On April 20th, a verdict was reached in a case that started the largest Civil Rights movement of the 21st century. Hearing the word ‘guilty’ 3 times represented a glimmer of real hope towards the progress we all needed to see on behalf of our Black brothers and sisters. A move in the right direction.
Change in corporate America is indeed coming — but not fast enough. At the current rate, it will take 95 years for Black employees to be accurately represented in leadership roles throughout the private sector. 95 years! This is simply unacceptable.
Bridging this gap requires real change (not just talk) at all levels of organizations — from individual contributors to middle managers to the C Suite — there is no room for complacency. The time for baby steps is long past. Massive action is required to activate massive change, and how we measure that change is crucial.
We Need To Measure For Massive Action
Historically, HR had to justify Talent Development programming in simple terms — attendance rates, facilitator satisfaction rates… and a whole host of other ‘metrics’ that didn’t, and still don’t, drive value. Simply put, HR practitioners were just not equipped to measure real value.
Today HR leaders are finding themselves increasingly more equipped to provide their internal corporate clients with measures that identify changes in employee actions and changes in corporate culture. This shift didn’t happen overnight: it is a direct result to the increasingly complex landscapes our employees are being asked to navigate today. As a result, it has become a business imperative to understand our employee’s levels of engagement, productivity, and well-being — leaders are demanding this!
We all agree that the critical nature of sound data tells us the story of ‘what happened’ post development. Even so, it isn’t easy to measure real impact, or to measure when impact didn’t even happen, which is just as important.
So, how do L&D practitioners hone in on the right metrics in the midst of all this noise?
The right metrics focus on changes in employees’ actions — actions that are easily identifiable when they’re supported by ecosystems of accountability. In other words, learning is not an individual journey. Effective learning is a journey where everyone in the ecosystem must be held accountable.Historically, HR had to justify Talent Development programming in simple terms — attendance rates, facilitator satisfaction rates… and a whole host of other ‘metrics’ that didn’t, and still don’t, drive value. Simply put, HR practitioners were just not equipped to measure real value.
Bringing Inclusion And Accountability Together
When we measure the right stuff and accountability becomes a real thing, the real question becomes — what happens in Inclusive work environments?
And the answer is — companies experience increases in employees’ decision making quality (up to 20%), job performance (up to 56%), business performance (up to 80%) — now this is what we call Return on Inclusion.
Return on Inclusion equates to amplified results where everyone wins — the individual, the company, and society. Return on Inclusion is tied to the only sustainable competitive advantage any organization can have — its people.
Designing Programs For Success
We know that retention, job performance, and traditional Return on Investment are cornerstone statistics in HR measurement. Knowing that they’re tied to Inclusion means that Return On Inclusion must be added to this group.
By measuring Return on Inclusion and baking it into ecosystems of accountability, leaders will be able to assess whether or not the action they’re taking is massive enough to create lasting impact.
If lasting impact is your goal – well, Return on Inclusion is where to start.
Nishika de Rosairo | CEO & Founder
Contact Nishika: nishika@humanq.com
Contact HumanQ: info@humanq.com
Website: www.humanq.com
