who is missing from your data?

Do you run engagement or inclusion surveys? You could be overlooking a crucial piece of data.

In this short video I explain what survivorship bias is and how it creates a knowledge gap

in understanding the true level of inclusion in your organization.

Watch to see how you can mitigate it.

Video transcript:

When you look at the results from your DEI identity and inclusion or engagement surveys, I encourage you to ask yourself one more question: 

What would the employees from marginalized groups who left your organization say in the survey?

This is important because there might be a survivorship bias that skews your data.

Survivorship bias means you're focusing on the employees from marginalized groups who are still in the organization, while overlooking those who left or never joined due to non-inclusive practices. This creates a knowledge gap in understanding the true level of inclusion for these groups.

If you make DEI decisions based only on the experiences of those who stayed and succeeded, you might miss addressing bigger, structural issues.

So, how can you mitigate this?

First, ensure your recruitment, hiring, and promotion practices are inclusively designed—not just for current employees but also for those who left, never applied, or aren’t visible to you as potential talent.

Second, stay connected with marginalized groups, not just within your organization’s ERGs but also in the wider community. Learn about potential blockers, run exit surveys to find out what needs improvement.

By reflecting on these points, your organization can better understand and improve its DEI efforts, making them more inclusive and accessible for everyone

What are your thoughts? Have you considered survivorship bias role before?