“What’s one unique metric you’ve used to measure the ROI of your diversity and inclusion programs? How did this metric provide insights that traditional methods didn’t?”
Employee referral diversity rate
One unique metric I’ve used to measure the ROI of our diversity and inclusion programs is the employee referral diversity rate. Instead of just tracking overall hiring numbers, I looked specifically at how many new hires came through referrals from underrepresented groups within our company. This gave us insight into whether our inclusion efforts were genuinely creating a culture where diverse employees felt empowered to recommend others like them. Traditional metrics often focus on hiring percentages, but this referral rate showed us the program’s impact on employee engagement and trust.
For example, after launching targeted mentorship initiatives, our referral diversity rate increased by 18% over six months, which correlated with improved retention rates. This metric helped me see beyond surface-level numbers and understand how D&I initiatives influence the internal culture and employee advocacy—areas that traditional hiring metrics often miss.
Nikita Sherbina, Co-Founder & CEO, AIScreen
Employee retention rate for diverse groups
One unique metric I’ve used to measure the ROI of diversity and inclusion programs is the “employee retention rate for diverse groups.” This metric focuses on tracking how long employees from underrepresented backgrounds stay with the company compared to the overall employee retention rate. It offers a clearer picture of whether diversity efforts are fostering long-term engagement and satisfaction, rather than just attracting diverse talent.
Unlike traditional metrics, such as diversity hiring rates or demographic representation, this metric goes beyond recruitment and measures the success of an inclusive environment that encourages diverse employees to thrive and remain in the organization. It helped us realize that while we were hiring diverse candidates, we needed to improve support systems to retain them. This insight led to enhanced mentorship programs and more inclusive leadership development, which ultimately resulted in stronger retention and increased employee satisfaction across diverse groups.
Georgi Petrov, CMO, Entrepreneur, and Content Creator, AIG MARKETER
Measuring the rate of internal mobility among underrepresented groups
One unique metric I’ve used is measuring the rate of internal mobility among underrepresented groups, tracking how often employees from diverse backgrounds get promoted or move into new roles. Unlike traditional diversity metrics that focus just on hiring or representation, this showed how well the company supports career growth and inclusion over time. It revealed gaps in development opportunities that raw headcounts missed, helping to target programs that improve retention and advancement.
Chris Brewer, Managing Director, Best Retreats
