The 10 Diversity Recruiting Metrics You Need To Be Measuring

Diversity recruiting initiatives are a go-to strategy for organizations looking to address workplace inequalities. But like any initiative, diversity recruiting needs to be properly monitored and measured.

At Prentus, we help employers build a diverse talent pipeline by connecting them with a pre-vetted talent pool drawn from a diverse range of sources. In this guide, we cover our list of the ten most important diversity recruitment metrics you need to be tracking.

Let’s dive in!

What are diversity recruiting metrics?

Diversity recruitment metrics are measurements that let you track and analyze your diversity recruitment initiatives—and define success in concrete terms.

In the same way that general recruiting uses metrics (time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, etc.) to help optimize the hiring process, diversity recruiting metrics allow you to fine-tune your approach to make sure you’re:

• Reaching diverse talent

• Engaging diverse talent

• Hiring diverse talent

• Retaining and utilizing diverse talent

While the ultimate goal of diversity recruiting isn’t to pass specific benchmarks (it’s to create a diverse and inclusive workforce), metrics are the only way to identify which parts of your recruiting process are working well—and which need improvement.

At Prentus, we help with this process by connecting employers with a diverse network of talent.

By connecting with a vast network of over 100 talent partners (including bootcamps, non-profits, and more), we help businesses reach a larger range of candidates, build relationships with diverse talent pools, and boost the diversity of their workforce.

With tools like whole network searching, hands-free scheduling, ATS integrations, and easy candidate communication tools, you can maximize your time and resources for an efficient, effective hiring process.

Why are diversity recruiting metrics important?

• Measure DEI efforts: Like we said, the end-goal of DEI initiatives isn’t numerical. That said, numbers can still serve as a useful metric for measuring diversity recruiting progress. Companies that use data to inform strategies outperform those that don’t by up to 85%.

• Detect and eliminate bias: Recruitment bias is hard to miss without data. Diversity hiring metrics let you know when you’re making progress and when bias is creeping in.

• Create a culture of inclusion: When companies can demonstrate their efforts to create an inclusive workplace, it attracts even more diverse talent. By tracking diversity recruiting metrics, businesses can show stakeholders and potential hires they are serious about creating equitable opportunities for everyone.

• Improve recruiting efficiency: Finally, tracking diversity recruitment channels lets you focus on the ones that yield the best results. This helps save time and money while improving the efficiency of your recruiting process.

10 Diversity recruiting metrics you need to be measuring

1. Diversity of candidate sources

This is the most important factor in achieving a diverse workforce. If the sources you use for candidate recruitment are not targeted towards underrepresented groups, it may be difficult to achieve diversity.

How to improve

Look into partnering with organizations that specialize in connecting employers with job seekers from underrepresented backgrounds.

2. Diversity in the candidate pool

This metrics tracks the number of applications received from diverse applicants to give an overall measure of the diversity in your candidate pool.

This metric is important for a few reasons:

• It helps you determine whether your messaging is reaching the intended audience.

• It helps you determine whether your channels are targeting underrepresented groups.

• It allows you to identify bias in your interviewing and hiring processes.

How to improve

Building a diverse talent pipeline is the easiest way to improve this metric. The sources you use to attract potential candidates should specifically target underrepresented groups.

For example, Prentus partners with nonprofits and organizations that specialize in connecting employers with job seekers from underrepresented backgrounds. This helps us reach a larger, more diverse talent pool.

3. Diversity of recruiting team

This metric measures the diversity of your recruiting team. It’s important to have a diverse recruitment team, since it can help you better understand and empathize with candidates from different backgrounds.

How to improve

Hire diverse recruiters by expanding your recruiting channels to include sources that target underrepresented groups. Or, set internal targets that prioritize promotions for groups that are underrepresented on your recruitment team due to unconscious bias.

4. Diversity of interviewed candidates

Not every candidate who applies is asked to come in for an interview. This metric looks at the diversity of those who were asked to come in for an interview, and compares it with those who applied.

How to improve

There are a few things you can do to improve this metric:

• Anonymize application materials to reduce unconscious bias.

• Offer unconscious bias training for recruiters.

• Consider alternatives to formal applications (like forms or video responses).

5. Diversity of shortlisted candidates

This metric is pretty similar to the one above, but looks at the diversity of those shortlisted rather than those invited for an interview. As you may be starting to realize, the goal is to track diversity at each stage in your recruitment funnel so that you can easily identify weak points.

How to improve

There are plenty of things you can do to ensure a diverse shortlist—many of which we’ve already covered. Two new ones worth mentioning are:

• Use scorecards to standardize the shortlisting process.

• Use async interviewing (i.e., recorded video interviews) to remove bias from the process.

6. Hiring rates by demographic group

This metric looks at the number of applicants from different demographics who were hired. It’s a good indicator of how successful recruiters are in selecting candidates from underrepresented groups.

How to improve

Here are a few things you can do to improve this metric:

• Institute targets for hiring from underrepresented groups.

• Create a diverse and welcoming workplace culture.

• Monitor recruitment practices for areas of improvement.

7. Retention rates by demographic group

This metric is extremely important. If you’re hiring but not retaining diverse talent, it’s a sign that there are deeper organizational issues that are reinforcing systemic biases. Keep tabs on this by tracking how long employees stay and the demographics of those who leave.

How to improve

Retention rates can be improved by:

• Prioritize employee development and career growth.

• Create a culture in which all voices are heard and respected.

• Support employee resource groups (ERGs).

• Appoint diversity champions in leadership roles.

8. Promotion rates by demographic group

This metric tracks the percentage of employees from each demographic group that are promoted within the organization. Knowing which groups have higher or lower promotion rates will help you identify where there may be potential issues and where you can focus your efforts to improve the process.

How to improve

Aside from internal targets (which we’ve already covered), you can look at a variety of ways to improve promotion rates for all demographics in your organization:

• Establish targeted mentorship opportunities.

• Offer regular reviews and feedback sessions to build confidence.

• Consider employees for promotions regardless of tenure.

9. C-suite diversity

Lack of diversity at the C-suite level can be a real issue for your organization—it’s been shown to hurt profitability, employee morale, and much more. This metric simply tracks the percentage of top executives that are from underrepresented groups.

How to improve

To improve this metric, you should focus on a few areas:

• Ensure all recruitment opportunities accurately reflect diversity both inside and outside the organization.

• Provide additional training opportunities for employees from underrepresented backgrounds to help them gain the skills necessary to succeed in executive roles.

• Develop mentorship programs specifically designed to create paths for diverse employees into leadership positions.

10. Candidate experience feedback 

Finally, one of the most important diversity recruitment metrics is candidate experience feedback. This metric aims to track how well candidates from different backgrounds felt throughout the recruitment process.

How to improve

To improve this metric, start by streamlining your application and interview processes with two criteria in mind—fairness and flexibility. 

For example, eliminating unnecessary “desirable” requirements, or allowing candidates to interview on their own time using async interview tools, can help to reduce any unconscious bias and make the recruitment process more accessible.

In addition, it’s important to have a feedback system in place so that you can measure candidate experience over time—this could involve an automated survey at the end of each stage (or after candidates receive their offers). Doing this will give you the data you need to ensure everyone is having a great overall experience with your company. 

With these metrics in hand, it’s possible to create meaningful goals for yourself and determine how successful your diversity recruiting efforts are in reality. By tracking these metrics consistently and making adjustments where necessary, you can be sure that you’re building an organization that truly values diverse backgrounds and perspectives

Conclusion

Building a diverse team isn't just something you should do—it's a must. It's a move that sparks innovation, encourages creativity, and drives long-term success for organizations. A diverse team boosts business and creates a welcoming environment where everyone's unique talents are appreciated.

Prentus is a powerful tool for employers looking to reach diversity recruitment goals. We work with 100+ talent pools to help you find the candidates that best fit your company culture, and offer a range of tools designed to streamline the process—from simple communication to automated scheduling. 

Post your job for free with Prentus!