QUEER DEEP DIVES are PROUT AT WORK’s format for intensive workshops on selected topics related to queer diversity. In April 2024, a DEEP DIVE on the topic of ‘(Queer) KPIs’ took place in cooperation with PROUT EMPLOYER METRO. A total of 25 representatives from various companies and industries took part in the one-day workshop in Düsseldorf to work out together how diversity measures can – and must – be made measurable.
KPIs (key performance indicators) are measurable metrics that companies can use to check whether they are achieving their strategic goals. In the context of a diversity strategy, KPIs refer to specific metrics that highlight the progress and impact of measures to promote diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusion.
At the same time, KPIs, especially in the area of queer diversity, are not without controversy because they touch on privacy, are often difficult to collect methodically, and can easily be misused. For example, if figures are used without reference to qualitative indicators relating to corporate culture, for example, they can also be used to roll back diversity measures.
Nevertheless, it is undisputed that concrete data and figures are becoming immensely important as supporting arguments for a corporate diversity strategy.
The workshop: KPIs in all shapes and sizes
This was precisely the balancing act that participants tackled in the one-day workshop. After two presentations by representatives from Accenture and Commerzbank, both of which already pursue a strategy based on diversity KPIs, the participants were divided into two groups. The aim of the first part of the workshop was to identify the areas in which performance indicators can be collected and the extent to which these contribute to a general measurability strategy. One group focused on diversity KPIs, while the second group looked at queer-specific KPIs.
The groups identified four specific areas in which there is either a need or already best practices for identifying performance indicators:
- Diversity dimensions in general
- Gender diversity
- Queer diversity from an HR perspective
- Queer diversity from a networking perspective
Through joint collection, discussion, and analysis at the individual workshop stations, a broad picture of possible measurement categories, methods, and focuses emerged.
Diversity KPIs: More than just bare figures
In addition to the numbers-driven view of diversity KPIs, there is an increasing focus on more qualitative and holistic perspectives that take a broader view of the role of diversity in the company. For example, compliance with legal requirements or the question of how benefits offered are actually used can provide insight into whether structures are truly inclusive. The governance of the company itself should also be considered from the perspective of whether decision-making processes and management mechanisms are designed to be inclusive.
Diversity KPIs can also be understood as a reflection of society, showing the extent to which a company is fulfilling its social responsibility and putting people first in their entirety – with regard to health, mental stress, migration experiences, or the subjective experience of belonging.
These less number-focused approaches make it clear that authentic diversity management not only serves to meet targets, but also promotes innovation, creativity, and corporate success. They contribute to expanding the employee pool, strengthen employer branding and corporate image, and show that every person in the company bears responsibility. At the same time, they act as a hygiene factor for respect and psychological and physical safety, reduce mental load, and contribute to corporate and societal responsibility. Ultimately, these perspectives also help strengthen democracy and the free market economy by highlighting diversity as a cornerstone of an inclusive, sustainable corporate culture.
The lively participation and keen interest of the attendees, as well as the need to have targeted arguments for diversity engagement, made the workshop a complete success. Much of the feedback focused on how the workshop opened up new perspectives and, above all, opportunities for collecting diversity KPIs. We are also taking this energy with us and incorporating it into the publication of a HOW TO guide on the topic of ‘(queer) KPIs’.
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