If Your EDI Strategy Has No Data, It Is Mostly a Vibe
Good intentions are useful. So are scented candles. Neither will tell you whether disabled staff are progressing, whether minoritised staff are leaving faster, or whether promotion decisions are working fairly.
EDI without data is mostly a vibe.
Data does not give organisations all the answers, but it does help them ask better questions. It can show who is being recruited, who is progressing, who is leaving, who is raising concerns, who is accessing development, who feels included, and where the organisation may be creating barriers without meaning to.
The CIPD’s Inclusion at Work 2022 report found that only 30% of employers said leaders in their organisation were completely committed to having a diverse workforce, and only 36% said senior leaders were completely committed to having an inclusive workplace. That matters because leadership commitment is not just a statement of support. It is the willingness to look at evidence, resource action and take responsibility when the findings are uncomfortable.
The best EDI data work combines numbers with lived experience. Workforce demographics can show patterns, but qualitative feedback helps explain what those patterns mean. For example, low disclosure rates on disability may not mean there are few disabled staff. It may mean people do not trust the organisation with that information. A lack of formal complaints may not mean there are no issues. It may mean people do not believe reporting will lead to change.
Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends research also highlights the importance of trust in the modern workplace, particularly when organisations use workforce data and new technologies. Deloitte’s research warns that organisations need to build confidence that data will be used in ways that create value for workers, not simply monitor them.
That is especially important for equality monitoring. Staff need to know why data is being collected, how it will be protected, how it will be analysed, and what action will follow. Asking people to disclose personal information and then doing nothing visible with it is not insight. It is admin with commitment issues.
A strong EDI strategy should therefore include a clear data plan: what you collect, why you collect it, how often you review it, who owns the analysis, and how findings shape decisions.
Choose three EDI indicators that matter to your organisation. Review them regularly, discuss them honestly and connect them to action. If your strategy cannot be measured, it is probably not a strategy yet.
Sources and further reading
CIPD, Inclusion at Work 2022 executive summary PDF
https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2023-pdfs/inclusion-at-work-exec-summary_tcm18-112951.pdf
CIPD, Equality, diversity and inclusion resources
https://www.cipd.org/uk/topics/equality-diversity-inclusion/
Deloitte, 2024 Global Human Capital Trends
https://www.deloitte.com/ua/en/about/press-room/human-capital-trends.html