When is comes is using data to drive your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, it's important to consider the WHAT and the WHY. In other words, WHAT is your data telling you and WHY are these issues happening.
Quantitative data are the hard numbers of DEI, like % of Latina job applicants, or the # of women promoted into director-level roles in 2021. Qualitative data, on the other hand, is a more human-centric form of data that can assist you with further understanding both human behavior and the lived experiences of employees, which is especially helpful when creating DEI initiatives targeted at a specific population.
Is there a way we can use both quantitative and qualitative data? Absolutely! We strive to always use a mixed-method approach when designing our DEI solutions for clients. For example, when creating our fully customized DEIx™ Roadmap for an organization we always begin the process by conducting executive interviews to gain buy in and alignment among key stakeholders. Next, we collect workforce demographic, behavioral, and sentiment data with our DEI pre-survey (the WHAT). Followed by conducting targeted focus groups to explore identified group differences (the WHY). That may seem like a lot, but we collect so many forms of data to be sure we are giving clients the most accurate report, sharing not just what we learned, but what you should DO.
The combination of using both quantitative and qualitative data in your DEI strategy is the most effective way to get the best of both data worlds and create a holistic picture of the happenings at your organization. In fact, you can read more about what this will look like within our upcoming, flagship product offering, the Mattingly Inclusion & Belonging Assessment™ (MIBA). This measurement tool utilizes a powerful, mixed-method combination of a 30-item survey, executive interviews, and targeted focus groups.
Learn more by downloading our MIBA 2-pager here. Or reach out for a FREE 30-minute consultation to learn more about how Mattingly Solutions can help you measure the WHAT and WHY about what's working and what's getting in the way of you building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
Sarah Jackson, M.S. is an IO & DEI consulting assistant at Mattingly Solutions and also a PhD candidate at Florida International University. Learn more about and connect with her here.
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