Diversity, equity and inclusion reports are often framed or meant to be viewed as part of an organization’s efforts to achieve transparency around hiring practices, talent development and turnover. Those reports don’t always hold a lot of weight, especially if the intended audience is skeptical of the company’s progress on issues like DEI.
Alleviating this issue is a matter of establishing trust – be it with the public, employees or a Board of Directors. Key to establishing that trust is a level of transparency that can be uncomfortable to display at times and is rooted in data. Overcoming any sort of organizational discomfort is driven by leadership commitment to transparency and adherence to certain practices.
At PwC (a Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Hall of Fame company), the organization rebranded its typical diversity and inclusion report as its purpose and inclusion report. The report, which also encompasses everything you’d typically find in an ESG report, outlines on how PwC goes about building a culture of belonging and drives its DEI efforts through “well-defined and meaningful goals.” Part of what shapes those goals and their definitions is the company’s performance across different indicators that are highly relevant to PwC’s success.