Across sectors and geographies, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore—diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces outperform. Yet, many Indian organizations still grapple with where to begin or how to measure progress. The answer lies in a structured DEI assessment. Done right, it reveals systemic blind spots, benchmarks readiness, and builds a roadmap for real change.
The India Diversity Forum’s DEI Toolkit was designed for precisely this purpose: to help companies in India run context-specific DEI assessments that move beyond checklists. Here’s your step-by-step guide to using it effectively and impactfully.
Step 1: Define Purpose
Before any DEI assessment, you must define what you’re evaluating and why. Are you trying to understand diversity gaps? Measure inclusion? Assess equity in processes? Without clear goals, data collection will be disjointed, and results inconclusive.
In a 2023 survey by NASSCOM and Aon, 83% of Indian organizations reported tracking DEI metrics, but only 47% felt confident in their measurement frameworks (NASSCOM-Aon, 2023). That’s a massive disconnect—and it starts with undefined purpose.
The IDF Toolkit helps organizations frame these early decisions with clarity, offering diagnostic questions and worksheets that anchor your efforts in business goals and DEI maturity stage.
Step 2: Collect Data
Data is the bedrock of every DEI assessment. But in India, collecting it comes with complexity—especially when it involves identities like caste, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Here’s how you can approach it responsibly:
- Quantitative data: HRIS metrics on gender, age, role level, retention, hiring, pay gaps, etc.
- Qualitative data: Employee experiences via anonymous surveys, pulse checks, and interviews.
A Boston Consulting Group study found that while 100% of Indian companies surveyed track gender, only 34% track LGBTQ+ data and 31% monitor persons with disabilities (BCG, 2023). That leaves huge blind spots.
Start where it’s legal, ethical, and voluntary. And remember: representation doesn’t equal inclusion. You’ll need qualitative inputs to understand the real employee experience.
Step 3: Use the Right Metrics
What you measure will shape what you prioritize. Here are three metric categories most progressive companies in India are now using:
- Representation metrics – Who’s in the door and at what level?
- Process metrics – How inclusive are systems like hiring, promotions, and feedback?
- Outcome metrics – Do all employees feel valued, safe, and supported?
According to the “DEI Landscape in India Inc.” report, 82% of Indian companies now set DEI goals and targets, and 72% allocate specific budgets toward it (NASSCOM-Aon, 2023).
The DEI Toolkit breaks this down further by offering templates for inclusive hiring metrics, accessibility audits, and culture benchmarking—customizable by company size and sector.
Step 4: Analyse & Interpret
Collecting data is only half the job. The next step is making sense of it.
For example: if you find that women make up 35% of your workforce but only 9% of senior management, that’s not just a stat—it’s a signal. Similarly, if LGBTQIA+ employees report higher attrition and lower promotion rates, you must ask why. Are your policies inclusive? Are your leaders trained?
In a BCG analysis, the biggest performance gaps between beginner and frontrunner companies came from leadership commitment (54%), market-facing inclusion strategies (47%), and inclusion in product/service design (BCG, 2023).
This is where the DEI Toolkit shines. Its Organizational DEI Preparedness chapter walks you through data interpretation, offers case studies from Indian companies, and helps you convert insights into action points.
Step 5: Prioritize Gaps
A good DEI assessment should surface dozens of insights—but not all of them are equally urgent. Prioritize based on:
- Business impact
- Employee sentiment
- Legal or compliance risk
- Cultural transformation potential
For example, if you discover that persons with disabilities (PwDs) are underrepresented and your office infrastructure lacks basic accessibility, that’s a high-priority area—especially with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act requiring reasonable accommodations.
Research shows that workplaces inclusive of PwDs experience 28% higher retention and 34% increased employee engagement (ILO India, 2022). That’s too valuable to ignore.
The Toolkit’s gap analysis templates help you sort your findings by urgency and feasibility, making next steps clear and practical.
Step 6: Design Interventions
You’ve identified the gaps—now what?
Depending on your context, interventions may include:
- Updating hiring practices to remove bias
- Rolling out inclusive leadership training
- Launching ERGs or mentorship programs
- Revamping leave, benefits, or appraisal policies
Infosys, for example, improved gender representation in middle management by 22% after launching a structured returnship program (Infosys Annual Inclusion Report, 2022). Tata Steel has implemented dedicated gender-neutral toilets and POSH training in multiple languages (Tata Steel Diversity Report, 2023).
With the DEI Toolkit, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It provides curated interventions tested in the Indian market, backed by real results and feedback from practitioners.
Step 7: Communicate Internally
DEI assessments are not just for leaders or HR teams. Share findings with employees. Bring them into the conversation. When organizations are transparent, trust improves, and so does engagement.
However, how you communicate matters. It must be:
- Sensitive to identity dynamics
- Framed around improvement, not judgment
- Inclusive of different roles and levels
In a Deloitte report, 71% of employees said trust in leadership increased when DEI data and intentions were shared openly (Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends, 2022).
The DEI Toolkit offers internal communication templates and engagement activities that allow your DEI efforts to be seen—and supported—across the organization.
Step 8: Monitor & Evolve
DEI is not a one-time initiative. Your first DEI assessment is just the beginning.
Build an annual rhythm of measuring progress, revisiting goals, and refining interventions. Track outcomes like:
- Improvement in diversity ratios
- Sentiment change in inclusion surveys
- Uptake of inclusive benefits
- ERG participation and impact
Research from McKinsey shows that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and gender diversity were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry median (McKinsey, 2023).
Continuous evolution ensures your DEI strategy stays resilient, relevant, and results-driven.
Final Thoughts
The path to an inclusive organization isn’t paved with good intentions—it’s driven by structured effort, grounded tools, and honest introspection. A DEI assessment is your compass—and the IDF DEI Toolkit is your guide.
Built for Indian organizations, by Indian experts, it offers clarity, customizability, and credibility. Whether you’re a startup or a legacy conglomerate, this toolkit gives you the framework to assess, act, and evolve with confidence.
Ready to take the next step? Visit deitoolkit.indiadiversityforum.org and begin your DEI assessment today. Turn insight into impact—because inclusive change starts with informed action.
