over time requires baseline measurements: survey or questions at the beginning of the program and intermittently following.  

Included below is a list of potential questions that are by no means comprehensive. And remember, progress in DEI work may not be linear, and culture change requires adaptation and results that are focused on long-term changes. 

Many of our equity practitioners agreed that the best indicators were 

• CEO investment (time, capacity, shared labor, personal growth, etc.) 

• Financial investment  (in time and through trainings with professional equity practitioners) 

• Company Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan (the equity plan embedded in your company strategic plan that holds you accountable to your goals)  

Metrics and Indicators to Consider* 

Business Plans 

• Does your business have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan that includes measurable accountability goals? 

• How has the business plan been influenced by equity goals? 

• How have the company’s mission, values and policies been affected by the DEI plan?  

• Track progress on the goals on the organization’s DEI plan. Formulate a baseline assessment and track against this at least annually, and then modify through time. 

Leadership Engagement 

• Does leadership actively engage in tracking progress on the business’s DEI plan? 

• Are leadership and management openly and publicly supportive of DEI efforts? 

• Does your business’s annual report include progress on DEI goals? 

• Does leadership attend DEI training? 

Community Partnerships 

• How many non-profits and organizations that support communities of color did your business partner with? What was your approach and strategy? 

• Survey the quality of the partnership - ask what metrics the community partner collects. 

• Did your business connect with other businesses on equity work, including networking, shared learning or collaborating? 

Financial Investment 

• Does your business have a dedicated budget for implementing DEI goals? 

• What was the overall budget for implementing DEI goals? 

• What resources were invested in tools to help employees of color thrive? 

• What resources were invested in employee DEI training? 

• How much staff time was devoted to racial equity efforts? 

• How much was invested in community organizations and non-profits that support communities of color? 

• Has your business engaged with an equity practitioner to implement DEI goals? 

Staff Participation & Skills 

• Does your business offer training(s) for employees on DEI topics? 

• Is there an individual or team designated as responsible for DEI efforts? 

• Who has gone to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion training? What is the percentage of employees/leadership? 

• How are staff skillsets and growth on racial equity tracked? Note: this can be done through narratives. 

• How many hours of DEI training were offered? Note: quantity is not necessarily an indicator of outcomes, but can indicate effort and input. 

• Is there shared understanding of language of oppression at your business? 

• Does your business have surveys from staff about learning and experience at offered DEI training(s)? 

Staff Make-Up & Empowerment  

• Have you conducted an analysis of pay and benefits equity disaggregated by race? 

• Are there initiatives to support the internal growth and promotion of employees of color?  

• Are there opportunities for staff to provide 360-degree feedback on management?  

• Does your business track the demographic makeup of your employees by race and ethnicity? Note – below we will offer best practices for tracking the demographics of your workforce by race. 

• Does your business track the demographic makeup of leadership and management by race and ethnicity? 

• How many POC (and BIPOC specifically) have been hired and into what positions? Do POC (and BIPOC specifically) have decision-making influence in their roles? 

• Who has been hired or promoted?   

• What is the tenure of POC (and BIPOC specifically) in the organization? 

• What the turnover rate/burnout? Do you have issues with white flight?   

Recruiting, Onboarding & Retention Practices: (Work Experience) 

• Does your business have a formal onboarding processes for all new employees? 

• Is DEI training embedded in onboarding? 

• Does your business have transparent, strategic processes for hiring people of color? 

• Are there initiatives to support the internal growth and promotion of employees of color? 

• Does your business offer ongoing internal or external trainings to support the professional development of employees of color? 

• Does your business have a mentorship programs for employees of color? 

• Are there internal policies and practices focused on retention of employees of color? 

• Do you conduct exit interviews for all staff and interns when they leave the organization? 

Company Culture  

• Has your business conducted an employee satisfaction survey? Does this include an analysis of workplace experiences and satisfaction disaggregated by race?  

• Following DEI trainings, have you conducted an analysis of the changes to workplace culture employees of color have experienced?  

• Does your employee satisfaction survey include questions about sense of belonging and inclusion in the workplace for employees of color? 

• Do you have mechanisms in place to address findings identified in the employee satisfaction survey? 

• Do you have mechanisms in place to communicate findings and subsequent actions to employees? 

POC resources 

• Does your business have employee resource or affinity groups and spaces? 

• Are there clear mechanisms for implementing corrective actions to racial equity issues? 

• Are there mechanisms for dealing with discrimination and micro-aggressions? 

• Are resources for employees of color integrated into the strategic plan?  

• Are there programs and initiatives to support position advancement, salary increases, and training for POC employees? 

Investment in Purchasing from Businesses Owned by People of Color: (Intentional Purchasing) 

• Does your business have formal targets or goals for purchasing from local businesses owned by People of Color? 

• Is there an increase year-over-year of dollars expended to local businesses owned by People of Color? 

• Are there policies in place that give preference to local businesses owned by People of Color? 

• Is your business building relationships that result in ongoing purchasing with business(es) owned by People of Color? 

• Does your business currently track the percentage of total dollars spent or the amount of dollars spent at businesses that are owned by People of Color?  

• What percentage of your business’s purchases are from businesses that are owned by People of Color?  

• How many dollars does your business spend on purchases from businesses that are owned by People of Color? 

 * The indicators noted in italics are tracked by Portland Means Progress in aggregate across all businesses (based on the commitments of those businesses) 

Tracking the demographics of your workforce: 

For businesses with more than 100 employees, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission requires that employment data be tracked under the following categories: 

• Native American or Alaska Native  

• Hispanic or Latino 

• Black or African American  

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander  

• Asian  

• White 

• Two or More Races 

We recommend providing employees with the following designations to self-identify. This will allow for EEO reporting and gives employees a more inclusive and representative set of options to track. Whenever possible, allow employees to self-identify as multiple identities. 

• Native American and/or Alaska Native 

  • Indigenous  

  • Alaska Native 

  • Canadian Inuit, Metis or First Nation 

  • Indigenous Mexican, Central American or South American 

  • Other American Indian or Alaska Native 

• Hispanic or Latinx 

  • Hispanic or Latinx Mexican 

  • Hispanic or Latinx Central American 

  • Hispanic or Latinx South American 

  • Other Hispanic or Latino 

• Black, African, or African American 

  • African American 

  • African 

  • Caribbean 

  • Other Black 

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 

  • Pacific Islander 

  • Native Hawaiian 

  • Guamanian or Chamorro 

  • Samoan 

  • Other Pacific Islander 

• Asian 

  • Chinese 

  • Vietnamese 

  • Korean 

  • Laotian 

  • Filipino/a 

  • Japanese 

  • South Asian 

  • Asian Indian 

  • Other  

• White 

• Slavic 

• Middle Eastern 

• North African 

• Something else  

• I prefer not to respond   

Other resources: 

• B Lab

• FSG

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals