Self-identification is vital to collecting the human capital data from which diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) insights are built. Still, self-ID campaigns often need to be more effective in gaining the trust of the people they seek to collect information about.
Elena Richards, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at KPMG (No. 6 on Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) emphasized the importance of building trust at Fair360’s (formerly Fair360, formerly DiversityInc) 2023 Top 50 event, “The Link Between Leadership Accountability and Data Standardization.” During her Top 50 Talk, “Enhancing Support for People Through Self-Identification,” she stressed the importance of continuous listening.
“When you think about the surveys that we are all participating in, you want to hear the sentiment of your employees,” said Richards. “You want to hear and provide access for them to give you information. My team will hear me say this all the time; feedback is a gift.”
KPMG’s employee resource groups play a significant role in getting that feedback.
“We have a third of our professionals that are a part of our business resource groups,” she said. “They are a mighty community, swelling things up from the top to the bottom, sharing with us what we should focus on. That’s helping us to evolve our strategy because you’re hearing from your employees.”
Richards admits the process can be challenging. KPMG has executed the campaign slowly, with the help of its colleagues. But the results are evident. In 2022, the KPMG saw an average increase of 21.4% in self-ID rates among its veterans, LGBTQ Employees and People with Disabilities. KPMG is using its findings to examine the benefits they offer to their workers.
“I know we’re going to celebrate the wins because that’s the thing that’s going to keep us going,” she said. “We all know that there’s more work to be done. And that’s going to keep us accountable.”
Click here for more articles, videos and photos from the 2023 Top 50 event.
