Assessment Content

DEI Assessment Methodology

At R&K Harvey LLC, the primary objective of our DEI assessments is to conduct a thorough gap analysis that measures an organization's current state against a desired future state, drawing on industry best practices and benchmarks. This process aims to identify opportunities for improvement and provide actionable recommendations for prioritizing those opportunities.

Our assessment occurs at two key levels within the organization:

1. Organizational-Level Assessment: This component focuses on the DEI initiatives the organization has implemented to date, encapsulated within our Inclusive Diversity Pillars. We evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of these efforts, gauge satisfaction with the processes involved, and analyze the outcomes achieved. Furthermore, we benchmark these initiatives against global DEI practices, standards, and benchmarks to ascertain their relative success and areas for enhancement.

2. Individual-Level Assessment: This level of analysis is particularly valuable when participants are segmented by work roles (e.g., job status, department) and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation). This segmentation enables the identification of "hotspots" where opportunities for improvement may exist. The focus here includes understanding individuals’ attitudes and perceptions of the organizational culture and climate, the extent to which the organization fosters a harassment-free and inclusive environment, and how equitable and transparent its practices and processes are. Additionally, individual assessments promote self-reflection, allowing participants to express their feelings of inclusion, acceptance, fairness, authenticity, and the ability to voice concerns without fear of retaliation.

Our readiness assessment further illuminates the organization’s intervention needs (e.g., training, policy changes). Research indicates that six key mechanisms are crucial for mobilizing DEI efforts, categorized into three primary domains: Attitudes, Norms, and Control Beliefs. By evaluating these areas, we can pinpoint opportunities for interventions aimed at overcoming resistance and fostering motivation for DEI initiatives within the organization.

As part of our best practices in assessing various DEI foci, we utilize proprietary instruments that uniquely measure culture, cultural alignment, and readiness. These tools are grounded in our original research and field experience. Our measures of culture and cultural alignment employ a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. This approach has been shown through various research projects to be superior for assessing cultural perceptions. Additionally, our tools are designed to be concise and efficient, allowing seamless integration into surveys without significantly lengthening them. The readiness assessment is informed by a robust body of scientific literature, ensuring its effectiveness and relevance. Our synchronized application of these measures across interviews, surveys, and focus groups enhances our ability to identify and evaluate opportunities tailored to specific organizational contexts.

Assessment Methodology

Our assessment methodology typically includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative tools:

• Organizational Survey: Surveys facilitate broad participation across the organization, capturing diverse perspectives. Results are often disaggregated to compare responses across racial/ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, age, and religious sociodemographic groups within various organizational units, departments, job roles, and management levels.

• Interviews: Conducting interviews allows for a deeper understanding of individual experiences and cultural nuances within the organization. We employ a stratified sampling approach, ensuring representation across multiple groups and organizational levels. Our specialized grounded-theory approach enables us to explore the complexities of culture that may be embedded within specific groups.

• Focus Groups: Focus groups provide a platform for collaborative discussion, enabling participants to share their thoughts and experiences in a supportive environment. This format encourages rich dialogue and collective insights, allowing us to uncover themes and dynamics that might not emerge in surveys or interviews. Through guided discussions, we delve into the shared experiences of participants regarding DEI issues, exploring their perceptions of organizational culture, inclusion, and equity. These sessions also foster a sense of community among participants, enhancing the depth and richness of the data collected. Insights gained from focus groups are invaluable for understanding the collective attitudes and beliefs within the organization, thereby informing our recommendations for targeted interventions.