No DEI program is truly complete without having a full understanding of your organization’s existing workforce and processes. These analyses will provide valuable information that can guide your DEI initiatives and ensure you stay on track to achieve important objectives.
To conduct a thorough assessment of your workforce and existing DEI efforts, we recommend the following three analyses:
- Analysis of workforce demographics to determine if the existing representation of females and minorities is in line with availability and to uncover areas of over-representation that could be problematic
- Analysis of selection processes and employment activity to determine if any race or gender is adversely impacted
- Analysis of the compensation system to determine if disparities exist on the basis of race or gender
Analysis of Workforce Demographics
We can evaluate your organization’s current workforce to determine whether the representation of females and minorities is what you would generally expect based on the availability of females and minorities. We use the most recent census information for the geographic areas where your facilities are located, and/or from where you recruit, to calculate the availability of females and minorities for the types of jobs in your organization. If desired, we can also incorporate internal promotional trends to determine internal availability for different positions. The external and internal availability figures can be weighted based on recruitment patterns to calculate overall availability.
The availability data is then compared to the workforce representation using one or more tests for measuring the difference between the availability and current representation. The results flag areas where the representation of females or minorities is less than expected. We can also identify if females and minorities are over-represented in lower paying or entry-level positions.
Another important component of a workforce demographics study is to assess whether a “glass ceiling” exists in management roles where female or minority representation drops off or decreases. We can compare the demographics of the different levels within your organization and identify potential glass ceiling issues.
Employment Activity Analyses
We can evaluate your organization’s selection processes and employment activity to determine whether any race or gender is potentially adversely impacted by your processes. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits facially neutral employment practices that have an adverse impact on the basis of race or gender. These analyses can help identify those areas that could lead to monetary liability or that may be hampering your efforts to achieve a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.
Let’s discuss your data and processes to determine the most appropriate analyses for your organization.
Compensation Analysis
We can also evaluate the compensation of your existing workforce to determine if disparities exist on the basis of race or gender. Using base pay, total annual compensation, or other components of compensation such as bonuses or overtime, we can identify jobs or categories of jobs where compensation does not appear to be explained by legitimate factors.
For more information on conducting these analyses, please contact Cara Crotty, a member of the DEI practice group, or the Constangy attorney of your choice.
