Report: Measuring the “I” in DEI | ADP Research Institute

This 63-page report provides a metric for measuring employees’ sentiment of inclusion via a Connection XPerience Score. This 12-item index (page 12) comprises three distinct feelings of connection: 1) Seen. Seeing yourself as connected to others in your organization. You can see how others like you can grow and thrive, and so see yourself as having the chance to take similar paths. 2) Heard. Taps into feeling like your opinion counts, even when it conflicts with the consensus. You feel safe sharing and debating your views. 3) Valued. Refers to knowing your worth comes from all that you authentically are. You feel able to share this authentic self with colleagues without having to censor yourself. And while the three components appear to have overlap, statistical tests show they measure distinct aspects of connection. The report also includes factors that do not relate to connection, including gender and education. Factors that influence connection include age (those over 40 are 2x more likely to be strongly connected to their organization), and those who do not identify as LGBTQ+ are 2x more likely to be strongly connected than those who do. Firms can use this reference as they develop new ways to measure progress in their inclusion efforts.