DEI data can show you a difference between groups. It cannot, on its own, tell you why that difference exists or what to change. For HR leaders in consumer businesses, that gap between numbers and next steps is the real problem.
This piece draws on Inclusion by the Numbers, a CTF session from June 2025 with Spen Nash, Head of OD and Talent at KP Snacks.
Start with colleague experience
Before you choose actions, ask colleagues where the workplace helps them feel included and where it creates barriers. Then make sure the people who lead the business hear the answers clearly.
You probably have more sources than you think. Engagement survey comments, exit conversations and regular team discussions all say something about how the culture feels day to day. The point is to listen on purpose, and to bring what you hear into the same room as the figures.
The principle is simple. Representation data helps you find the right questions. Colleague experience helps you understand what to change.
Choose a fair comparison
A representation figure means little until you compare it with something. So pick a comparison that reflects the people who could realistically apply for the roles in question, and write down why you chose it.
Before you draw conclusions, check the quality of the data. Note any gaps and how they limit what you can say. If you are reviewing how you gather ethnicity data, the government's ethnicity pay reporting guidance for employers has a section on it.
Then think about the roles, skills and work patterns behind any gap. Context matters. A comparison should start a discussion rather than set an arbitrary quota.
Follow the recruitment funnel
The recruitment funnel tracks people from application to interview, offer and joining. It can show you where representation changes.
If the applicant pool does not reflect the relevant labour market, look at where you advertise and how you describe the role. Check, too, whether you can justify the entry criteria.
Where people drop out at interview, ask whether the criteria are clear and used consistently. Ask whether reasonable adjustments are on offer as well. When the gap appears at offer, explore whether the package, the communication or the candidate experience creates a barrier.
Many of these fixes sit in the hiring process itself. Our article on the FMCG recruitment process covers that in more depth.
A difference between stages is a reason to investigate. On its own, it does not prove discrimination or explain the cause.
Small practical changes can help people show what they can do. One approach discussed was sharing interview questions in advance, so candidates know what the assessment covers. It also helps to make it easy for candidates to ask for an adjustment, without having to explain themselves at length.
Pair DEI data with listening
Numbers and colleague experience work best side by side. So for any finding, ask two questions together. What do the numbers show? And what do colleagues say they experience?
Then pick one finding and keep the scope small enough to investigate properly, such as one function or one stage of hiring. Speak with the colleagues and leaders closest to it. Work out whether the issue lies in attraction, assessment, progression or day-to-day experience.
Once you understand the cause, agree a proportionate action. Name an owner and decide when you will check the result. Record what changed and what still needs attention.
A few questions to try with your team:
- Can you explain why you chose the comparison you use?
- Where are your data gaps, and how do they limit what you can conclude?
- At which stage of the funnel does representation change most?
- What would colleagues say the numbers are missing?
- Who owns the next action, and when will you review it?
The full session
Members can watch the full recording of the session and download the slides in the CTF Session Library. The member ebook adds two practical worksheets. One helps you build a first dashboard, and the other turns a finding into an owned action. If you want to work through questions like these with peers, apply to join or read what membership includes.
