How was the Deep Diversity® Leaders\' Snapshot developed and why does it focus on these these particular measurement areas?

The Deep Diversity® Leaders' Snapshot is based off Anima Leadership’s trademarked Deep Diversity® Inclusive Workplace Continuum, an assessment tool based on best practices research and adapted for all institutional contexts. The questions cover the following topic areas most relevant to equity, diversity and inclusion: Leadership and EDI Accountability, Human Resources (HR), EDI Policies and Procedures, Inclusive Recruitment and Selection, Inclusive Retention and Advancement, EDI Training and Development, EDI Communications and Community, Organizational Climate, Culture & Representation, Supplier Diversity and Return on Investment/Business Case.

What will this assessment do for our organization?

Any organization will have EDI strengths and gaps. Collecting data and conducting a survey can help identify what is going well and where to target efforts for improvement. The measurement categories of the Deep Diversity® Leaders' Snapshot have been selected based on best practices research and Anima Leadership’s extensive experience in the field across sectors and geographic regions. This survey will give you a snapshot of your senior leadership team’s perception of where your organization is on its EDI journey, allowing you to have more useful and strategic conversations about next steps. An inclusive organization is a productive, innovative and successful one, and in tomorrow’s increasingly diverse climates institutions have no choice but to build equity in to all organizational areas.

Is this an assessment for all types of organizations?

The Deep Diversity® Leaders' Snapshot is broad enough to be useful for all types of organizations including for-profit corporations, not-for-profit and public sector agencies. The themes and questions of this audit are designed to apply in multiple types of institutions.

How do I know if it’s the right time for this assessment, and communicate the purpose of this assessment to others?

Some organizations are quite far along their EDI goals and others are just beginning, but every organization can benefit from an EDI audit at any stage of their inclusion journey. Depending on the fluency and institutional commitment to advancing EDI within your organization, the pathway will vary. Data collection helps at all stages of the process. Survey completion rates always increase when people feel included in the process and they have a stake in the outcome. You will ultimately want to communicate what the Deep Diversity® Leaders' Snapshot is, why it is important to participate, the time frame for assessment and what will happen once people have responded. We have provided some sample communication templates that can found in the Instructions tab. These can serve as a starting point. We recommending planning on two weeks for survey completion.

How does the Deep Diversity® Leaders\' Snapshot differ from the Solo Snapshot and the Organizational Audit?

The Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot is a ten question measurement tool to be completed by senior leadership within an organization. Each participant rates their perception of their organization's EDI efforts in ten categories, then results are compiled into an automated report offering insights, progress tracking and recommendations around key EDI factors. The Deep Diversity® Solo Snapshot is designed to be completed by one person who uses their own experience to assess their organization’s EDI practices. The Solo Snapshot focuses on an organization's EDI efforts in seven categories. The Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit is a more comprehensive assessment tool designed to be to be completed by staff across the organization and to offer a 360 perspective on EDI perspectives within your organization. The assessment covers more areas of EDI measurement with more questions per area, and the results can be cross-tabbed by position, race and gender. The data collected will be used to create a detailed report and customized planning package that can help shape your organization's EDI strategy for years to come.

How does the Deep Diversity® Leaders\' Snapshot differ from a third-party audit?

This Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot is self-administered, and based on senior leaders assessing the EDI efforts of their organization. A third-party audit is one where independent, external assessors review the policies and practices of an organization against statistically relevant EDI benchmarks. Anima Leadership also offers independent Deep Diversity® Third-Party Audits starting at $100K including items such as: A variety of data-collection methodologies including anonymous surveys, focus groups, one-on-one and team interviews and more; The ability to include an unlimited number of stakeholder responses; A complete communications strategy to ensure stakeholder buy-in and engagement; Comprehensive breakdowns of data according to participant demographics such as staff position, race, gender and more; A fully detailed final report outlining recommendations based on overall organization results and sectoral best practices; and more.

How many people can complete the Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot?

We suggest limiting Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot surveys to senior organizational leaders, ideally twenty-five or fewer. If you are looking for a more complete set of data, we recommend the Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Organizational Audit which compiles a more comprehensive collection of perspectives and can be sent to an unlimited number of employees.

When and how do we see results?

Survey reports are generated after at least three people have completed the Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot. You can access the completed report at any time via the link in the View Results tab.

Can I leave the Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot open as long as I like?

There is no cap on the length of time the survey can be open. Our suggested time frame is to leave the survey open for two weeks . This time line may vary depending on the number of senior leaders in your organization or the number of responses you are hoping collect. You may wish to start with a two week deadline and then extend another week if you are looking for some additional responses. Based on Anima Leadership's experience, we find a reminder is the most effective way to increase responses so be sure to send out the reminder emails suggested in the Instructions tab within the initial two week window.

How anonymous are participants\' survey results?

The Deep Diversity® Leaders’ Snapshot is completely anonymous and is intended to identify general trends. The questions do not ask for identifying information such as name and cannot be tracked back to any specific employees.

How is the data stored? Should I be concerned about organizational privacy?

The raw data from all of our EDI Audits will be stored in a secure, confidential database accessible only by authorized staff of Anima Leadership. Survey administrators will only have access to the aggregate reports, not individual profiles.

View the email that will be sent:

Dear Participant: Your organization has purchased the Deep Diversity® Leaders' Snapshot through Anima Leadership. This tool will give you an overview of your organization’s point on the journey toward become an inclusion leader. Everyone on the leadership team is being asked to fill in the survey and when completed, you will receive a summary report. The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Please fill this survey in within the next two weeks: (The survey link will be automatically inserted here). Thanks for taking this step with us, and we look forward to building a more inclusive future together. Warmest Regards, The Anima Leadership Team

Communications Template 1: Announcement and Invitation Email

Week 1 Subject Line: EDI Audit Announcement Dear, [INSERT NAME]. [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] is excited to let you know that we are working to improve EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) within our working environment. As one step in this process we will be auditing our organization using the Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit Tool. Anima Leadership is an award-winning firm that has over 15 years experience in the EDI field in North America and abroad. Anima combines its experience with research to offer audit tools that are practical and applicable for organizations to advance EDI objectives. To find out more about Anima Leadership and their products and services, please visit their website at https://animaleadership.com/ . The Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit is an innovative new tool by the award-winning team at Anima Leadership. The Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit includes: A 47-question survey that can be used to gather data from an unlimited number of employees; A comprehensive set of equity and inclusion-related benchmarks across 6 key EDI categories; An average EDI Score which can be tracked across time to determine organizational growth; A detailed planning guide for next steps forward as well as EDI Action Plan template. To ensure the success of this project we will be asking you to assess the status of organizational EDI in a number of categories (all results are completely anonymous). Collecting data and conducting a survey can help identify what is going well and where to target our efforts for improvement. This will set the stage for our EDI work for the [NEXT 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR OR INSERT TIME FRAME]. Your participation will be a vital part of this process. In the next couple of weeks we will send out more information. We will also be organizing a meeting to explain the process and answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, feel free to email any questions or comments you may have as we begin this project. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 2: Invitation to EDI Question and Answer Meeting

Week 3 Subject Line: EDI Audit Question and Answers Dear [INSERT NAME], As we mentioned in our previous email we are working to improve EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) within [NAME OF ORGANIZATION]. As one step in this process, we will be surveying our organization using the Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit. This instrument is in the form of an anonymous survey that will ask 47 EDI questions, related to our organizational systems and culture. Regardless of where you are in the organization your perspective matters! To be clear, the information gathered is held by Anima Leadership [INSERT LINK] on a secure server using several layers of firewall protection that meets all requirements for Federal and provincial web data privacy. Our organization will not have access to this data but instead will receive a final report with averages calculated out—no individual responses will be identifiable as all questions are multiple choice. We anticipate the survey to begin on [DATE] and close on [DATE]. We will send out a link for you to complete on the date that the survey begins. While participating in this audit process is voluntary, we encourage everyone to complete the survey. The more data we collect, the more representative the results will be. We understand there may be some questions you have about why we are doing this and what will happen following the audit. To help you understand the process we are inviting you to a Question and Answer meeting on [DATE AND TIME]. We are also linking to Frequently Asked Questions [https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/] that may offer you more information about the audit tool itself. This may help you answer any initial questions you have or inspire follow-up questions you wish to bring to the meeting. In the meantime, feel free to email any questions you may have and we can address them in the meeting or by email if you cannot attend. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 3: Pre-Survey Email

Week 5 or the week prior to the survey link being sent out Subject line: The Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit starting next week Dear, [INSERT NAME], We are sending a short reminder that the link for the Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit is coming next week. This survey is an important step in the process so we would really appreciate it if you will plan to take a few moments to complete it. The link to the Frequently Asked Questions is here [ https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/ ]. If you wish to read about Anima Leadership, who developed the audit tool, please visit their website here: [https://animaleadership.com/] As always, if you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 4: Survey Link

Week 6 or sent out the day the survey is launched Subject line: Please complete the Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit Tool Dear, [INSERT NAME]. [INSERT ORGANIZATION] is currently trying to better understand your perceptions of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the organization with the goal of supporting greater EDI. The survey linked to through this email will ask you a few questions about demographics and how you would score the workplace in a number of categories. To this end, we are asking you to take 30-40 minutes of your time to complete the audit. INSERT LINK The survey will be open until [INSERT DATE]. Why not take a few minutes right now to do it? To ensure privacy and confidentiality, no personal information such as emails, names or IP will be collected. The survey answers will be anonymous and information will only be reported in an aggregate format. Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions [ https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/ ] if you want more information about the audit. If you have any questions about the survey that haven’t been addressed in the FAQs – either content related or technical please reach out to me at [INSERT EMAIL]. We would like to thank you in advance for your support in completing this survey. The findings will help to ensure that [INSERT ORGANIZATION] can better support its members in delivering equitable and inclusive approaches to advocates across the country. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 5.1: Reminder Emails

Weeks 7-12 -- Reminder Emails (to be sent weekly while the survey is open) Subject Line: EDI Audit Reminder Dear, [INSERT NAME] We are following up with you to encourage you to complete the EDI audit. If you already have filled it out, we would like to thank you for taking the time to do so. This survey is attempting to identify some basic demographics of the workplace, as well as score the organization’s efforts in a number of key EDI categories. OPTIONAL: [Currently we have about ### responses which brings our response rate to XX%. Our goal is to at least reach YY%] The link to complete is: [INSERT LINK] The survey will only be open until [CLOSING DATE] so please make sure your voice is included. Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions [https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/] resource that will provide you with more information about the rationale for the audit and how the data will be stored and used. Your participation is appreciated and will be most helpful to helping us determine the best way to focus on our EDI objectives. Thank you in advance for your support in this invaluable effort. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 5.2 Extension of Closing Date

Use if response rate is low. Week 12: To send out the 2-3 days before the survey ends Subject: We are extending the Organizational Audit Closing date Dear, [INSERT NAME]. We have decided to extend the closing date for the Organizational Audit by one week until [INSERT DATE]. We would like to ensure as many employees as possible fill out the survey so that we can have the best evidence possible to make better decisions as an inclusive workplace. Currently the response rate is [X% = Number of Responses/Total Number of Employees or Seats Purchased X 100]. Thank you to those of you who have already completed the survey, and to those yet to do so, please do take the 30-40 minutes to fill it out Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions resource [https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/] that will provide you with more information about the rationale for the survey and how the data will be stored and used. Thank you once again for your support in this project. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 5.3 Final Reminder

Week 12: To send out the 2-3 days before the survey ends Subject: Final reminder to complete Organizational Audit Dear, [INSERT NAME]. The equity, diversity and inclusion audit (EDI)is closing [INSERT DATE] and we would like to ensure as many employees as possible fill out the survey so that we can have the best evidence possible to make better decisions as an inclusive workplace. Currently the response rate is [X% = Number of Responses/Total Number of Employees or Seats Purchased X 100]. Thank you to those of you who have already completed the survey, and to those yet to do so, please do take the 30-40 minutes to help [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] be a more inclusive organization. As a reminder, this survey is attempting to identify the demographics, perception and experiences of the employees within the organization. The audit is available at: [INSERT LINK] Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions resource [https://animaleadership.com/organizational-audit-faq/] that will provide you with more information about the rationale for the survey and how the data will be stored and used. Thank you once again for your support in this project. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 6: Thank you for participating

Week 13 or week after the survey closes Subject: Thank you for completing the Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit Dear [INSERT NAME], Thank you so much for participating in the survey. Overall, we had a [ good/adequate/poor ] response rate at [X% = Number of Responses/Total Number of Employees or Seats Purchased X 100]. —-------------------------- If the response rate is high > We are happy with this response rate and look forward to reviewing the scores and planning the next steps. —-------------------------- If the response rate is low > While we had hoped more people would respond, we will review the results of those who responded and look forward to planning the next steps in the process. We will also look for potential future opportunities for employees to participate in the process for equity, diversity and inclusion improvements. —-------------------------- We will follow up once we have the next steps finalized. If the survey generated interest in EDI topics or you would like to learn more about Anima Leadership’s services please visit them at https://animaleadership.com/ ]. Anima offers a number of open enrolment courses[ https://animaleadership.com/training/ ] and has a free Café you can sign up for here [ https://animaleadership.com/community/cafe/ ] Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Communications Template 7: Communicating the Results Email – Survey Follow-up

Month 6-8 Subject: Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit Next Steps and Action Plan Dear, [INSERT NAME]. The leadership team has reviewed the results of the organizational EDI audit and we want to share what to expect next. Some of the themes that arose in the audit were: Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3 We are taking these results seriously and have discussed the next stages for improving upon equity, diversity and inclusion. Here is what you can expect in the months and year to come: [INSERT ACTION PLAN ITEMS HERE] We will also ensure this is on the agenda [FOR THE NEXT STAFF MEETING/SPECIAL EDI FOCUSED MEETING/OTHER MEETING ARRANGED BY THE ORGANIZATION] Reach out to us if you have questions or comments. Kind regards, [INSERT NAME]

Is this an assessment for all types of organizations?

This assessment is broad enough to be useful for all types of organizations including for profit corporations, not-for-profit and public sector agencies. The themes and questions are designed to apply institutional contexts.

What will this organizational assessment do for our organization?

Any organization will have EDI strengths and gaps. The categories we have selected for measurement are based on best practices research and Anima Leadership’s extensive experience in the field across sectors and geographic regions. This survey will give you a snapshot of your employee’s perception of where the organization is at on its EDI journey, allowing you to have more useful and strategic conversations about next steps. An inclusive organization is a productive, innovative and successful one and in tomorrow's increasingly diverse climate, institutions have no choice but to build equity across all organizational areas.

How do I know if it’s the right time and communicate the purpose to others?

Survey completion rates always increase when people feel included in the process and they have a stake in the outcome. You will ultimately want to communicate what the assessment is, the importance of participating, the time frame and what will happen once people have responded. Every organization can benefit from an assessment of EDI at any stage of the journey. Depending on the fluency and institutional commitment to advancing EDI, the pathway will vary. Some organizations are quite far along in meeting their EDI goals and others are just beginning. Data collection helps at all stages of the process. We have provided some sample communication templates that can be found in the “ Communications template ” tab. These can serve as a starting point. Please see the recommended timeline under the “ instructions ” tab to get an idea of when each communication should be sent out.

How was this organizational assessment developed and why these particular measurement areas?

The assessments are based off Anima Leadership’s trademarked Deep Diversity® Inclusive Workplace Continuum, an assessment tool based on EDI best practices research and adapted for all institutional contexts. The questions cover the following topic areas most relevant to EDI: Leadership and Accountability Human Resources (recruitment, selection, retention, career advancement) EDI Policies and Procedures Organizational Climate and Culture Data Collection and Representation Employee Experience & Psychological Safety In our experience these areas cover the essential components of any organization.

How does this differ from the Deep Diversity® Solo Snapshot and Leaders’ Snapshot?

The Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit is a longer survey to be completed by staff across the organization to offer a 360 perspective on EDI. It has more areas of measurement as well as more questions per area, and the results can be cross-tabbed according to position, race and gender (upon special request). The Solo Snapshot is designed to be completed by one person who assesses their organization’s EDI practices in a number of basic categories. The Leaders’ Snapshot is a 10 question survey to be completed by the senior leadership team within an organization. Each respondent rates EDI efforts in 10 categories. This can be a good starting point for leaders to have a conversation about EDI.

What makes this different from a third-party audit?

This Deep Diversity® Organizational Audit is self-administered and based on employees assessing the EDI efforts of their organization. In contrast, a third-party audit is one where independent external assessors review the policies and practices of the organization against statistically relevant EDI benchmarks. We offer independent third-party audits as well with a minimum price point of $100K including items such as: EDI leadership training to develop literacy in understanding the role of unconscious bias, emotions, identity and power in organizational decision making; An analysis of policies and practices across critical organizational areas; A survey tailored specifically for the organization with statistically relevant results and cross-tabbed for pre- identified demographic groups; Focus groups and solo interviews with key organizational leaders/ teams; A comprehensive list of strategic recommendations within each organizational area; A glossy final report which can be circulated for discussion among staff and community stakeholders to choose and identify key next steps toward becoming an organizational inclusion leader.

When do we see results and how anonymous is this?

Survey reports are generated after at least three people have completed the survey. You can access the report using the report tab once the survey is closed. The survey is fully anonymous, and is intended to identify general trends. The questions do not ask for identifying information, such as name or contact information, and cannot be tracked back to any specific employees. Employees may also skip any questions they do not wish to answer.

Can I leave this assessment open for as long as I like?

There is no cap on the length of time the survey can be open. Our suggested time frame is to leave the survey open for two weeks . This may vary depending on the number of responses you are hoping for, or the number of people in your organization. You may wish to start with two weeks and then extend another week if you need to get some additional responses. *We find that there is always an increase in responses after reminders are sent so within the two week window it is important to send out the reminder emails. Please refer to our suggested timeline under the “ Instructions ” tab.

What is an acceptable response rate?

In general, we like to see a two-thirds response rate. This can vary depending on the size of the organization, but the ideal is to get as many people included in the process as possible (while ensuring it remains voluntary). Higher response rates are more important in smaller organizations. For example, an organization of 50 will only have 25 responses with a 50% response rate while an organization of 5000 will have 2500 responses with the same response rate. The lower response rate for the smaller organization means there is less data available and the results may not be fully representative of the employees.

Should the survey be mandatory?

Anima does not recommend making the survey mandatory. The communication templates and Frequently Asked Questions all highlight that the survey is voluntary and that employees can skip any question they want, as well as not participate at all.

How many people can fill in the assessment?

There is no cap on the number of responses for this assessment.

How should we interpret the results if there are a large number of “I don’t know/Prefer not to answer” responses.

While it is impossible to know exactly why an individual responded “I don’t know/Prefer not to answer” to a question, if there is a significant percentage of people responding this way, it can be a signal of a couple of potential issues. People may not feel equipped with the knowledge to respond to a question. In larger numbers, this can mean communication and education is required if it relates to EDI efforts within the organization. It can also signal a lack of psychological safety in offering a response. People may feel vulnerable answering questions about their identity and then scoring the organization despite the anonymity safeguards. It can also be a combination of the above reasons. It may be worth having an internal conversation in the organization about the particular topic area.

How is the score calculated?

Each question is calculated from 1-5. From this an overall score is generated. For each category there is also an average score. Overall, the scoring descriptions are as follows: Inclusion 1: Pre-Aware - Organization is unaware or uninterested in EDI issues generally, or the factor specifically. Inclusion 2: EDI factor is driven by external demands for compliance and/or to meet basic industry standards. Inclusion 3: Belief that EDI is the “right thing to do” but practices, knowledge or commitment are incongruent for this factor. Inclusion 4: Regular organizational commitment, resources and effort to align EDI beliefs with behaviours and choices for this factor. Inclusion 5: Input and feedback from stakeholders continually improves EDI process, outcomes and nurtures innovation.

How should the score be interpreted?

Since organizations have strengths and weaknesses, there will be higher scores on some factors than on others. Very few, if any, organizations in North America would find they achieve Inclusion 4 in many areas, especially during an initial assessment. We also find that people have a tendency to overestimate their progress in this field. As it is often said, EDI is a journey not a destination, with all institutions at different points in their development process. The assessment tools provide data about which factors are strengths for an organization and what are areas for improvement. Armed with this EDI knowledge, organizations are in a strong position to plan strategically to improve their organizational practices and culture.

Are the results statistically significant?

Statistical significance is important when comparing the differences between groups on an outcome. The standard report generated does not offer comparisons of any responses based on identity characteristics such as race, gender, or age. To conduct such an analysis would involve a custom calculation and only then could it be determined if the results were statistically significant.

How will the results be used?

Different organizations may be on different timelines. Organizational leadership will determine the action plan that best suits them. The report will give leadership enough information to begin conversations and assess how well they are doing with regard to EDI. We have several tools available to assist with the next steps including: Team Discussion Questions ( Report ) The Action plan template ( Planning Tools tab ) Measuring Progress template ( Planning Tools tab )

Will the results be shared with the employees?

Organizational leaders are encouraged to share the results across the organization. How this is done will depend on the specific communication practices and expectations set by the organization.

Will my organization’s data be compared to other data?

Currently the results will be compared against best practices. As more data is collected this will allow for comparisons to other organizations by Anima Leadership.

How is the data stored? Should I be concerned about organizational privacy?

The data will be stored in a secure, confidential database accessible only by authorized staff of Anima Leadership. All sites are physically hosted in Canada, on server clusters that meet all requirements for federal and provincial web data privacy.

What cyber security is in place to ensure that data is secure and to minimize breaches?

Anima Leadership’s website and security is handled by our hosting partner WPCloud who offer firewall protection on all servers. WP Cloud uses several layers of firewall protection on all servers, both hardware and software based, including a Web Application Firewall. WP Cloud also utilizes various processes and tools to prevent attack and breaches aligned with such industries as financial institutions.

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EDI Audits Dashboard

Welcome to the Dashboard for the Anima Leadership Deep Diversity^® EDI Audits. If you have purchased multiple audit tools please select the tab of the product you wish to use.

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