Next Steps for Companies That Pledged to Do Better on Diversity

In June, spurred by worldwide anti-racism ­protests, companies pledged to do better on racial equality. Two months later, after making internal and public declarations about their commitments, some leaders may be wondering how to handle the next steps.

It starts with gathering data, say experts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Ruchika Tulshyan, founder and chief executive officer of consulting company Candour in Seattle and author of The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality in the Workplace, suggests an internal audit. How many people of color does your organization employ, and how senior are they? Have you measured employee engagement levels by race or gender? Do you have performance reviews to indicate how fair and inclusive managers are?