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Read.Watch.Listen. Importance of Data Collection in DEI Efforts

SE3 Committee

January 2025 Issue

A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.


Welcome to the first 2025 installment of Read.Watch.Listen. This year, we plan to spend time reflecting on the path of DEI and the SE3 Read.Watch.Listen. We will look back on where we were when this blog started, discuss the impactful progress that has been made, and look ahead to goals for the future. 


In order to help understand our progress, we will rely on data collection by NCSEA and others. The NCSEA SE3 survey has been a crucial effort in understanding our industry. The core mission of the SE3 Committee is to retain the best and brightest in our profession and to ensure ALL structural engineers have a clear pathway to success. The SE3 survey is an ongoing effort to identify trends, understand the underlying factors, and initiate industry-wide conversations. The SE3 committee plans to release the next version of this survey in 2025 to ensure that the industry has current data. NCSEA is also collecting individual and firm responses for the inaugural Compensation and Benefits survey. In addition to compensation and benefits information, this survey collects demographic and engagement data, which will help our industry better understand the industry as a whole. Outside of NCSEA, Zweig Group surveys thousands of AEC industry professionals to compile a comprehensive collection of industry research, and the ACEC Research Institute has recently released its first-ever Diversity Roadmap


Since data review will be an important component of this year’s Read.Watch.Listen, the resources in the January issue highlight the importance of good data collection. Engineers love data, and DEI-focused data helps us understand our successes and where we need to continue this work.


Image by storyset on Freepik


Read.Watch.Listen is a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation. Missed the previous issue? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page.


Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.

 

Why DEI data collection drives successful business strategies – Mercer


“If you want to drive your organisation towards an inclusive culture, you first need a clear understanding of your current baseline. This requires the collection and assessment of workforce data in order to identify priority issues from a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) perspective.” This article discusses the importance of DEI data collection, the benefits of DEI data collection to companies, the pitfalls of DEI data collection, and how to start collecting diversity data.


Estimated Read Time - 4 minutes


 

Common DEI Data Myths - Moving Beyond


Aparna Rae, founder of Moving Beyond - a Seattle based management consulting firm, explores some common myths around collecting DEI data in this video.  The myths include: (1) small organizations don’t need data, (2) you don’t need to collect demographic data, and (3) it’s not important to use quantitative methods in data collection. After she explores each myth and the reasoning behind it, she  includes best practices for moving beyond the myth and correcting the practice to gather the best data to move forward with.


Originally aired Aug 11, 2023; 00:08:14


 

Ground Your DEI Efforts in Data - Women at Work Podcast


In this episode of Women at Work, DEI strategist and consultant, Lily Zheng dives into why data is so important when it comes to DEI strategies, resources, and programs within companies. Lily and the podcast hosts discuss the emerging trend of companies distancing themselves from their DEI initiatives, often labeling them as "evil." She counters this misconception, explaining that, if companies were more focused on data collection, they would clearly see the positive impact DEI has made. Tune in to learn more about this and other DEI-related topics.


Originally posted August 12, 2024; 00:44:01


 

This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter. For more information, check out NCSEA's DEI Resources.

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