Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DE&I) training has become a cornerstone of the modern onboarding process, as organizations aim to foster a more inclusive culture. Onboarding is a critical time to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, merely offering DE&I training isn’t enough—companies need to track its impact to ensure it creates meaningful change. Monitoring the effectiveness of these initiatives helps ensure that employees understand the importance of inclusivity and apply these principles in the workplace.
This blog explores the key diversity and inclusion metrics organizations can track to measure the success of DE&I training during the onboarding process. These insights can help organizations refine their approach and ultimately create a more inclusive, diverse, and thriving workplace.
Setting Clear Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Goals
A strong DE&I initiative begins with well-defined, measurable objectives. In the context of onboarding, these goals should drive training efforts and align with the company’s overarching mission. Clear targets not only provide direction, but also ensure you can effectively measure the success of your training programs. Without them, evaluating progress becomes difficult.
Measurable goals might include increasing awareness of unconscious biases, fostering a more inclusive language culture, or encouraging cross-departmental collaboration. These goals should not just focus on awareness, but also on actionable changes in employee behavior. By aligning these objectives with the company’s long-term DE&I strategy, organizations can ensure that onboarding serves as the first step in a cohesive, enterprise-wide effort toward a more inclusive culture.
Participation and Engagement Levels
One of the most straightforward metrics to track is participation in DE&I training. High attendance rates are crucial, as widespread participation indicates that the company is engaging employees at all levels. To ensure inclusivity, organizations should track attendance across departments and demographics, identifying any gaps that may require attention.
Engagement is equally important. While attendance may reflect that employees are present, engagement shows whether they are truly participating. Active involvement in discussions, completion of quizzes, or contributing to role-playing exercises are useful DE&I metrics for engagement. Organizations should also analyze trends in participation, looking for any departments or employee groups with lower levels of interaction and ways to boost their involvement.
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Knowledge Retention Post-Training
Measuring knowledge retention is critical to assess how well employees have absorbed the training material. One effective way to do this is by using pre- and post-training assessments, such as quizzes or short evaluations, to gauge the improvement in DE&I knowledge.
To ensure long-term retention, companies should reassess employees after a few weeks. This provides insight into whether the concepts covered during onboarding have been internalized. If employees can retain this information over time, it indicates that the training has successfully instilled the foundational concepts of diversity and inclusion.
Behavioral Changes and Application of Training
Tracking behavioral change is one of the most telling indicators of DE&I training effectiveness. After the training, companies should monitor how employees apply DE&I principles in their everyday tasks and interactions. Observable shifts in behavior, such as more inclusive language, increased collaboration with diverse teams, or a greater openness to different perspectives, signal the impact of the training.
Feedback from managers and peers can offer valuable insights into these behavioral changes. Are DE&I issues being raised in meetings or informal conversations? Is there a noticeable difference in how team members approach conflict resolution or collaboration? Monitoring these changes can help organizations assess the impact of DE&I training on the workplace culture.
Feedback from New Employees
Direct feedback from new hires is one of the best ways to understand how DE&I training resonates with them. Through surveys, interviews, or focus groups, organizations can gather insights into how employees perceive their commitment to diversity and whether the training met their expectations.
Recurring themes in feedback can point to areas for improvement. For instance, if multiple employees highlight a lack of practical examples during the training, this could indicate a need to adjust the content. Conversely, positive feedback can validate the effectiveness of certain training approaches, providing a blueprint for future programs.
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Long-Term Employee Satisfaction and Retention
DE&I training should positively influence employee satisfaction, particularly among diverse hires. Organizations can measure this by tracking the correlation between training and overall satisfaction levels. Employees who feel more included and respected in their workplace are more likely to report higher job satisfaction, which in turn can lead to higher retention rates.
For underrepresented groups, tracking DE&I metrics such as retention rates over time is critical. If diverse employees tend to stay longer with the company after receiving their training, it’s a strong indicator that the training is fostering a more inclusive environment.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Inclusivity
DE&I training aims to break down silos and encourage collaboration across diverse teams. A useful metric here is the level of cross-departmental collaboration following onboarding. Are employees from different backgrounds and departments working together more effectively after receiving their training?
Tracking participation in cross-functional projects can help assess the impact of DE&I training on overall inclusivity and collaboration. Companies should also measure whether the overall project outcomes improve as a result of these more inclusive teams.
Leadership and Managerial Support for DE&I
Leadership buy-in is essential for sustaining any DE&I initiative. To measure this, organizations should track how actively managers support and participate in post-training DE&I efforts. Are leaders attending follow-up workshops or engaging in ongoing DE&I conversations?
Gathering feedback from employees about whether they feel supported by their managers in fostering an inclusive environment is another critical measure. If employees don’t feel that their leaders are committed to DE&I, the impact of the training may be diminished.
How EmployWise Can Drive Measurable DE&I Impact During Onboarding
EmployWise offers a comprehensive talent management platform that helps organizations manage and retain diverse talent while aligning with their diversity and inclusion goals. Its performance management module allows for the tracking of DE&I metrics through 360-degree feedback from supervisors, peers, and subordinates. The platform‘s real time analytics and feedback-integrated learning and development programs can be tailored specifically for DE&I training. This ensures that new hires are aware of key principles and equipped to foster inclusivity from day one.
Discover how to achieve long-term inclusivity goals by integrating DE&I metrics into your onboarding.
Measuring the impact of DE&I training during onboarding is essential for creating a more inclusive workplace. Tracking participation, knowledge retention, behavioral changes, and leadership support offer deep insights into program effectiveness. A data-driven approach helps organizations refine their DE&I strategies. This fosters a culture of inclusivity that resonates with both new and long-term employees, which results in an inclusive, collaborative, and ultimately successful workplace.
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