Key takeaways:
- Use data to guide DEI initiatives and retention strategies: Using demographic insights and measurable metrics allows organizations to establish clear DEI goals and monitor progress while strengthening retention efforts.
- Collect ongoing feedback to improve employee experiences: Consistent feedback through surveys and focus groups helps organizations understand how well DEI initiatives are working and builds transparency and trust across teams.
- Prioritize transparency and authenticity in DEI efforts:Openly acknowledging gaps and demonstrating a genuine commitment to inclusion can strengthen credibility with both employees and external audiences.
In a recent Board.org leadership panel on how DEI and talent acquisition teams can work together to strengthen recruiting success, our Board Members shared strategies for improving diversity and inclusion across their organizations to boost employee satisfaction and retention.
Here are six ways our Board Members recommend retaining diverse talent within your organization.
1. Use Demographic Data to Strengthen Employee Retention
Carolyn Larson, Senior Program Manager of Recruitment Marketing and DEI at C.H. Robinson, explained that organizations should take a data-driven approach to better understand the connection between an inclusive workplace culture and employee satisfaction and retention.
“In order to demonstrate our efforts, we always have to show the data,” Carolyn said. “We know that we need to be data-minded. How are we setting those goals for our hiring, our promotion, our turnover? And how are we using data to identify what’s working, what’s not, and where our gap areas are?”
She noted that establishing clear DEI goals and using analytics to measure progress helps identify improvement areas and informs strategic decisions.
Kim Hawkins, VP and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Recruiting Program Manager at U.S. Bank, added that understanding workforce demographics and tracking key metrics is essential for building an effective retention strategy.
She recommended assessing whether your workforce reflects the surrounding community and tracking diverse candidates throughout the hiring process, from initial qualification through final hiring decisions.
“In order to demonstrate our efforts, we always have to show the data. We know that we need to be data-minded.”
Carolyn Larson, Senior Program Manager of Recruitment Marketing and DEI at C.H. Robinson
Kim also emphasized the importance of monitoring career growth and retention after employees join the organization.
She noted that DEI and talent teams should track diverse leads, candidate satisfaction survey results, and exit interviews to gather deeper insights that can help improve retention outcomes.
“There’s a lot of data and metrics that you can collect to determine what works for your organization,” Kim said. “You have to understand where your opportunities are first, and then determine what metrics you want to tackle in order to ensure you advance your programs and goals.”
2. Collect Ongoing Feedback to Understand Employee Experiences
Kim explained that employee satisfaction surveys and focus groups are valuable tools for gathering ongoing feedback from the workforce.
She said that consistent feedback helps organizations evaluate the success of their DEI initiatives while promoting transparency and trust across the organization.
“You’re going to get a better view if you do it quarterly,” Kim said. “It’s important to highlight the success stories. Have diverse employees tell their story – their authentic stories – why they choose to be there and why they stay. Highlight that and make it available to internal employees as well as external candidates. You can promote that to attract diverse talent as well.”
“Have diverse employees tell their story – their authentic stories – why they choose to be there and why they stay.”
Kim Hawkins, VP and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Recruiting Program Manager at U.S. Bank
3. Define Clear DEI Goals and Recruiting Metrics
Paul Hamilton, Former Director of Talent Acquisition at LCBO and DEI Board Alumnus, explained that clearly defining DEI goals, and aligning them with the organization’s broader mission and values, is essential for building successful retention strategies.
“The first thing you need to do is establish a goal,” Paul said, adding how a goal is crucial for establishing KPIs. “Then once you identify those KPIs, identify the baseline. What’s your starting point to measure and establish your KPIs?”
He explained that establishing these metrics provides a baseline for tracking progress and measuring improvements over time.
4. Track Outcomes, Not Just Demographics
While demographic data is important, Paul emphasized that organizations should also evaluate outcome-based metrics to understand the true impact of DEI efforts.
He encouraged organizations to look beyond representation numbers and focus on indicators such as cultural progress and employee engagement.
“Look at the hiring data, the retention data, and the promotion data,” Paul said. “Look at the number of diverse employees across the organization, in particular leadership positions. Are you able to calculate the percentage of diverse employees in leadership positions? How are you moving the needle on that?”
He added that it’s important to measure these outcomes because they help in recruiting diverse talent. But more notably, it demonstrates to employees that leadership is committed to meaningful DEI progress, which are key for retention strategies.
“Are you able to calculate the percentage of diverse employees in leadership positions? How are you moving the needle on that?”
Paul Hamilton, Former Director of Talent Acquisition at LCBO and DEI Board Alumnus
Paul also recommended reviewing incident reports to identify potential diversity-related issues or underlying challenges within the workplace.
“Oftentimes, incidents that are taking place in a workplace can be diverse or racially motivated and have an impact on diversity, equity inclusion,” Paul said. “Look at the incident reports because that often can share valuable information and data that could identify issues or symptoms in your organization. It helps identify what the root cause of that problem is.”
He emphasized the importance of training programs, especially for executives and managers, to ensure bias-free hiring processes and create a more inclusive environment.
5. Embrace Transparency and Authenticity
Members also highlighted the importance of transparency when addressing gaps within DEI initiatives.
“Transparency and authenticity helps you to establish credibility with those that you’re trying to recruit.”
Paul Hamilton, Former Director of Talent Acquisition at LCBO and DEI Board Alumnus
Paul explained that authenticity helps build credibility with employees and external stakeholders by demonstrating a genuine commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace.
“Don’t be afraid to call out where you fall short,” Paul said. “Because that transparency and authenticity helps you to establish credibility with those that you’re trying to recruit.”
Kim added that using both data and employee input strengthens authenticity when organizations invest in diverse talent.
“It’s important to not just collect the data to see how we’re doing, but to go back and report where you are lacking and talk about ways to get input from the talent,” Kim said. “You must ensure you get their honest feedback, and utilize their feedback to make a difference. Because otherwise, it seems inauthentic.”
6. Learn Actionable Insights from Peers
Data-driven decision making, continuous employee feedback, and a commitment to transparency and authenticity are essential principles for strengthening DEI-focused retention efforts within organizations.
Organizations that establish clear DEI goals, track meaningful metrics, and prioritize the employee experience are better positioned to enhance retention strategies while fostering a more inclusive workplace culture.
If you’re still working through the complexities of employee retention strategies, the Talent Marketing Board offers an opportunity to learn directly from peers. Our members meet weekly to confidentially benchmark and share the strategies that are working best for them.
Discover how joining our community can help you make measurable progress in improving your company culture.
