THE ROADMAP TO PURSUE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Measuring and Evaluating

Measuring and evaluating gender equality indicators is one of the most significant means of bringing about changes in gender relations.

Measuring and evaluating processes must be in place to determine the efficacy of gender equality initiatives, track progress towards long-term goals, and identify corrective measures, if necessary. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) asserts that monitoring and evaluating gender equality indicators and outcomes is one of the most significant means of achieving practical benefits for women and bringing about changes in gender relations, especially when these measures are conducted as part of a larger gender action plan.¹

Using both qualitative and quantitative gender equality indicators to measure and evaluate change can contribute to an organization’s strategic planning, the design and implementation of programs and projects, and improved allocation or reallocation of resources.² Measuring and evaluating the metrics surrounding recruitment, retention, advancement, representation, and pay is important, but qualitative components related to corporate culture, and employee attitudes, behaviour, and engagement are just as important.³ Qualitative data can provide valuable information about the perception of your organizational culture and the lived experience of underrepresented employees.

Success Factors for Measuring and Evaluating

Leadership must take ownership of measuring and evaluating processes to prevent everyone’s goal from becoming no one’s responsibility. All employees must work towards gender equality, but active support of executives and management is essential.⁴
Targets, goals, actions, and initiatives must be measured regularly. Measuring and evaluating gender equality initiatives’ results allows organizations to gauge their impact in support of goals and targets, and track progress over time.
Quantitative and qualitative indicators should be used to measure an organization’s performance.⁵ Evaluating these indicators will enable organizations to determine whether to continue on their current path or to adjust concrete actions or targets.

Good Practices in the Private Sector

Sodexo has policies and practices in place to measure and evaluate a variety of indicators. Results are measured twice a year to track progress on representation, including gender and ethnicity. To accelerate the progress, Sodexo implemented a policy where senior leaders are eligible for 10 percent annual bonuses if they contribute to improving gender representation or participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives (e.g. joining an ERG, sitting on a gender equality panel). In the male-dominated energy and resources sector, Sodexo’s efforts have increased women’s representation from 33 percent in 2015 to 38 percent in 2018, and in the female-dominated industry of health care, men’s representation increased from 35 percent to 38 percent.

BASF’s Diversity and Inclusion dashboard includes overall talent benchmarks as well as results of unit-level team decision-making that influences diversity. It also shows diversity gains and losses and talent movement. The Diversity + Inclusion Dashboard helps leaders evaluate the results of their hiring decisions to better understand how they impact their groups and connect to business performance.

Recommendations for Measuring and Evaluating

Make indicators easy to understand and ensure they help measure change over time. The connection between indicators and goals and targets should be easily identified and provide information about the effectiveness of gender equality strategies.
Ensure that all employees understand the importance of tracking gender-disaggregated data. All stakeholders should be aware that data is tracked periodically, and the ways in which this information can be used.
Focus equally on external and internal indicators. Measuring all relevant indicators needed to assess progress and impact often means going beyond the scope of indicators used for external purposes, and specifically including internal indicators.
Make your key gender equality metrics and indicators available to all employees and provide updates on progress frequently. Consider developing a dashboard to capture this information.
Make your gender equality measurement and evaluation processes participatory by actively requesting employee input or feedback. Ensure that your process is transparent, safe, and anonymous, and track levels of engagement in your data collection process to improve over time.

Support for the Private Sector

Private sector organizations that are interested in obtaining a certification for gender equality can consider the following organizations:

EDGE Certification
UNDP Gender Equality Seal
Women in Governance Parity Certification

For more on these certifications, click here.

Assess Your Organization’s Measuring and Evaluating

Has your organization evaluated its gender equality efforts (e.g. strategy, goals, policy, programs, initiatives) to assess their effectiveness and impact?
Does your organization have a clear and ongoing process to measure and evaluate workforce diversity (e.g. gender identity, race/ethnicity, ability/disability)?
Does your organization make gender equality measuring and evaluating processes participatory, wherever possible (e.g. employee surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews)?
Has your organization established key performance indicators (KPIs) based on representation targets (e.g. gender representation at management levels, leadership levels; gender representation in operations units, administrative units; ratio of different genders)?
Has your organization established key performance indicators (KPIs) based on quantitative goals other than representation (e.g. hiring, retention, and promotion; gender pay gap; flexible work use; parental leave use; employment engagement; gender-based incidents)?
Has your organization established key performance indicators (KPIs) based on qualitative goals (e.g. impact of initiatives, engagement, inclusive culture, attitude towards gender equality)?
Has your organization made key gender equality data (e.g. metrics, indicators) accessible to all employees?
Does leadership in your organization review and evaluate gender equality data (e.g. goals, targets, KPIs)?
Has your organization obtained a certification for gender equality (e.g. Women in Governance’s Parity Certification, EDGE Certification, UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal)?

Resources for Measuring and Evaluating

Name	Source	Type	Target Area	Goals	Target Unit	Summary
Measuring What Matters in Gender Diversity	Boston Consulting Group	AArticle	Metrics and Indicators	Gain a quantitative snapshot of gender diversity progress by measuring key metrics, including recruitment, retention, promotion, and representation.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
Workplace Gender Equality Indicators	Our Watch	GGuide	Metrics and Indicators	Learn to collect, review, and respond to data related to gender equality.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
Vital Signs	Catalyst	TTool	Measuring Progress	Tool to help organizations understand and measure their workforce through diversity and inclusion lens.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
Meaningful Metrics for Diversity and Inclusion	Include Empower	AArticle	Measuring Progress	Follow steps to set, evaluate, and analyze meaningful diversity and inclusion progress.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
Measuring Progress	Project Include	AArticle	Measuring Progress	Learn how to measure diversity and inclusion progress.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
8 Ways to Measure Diversity that Have Nothing to Do with Hiring	Fortune	AArticle	Measuring Progress	Measure gender equality and diversity beyond hiring and recruitment data.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here
Gender Equality Certifications	Various Sources	CCertification	Gender Equality Certifications	Advance gender equality and inclusion efforts and be certified for your work: EDGE Certification; UNDP Gender Equality Seal; Women in Governance Parity Certification.	HR, D&I, Senior Leadership	Read summary here

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