The dos and don’ts of corporate DEI reports
With diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) being a core focus point for many employers as we move into 2024, we explore what brands ought to do – and not do – when creating a branded report on the subject. From presenting data in an aesthetically pleasing way to making sure that claims are backed by evidence, here are our tips for companies wanting to get it right…
With its potential to foster employee engagement, productivity and customer satisfaction, DEI is increasingly becoming a top priority for employers. And more and more brands are publishing branded reports to chart their work in this area.
In fact, 154 Fortune 500 companies released diversity-related reports in 2023, a figure which has reportedly almost doubled in the last year – pointing towards a growing appetite for creating this type of content.
While this content varies across brands, its key aim is to showcase the progress an organisation has made towards its diversity, equity and inclusion objectives – and highlight how it will strive to improve in future.
For brands wanting to ensure their DEI report is as engaging and informative as possible, we’ve compiled a handy guide of things to consider when creating one – and potential pitfalls to avoid.
The dos
1. Do include colleague perspectives
Whether it’s colleagues who are involved in employee resource groups (ERGs), staff spearheading inclusive learning and development initiatives or workers boasting impressive career trajectories, it’s crucial to include a variety of human perspectives in your DEI report.
Feature a range of colleagues from different departments, seniority levels and backgrounds to ensure that your report accurately reflects the people that make up your workforce.
Along with providing helpful context to your audiences on how your brand is championing DEI, these personal narratives will help to bring the content to life. Colleague perspectives will also add authenticity – and offer audiences a sense of what the company is like behind the scenes.
2. Do present your data in an engaging way
Most DEI reports include a lot of data. From internal survey results to pay gap figures, these numbers can give audiences a concrete idea of a brand’s progress in diversity, equity and inclusion – or lack thereof.
Whatever these statistics may be, it’s imperative that comms teams present them in an aesthetically pleasing and engaging way. Bury key information in complicated graphs or confusing diagrams, and you risk alienating your audience.
Here at Speak, creating eye-catching visuals is a crucial part of our production team’s approach to client reports. This includes building a variety of colourful graphs and charts to break up written content, catching readers’ attention – and presenting information in a digestible way.
3. Do feature interactive elements
Make your DEI report as easy to navigate as possible. Elements such as interactive content pages and embedded links will enable audiences to cut to specific topics. Prioritising your readership’s user experience will help take your report to the next level.
There are plenty of examples of organisations that appear to be doing this well, including McDonalds. The fast food chain’s 2022–2023 Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report features a clickable menu at the top of each page, allowing audiences to move through the sections at their leisure. Instead of scrolling through endless pages, readers can access each section at the click of a button – whether it’s information on the firm’s strategic DEI pillars or its successes to date.
Comms teams must think beyond the words on the page and consider the overall experience they want to create for readers – which is why interactive design elements can play such a key role.
The don’ts
1. Don’t just talk about your achievements
For a brand keen to stand out from the crowd, it can be tempting to focus solely on the diversity targets that have been met. While positive DEI achievements should be celebrated in your report, it’s also important to show how your company is looking forward. Chances are, there is still plenty of work to be done.
Demonstrating your brand’s future goals and benchmarks will prove to audiences that the content is backed by a genuine DEI strategy. It will indicate that the report is not just a tick-box exercise but is driven by a team wanting to do better.
So, if your report has touted its achievements, make sure it also explains what will happen next – and how your brand will continue to maintain this focus going forward.
2. Don’t make claims you can’t support
All facts outlined in a DEI report must be backed by evidence. Did the information come from a credible source? Has the data been interpreted correctly? Have you provided enough context to ensure the intended meaning is retained? These are the key questions comms teams should explore.
Audiences will gravitate toward a report that is thought-provoking, informative and insightful, but everything within its pages must – first and foremost – be true. This means every statistic or claim must be checked and checked again.
At Speak, we have a thorough proofing and fact-checking process in place to prevent mistakes from slipping through the cracks – and to avoid the spread of misinformation in content. This approach has helped us to ensure that content featured in client work is consistently accurate, legitimate and useful to audiences.
3. Don’t just do it once
It’s all well and good to publish a one-off report – but audiences, colleagues and stakeholders will want to see how your organisation continues to progress in this area over time.
Prospective talent, for example, is likely to seek out ongoing evidence that your brand centres diversity, equity and inclusion. Investors may be keen to know where there is still room for improvement, and how your brand plans to close those gaps.
Making this reporting a regular part of your comms strategy will showcase that your company is not taking its foot off the pedal and that it is genuinely striving to be better. Remember, the strength of your DEI report will need to be underpinned by the strategy driving it forward – so start there.
Want to find out how to create best-in-class reports that connect your organisation to your always-on audience?
Contact Gabrielle Bridle from our client services team at gabriellebridle@speakmedia.co.uk or on LinkedIn.