On this page, we go through the steps you need to take in order to monitor your workforce.
Creating a standard diversity and inclusion form that people fill out when hired or joining a project is a quick and easy way to make sure you collect everyone’s data. If your company does not have its own monitoring form, you can use the Pact Diversity Monitoring Template / Pact Diversity Monitoring Template (BBC Specific) or create your own.
Your BaselineMeasurement
In order to build an effective diversity and inclusion strategy, you need to understand your current position by taking a snapshot or baseline measurement of your existing workforce. The aim of this is to identify any groups of people that are under-represented in your organisation.
Once you have established your baseline measurement, you will be able to understand where you need to focus your efforts and resources. It will enable you to set goals and monitor progress to achieve better diversity and inclusion in your workforce and in your content. You need to set realistic timeframes, to ensure it is done correctly but not at the expense of quality.
Your MonitoringForm
Who and what to monitor and how to go about it.
You will need to monitor everyone involved in your organisation, at every stage of production, including and not limited to: board members, senior leadership, department heads, production staff and crew, actors, writers, subcontractors and service providers such as caterers. Pact have a ‘Diversity Monitoring Template’ (see useful links below) which you can use to establish your own organisation’s bespoke diversity and inclusion form. Within the form, you should consider the 9 protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 as your starting point, which are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.
Additionally, you can monitor other factors relevant to your organisation, such as caring responsibilities, socio-economic status, and education level. Make sure you include a ‘prefer not to say’ option for each question.
As well as monitoring numbers (quantitative data) of diverse individuals within your workforce, you should also consider monitoring how included (or not) your team members feel (qualitative data). Do they feel comfortable being themselves at work? Do they feel they can speak up if an issue arises? If not, you could miss useful points of view when making decisions and increase the likelihood that behaviour such as harassment goes unreported.
Download Pact’s Workplace Culture Survey template for this type of monitoring and tailor it to suit your company needs. You can also organise focus groups to gather opinions.
All surveys must comply with all Data Protection Law and relevant legislation (see Data Protection Legislation and contact Pact if you are in any doubt). It must be anonymous, and you should never collect any names or personal identification numbers of any kind. You must obtain consent for its completion by clearly stating why you are collecting the data and what it is being used for. You must also ensure that those completing the survey understand that it is optional, and that their data is being given freely, will be kept private, and held securely.
We recommend that you use an online form via a survey tool (for example, Survey Monkey). This is easier to ensure it remains anonymous. You will need to ensure that each individual only completes it once and set a deadline for completion. An online form will also help with quick and easy reporting via a spreadsheet. If you are using a paper form, ensure you implement a system to keep it anonymous.
Pact recommends that you either monitor your whole organisation twice a year (usually at your busiest times); or after your initial baseline measurement, you send out surveys with every new hire or at the start of each project. This will help you to build a picture of each project team across the organisation. If you monitor regularly, it will also help you to assess the value of particular strategies and/or interventions such as positive action.
AnalysingYour Data
To undertake an initial analysis of the diversity data you have collected, start by calculating the percentage of each group represented in the organisation. The data you obtain will indicate your current position and from this, you can see any possible gaps or patterns, and any under or over represented groups.