Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) is about improving the employee experience for all. Yet investing in DEIB isn’t just good for individuals — it’s also good for business. It drives greater levels of innovation, customer service, and long-term growth. But how can your company move from intention to impact? Research from Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation reveals that it starts with listening and action.
Teams today are composed of employees from various backgrounds, identities, experiences, and beliefs. This is great news because diverse teams outperform their less diverse counterparts, particularly in areas like creativity and innovation. However, if organizations hope to fully realize the benefits of a diverse workforce, they must develop Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) strategies, policies, and practices. These strategies are essential to create and sustain a culture where employees don’t just feel welcomed, but truly valued for their unique perspectives.
2020 saw a rapid expansion of DEIB initiatives and commitments, driven by a global reckoning on social justice issues and the early impacts of the pandemic. While the more recent period has introduced new challenges, including judicial and legislative setbacks at the federal and state level and reduced funding for dedicated DEIB roles, many organizations remain committed to fostering diverse, inclusive workplaces.
According to Perceptyx’s 2024 Benchmark Database, comprised of millions of global respondents across all major industries, organizations clearly recognize the importance of an effective DEIB strategy. Currently, four in five employees agree they can bring their authentic selves to work and 76% believe their company is attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce. Despite these successes, there is still a great deal of work to be done: one in five employees report dissatisfaction with their organization’s DEIB efforts.
Before we explore some common DEIB mistakes and how data-driven employee listening can help your organization avoid them, it’s important to pause and ensure we have clear definitions in place for the four components of DEIB.
Diversity focuses on the full spectrum of differences and similarities between individuals. It goes beyond equal employment policies and includes factors such as work experiences, values and beliefs, life experiences, and personal preferences and behaviors. It’s about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different.
Equity ensures everyone has equal access and opportunity. It recognizes that advantages and barriers exist, and that, as a result, we don’t all start from the same place. Equity is a process that begins by acknowledging that unequal starting place and makes a commitment to correct and address the imbalance.
Inclusion is what an organization does — the actions it takes — to ensure that individuals feel welcomed, safe, and valued. An inclusive environment ensures that all employees are active participants in the workplace community.
Belonging is the outcome of an organization rich in diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s a measure of an environment where an individual can bring their authentic self to work, and envision a future role in the organization for the long term.
With these definitions in mind, organizations can begin building a framework for success. However, this framework must be anchored in a clear, compelling vision that starts with the “why.” Leaders are most effective in communicating and gaining support for company initiatives when every employee understands and can clearly explain the strategy, regardless of their role. This is why it’s essential to develop a shared, organization-wide vision about why DEIB matters and what a successful DEIB culture looks like for your unique workforce. To turn that vision into a reality, leaders at all levels must ensure that the company’s formal DEIB policies and practices align with the daily experience of everyday employees.
Often, organizations new to analyzing EX listening data through a DEIB lens resort to individual self-identification of specific demographic characteristics on the listening event itself. When first introducing DEIB demographics or DEIB-specific survey questions, individuals’ willingness to self-identify might be low. It could take several surveys for responses to these questions to increase and for employees to trust that they won’t be individually identified. When employees are given the option to self-report their own demographic categories, non-response is often high. When this happens, it can indicate a lack of trust among specific groups. It’s a good idea to monitor how non-response changes over time to measure increased levels of trust and confidence in how an organization will use this data.
When possible, connecting employee responses to their demographic characteristics via a file export from your HRIS or other system of record will improve reporting. It’s also important to follow best practices for data collection (e.g., Are your demographic questions appropriate and legal to use? Are they clear and easy to understand?). To maintain trust within the organization, take necessary measures to maintain employee confidentiality. This includes reporting data in aggregate, in groups large enough that no single individual’s responses can be identified.
Finally, to improve reporting accuracy on future DEIB listening events, take action to address issues identified in the analysis. The best way to increase candid feedback and minimize missing data is to prove that if you ask, you will act.
Unfortunately, from our Perceptyx Benchmark Database, we’ve found that one in four employees do not agree that their company encourages attracting, developing, and retaining people with diverse backgrounds. DEIB initiatives are most successful when employees have the chance to voice their concerns and share their suggestions for improving DEIB at the company. If you already have established ERGs, then consult their advice. Another powerful way to gather authentic feedback is through structured employee listening events. Whether through targeted surveys, crowdsourcing initiatives, or continuous feedback channels, these listening opportunities allow you to collect valuable insights from across your organization while demonstrating your commitment to inclusive decision-making.
Everyone deserves to work in an environment where they are respected and valued for their unique contributions — and this isn’t just true for groups that haven’t traditionally felt included, but also for groups that have. While a great program can and should focus on voices, groups, and ideas that haven’t always been sought after, the good news is that when organizations implement effective DEIB strategies, they tend to improve the employee experience and performance outcomes not just for the target group, but also for additional, non-targeted subgroups.
Setting a clear and compelling vision for the company and aligning that future vision with the everyday experience of employees is key to engaging your workforce in general. Employees are 1.3x more likely to be engaged when they see a clear link between their efforts and their company’s objectives — but senior leadership’s future vision is especially important for reaching DEIB goals. Many organizations want to take on DEIB work without allocating the appropriate time, resources, and commitment. To avoid this pitfall, an effective DEIB strategy starts with a sound commitment from the leadership team. An unclear or noncommittal vision from leaders can create a perceived mismatch between what employees hear are company-wide DEIB policies and practices and the DEIB culture that employees observe in their everyday experience. To avoid this mismatch, involve senior leaders in DEIB initiatives and help them communicate a compelling vision that affirms their commitment to those initiatives.
To drive genuine and lasting change, organizations must go beyond vision statements to establish clear accountability metrics for leaders and their teams. This means setting specific, measurable DEIB objectives that are tied to performance evaluations and business outcomes. Leaders should be evaluated not only on their personal commitment to DEIB initiatives but also on their success in fostering inclusive environments within their teams. Regular reporting on these metrics ensures that DEIB remains a priority and that leaders are actively working to create meaningful change rather than simply paying lip service to diversity goals.
Ready to move beyond surface-level DEIB initiatives and create lasting change in your organization? Download pur comprehensive DEIB Guidebook to get the roadmap you need, including: