FAQ

WE ELEVATE INCLUSION

We are both a resource and an advocate for diversity and inclusion. NDC Index is a measurement of organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion among companies in the U.S.

Questions?

Click on the links below to learn more about each aspect of our survey process.

b

Register

Only the survey coordinator should register. Returning participants must register every year to be included in the current index’s mailing list.

l

Filling out the Survey

Each company receives a unique survey link, which they can use to access the survey from October 1st to March 1st.

~

Confidentiality

We do not publish, give, sell or transfer contact information. We do not publish company-identifying demographics.

m

Content

As a rating, the NDC Index evaluates the extent to which companies apply best practices in their D&I strategy.

Methodology

Companies receive an overall score out of 100 points and assessment area scores to benchmark their progress.

Results

All participating companies receive the complimentary NDC Index Report. Their names, logos, and scores are published.

Registration

 

How do I register for the NDC Index?

To register for the survey click here.

You will be redirected to our survey registration form. Please ensure that only one representative registers to participate in the NDC Index as only one registration per company is accepted. The person that registers should be responsible for completing and submitting the survey responses.

When will I receive my survey link? / i haven't received my link, what now?

If you meet the criteria to participate in the NDC Index, please allow up to one week to receive your unique survey link after you register. If it has been more than a week, please check your spam folder. Please note that survey links are only sent between October 1st and February 1st.

For additional support with receiving your link, please contact us at [email protected].

I am a returning participant, can I use my 2022 survey link to participate in the 2023 NDC Index?

The 2023 NDC Index questionnaire will be revised and updated. Companies will be unable to submit updates to a previously submitted survey. All companies are asked to register to receive their unique link to a new blank survey form. 

Who in my organization should register?

To avoid duplication and errors, we only accept one registration per company. For this reason, we recommend that the survey coordinator register. This person should also be able to serve as the point of contact between your company and the NDC Index team.

We suggest that this person be someone with access to employee data and be familiar with diversity practices conducted at the organization.

Do we need to be a partner with the National Diversity Council to register?

No. The NDC Index is available to all companies that desire to participate and that match our participation criteria. Due to the large volume of registrations, we are no longer able to make exceptions for companies that do not meet these criteria.

Is there a cost associated with the NDC index

There is no cost associated with participating in the NDC Index. There is also no cost associated with receiving the free report, which includes your company scorecard with the overall results and the analytical sections that assesses your company’s performance in each of the key areas measured by the NDC Index.

My company has 499 (or less) U.S. employees. Can I still participate in the NDC Index?

Due to the large volume of registrations, we are no longer able to make exceptions for companies that do not meet the participation criteria. Abiding by the participant criteria is critical to maintaining integrity in our data analysis and reporting.

My company is a higher-education institution. Can I still participate in the NDC Index?

The survey was designed for companies with a corporate managerial structure, hence higher-education institutions may not find the NDC Index useful to developing their D&I strategy. We understand that there are exceptions to this rule, however, we are unable to make case-by-case assessments due to the large number of registrations.

I am in a company that is headquartered outside of the United States, can I still participate?

Yes, all data submitted must represent companies located in the United States.

I am in a company that has a national division, but has regional (or other kinds of) offices. Can I participate on my own or must participation be through headquarters?

The best diversity and inclusion strategies come from the top, with a robust CEO engagement. Thus, we prefer that the survey responses come from headquarters to help them develop a comprehensive strategy. Some companies have different regional branches with their own diversity and inclusion offices and strategies. In these cases, it may also be useful to do a survey per diversity office, but we encourage these companies to consolidate their efforts in the future.

filling out THE Survey

 

What if I have problems filling out the NDC Index survey?

Stop what you are doing and contact us. The NDC Index team is available during business hours to answer any questions and help you troubleshoot. The survey allows for re-entry and the ability to stop and re-engage as many times as desired. Final submission only occurs when the participant clicks submit. Incomplete submissions are not scored.

If you receive error messages in red upon clicking the submit button, some answers were left blank. You must answer these questions. There are no exceptions.

How much time and effort does it take to complete the survey?

It depends. For companies that have experience compiling data to participate in diversity assessments, it may take the survey coordinator as little as 3-4 hours to enter the answers. Much of the time and effort is spent on identifying the individuals who keep the data and compiling it. Most of the questions are formatted as yes/no, check all that apply, and numerical inputs. There are limited comment boxes. To facilitate return participants, we also allow companies to use the same survey link from previous years to edit and update their answers.

Do I need to have specific operating software to fill out the survey?

No, the NDC Index is operated through a web-platform, making it accessible online. It does not require specific operating software. However, while you are filling out the survey do not clear your cache and cookies before clicking save. Your answers are always saved locally first. When you click save, this data is stored on the survey platform, making it accessible after you close your browser tab.

Who should complete the NDC Index survey?

The person that registers for the survey should complete it. This entails coordination with other individuals who may have access to the data requested in the NDC Index. Sometimes, the survey coordinator may share the link to facilitate data entry. To avoid saving errors, however, only one person should access the survey link at a time.

Confidentiality

 

How is my data protected?

 We have contracted with KeySurvey to store your data. All data your company provides will be stored on KeySurvey’s platform at www.keysurvey.com. Data are exported in aggregate form to analyze through Microsoft PowerBi and create custom reporting. Read more about Microsoft PowerBI’s world-leading security features here. Members of the NDC Index team that have access to this data are obligated to sign an NDA.

What is the confidentiality agreement?

We agree to never publish, give, sell, or transfer any company data. Access to company data is limited to NDC Index staff. NDC Index staff members are required to sign Non-Disclosure Agreement. The contact information requested is used only internally and for survey management purposes. We do not disclose specific demographic data submitted in the Workforce Profile section unless the data are, at the time of submission, in the public domain or unless we have your company’s written consent. Identifiable information that may be disclosed in online and in-print reporting is limited to your company’s NDC Index results, including overall and assessment area scores. Non-identifiable data connected to the survey results may be used in aggregate analysis reports.

Can I maintain my scores confidential?

The NDC Index publishes all company scores as part of our commitment to externally encourage companies to make progress on their D&I strategy. Starting in 2022, the NDC Index will waive publication of scores for first-time participants that receive a score below 70. Regardless of score, all companies that participate in the NDC Index will be listed as Participating Companies with their company logo.

The NDC Index also honors companies that receive 90 points and more as NDC Index Best U.S. Companies for Diversity.

Does the NDC Index team sign an NDA?

Yes. All members of the NDC Index team, which includes those that have access to the NDC Index survey results and company data, sign an NDA.

Do companies that receive the NDC Index report sign an NDA?

No. The NDC Index Report does not contain any company-identifiable data and there is no need for participating companies to sign an NDA.

What kind of information is provided on the complimentary NDC Index Report?

The NDC Index uses five assessment areas to rate your performance on diversity and inclusion. 

CEO Engagement: the extent to which your Chief Executive Officer is a champion of diversity and inclusion and your D&I efforts are integrated across your organization. 

Policies, Benefits, and Initiatives: the practices and strategies in support of diversity and inclusion across your organization.

Supplier Diversity: the extent to which your company is using its supplier diversity program to its full potential to meet D&I goals.

Corporate Outreach: the extent to which your company utilizes the full potential of employees, consumers, and experts as resources to meet D&I goals.

Corporate Social Responsibility: the extent to which your company provides for the social and economic wellbeing of the diverse community it serves.

Content 

How is the NDC Index different from other diversity assessments?

The NDC Index is the only comprehensive diversity assessment of its kind. It rates companies on their D&I strategy, giving them a score according to best practices to use in measuring their progress and to benchmark against other participating companies. 

What does the NDC Index assess?

We score specific questions under the following categories, which align with nationally recognized diversity best practices:

CEO Engagement: the extent to which your Chief Executive Officer is a champion of diversity and inclusion and your D&I efforts are integrated across your organization. 

Policies, Benefits, and Initiatives: the practices and strategies in support of diversity and inclusion across your organization.

Supplier Diversity: the extent to which your company is using its supplier diversity program to its full potential to meet D&I goals.

Corporate Outreach: the extent to which your company utilizes the full potential of employees, consumers, and experts as resources to meet D&I goals.

 

Corporate Social Responsibility: the extent to which your company provides for the social and economic wellbeing of the diverse community it serves.

 

What kinds of questions are there on the NDC Index? / How many questions do you ask?

The NDC Index has over 200 questions, at least one-third of which consist of workforce demographics. The remaining questions are formatted as yes/no, check all that apply, and numerical inputs. There are limited comment boxes, most of which are optional.

Can we Skip questions?

In order to participate in the NDC Index, companies must provide answers to all the survey questions. To ensure that you have a streamlined survey experience, the NDC Index survey adapts to your answers, revealing only questions that are relevant to your company.

Methodology

 

How do you attribute scores?

Scores are attributed based on the participants’ answers to the five assessment areas. The scoring method was developed by the NDC Index Team through years of academic and professional research on diversity best practices. Not all questions receive the same points. We place more weight on some best practices than others—especially if these are foundational and fundamental to D&I strategies.

Do you break down data in terms of parameters, such as company size or industry?

We are happy to provide specific data breakdowns through one of our customized benchmarking reports. We do not break down data in terms of these parameters in our complimentary NDC Index Report. All participants are compared to the companies that received the best score in each assessment area. For a deeper look, we provide a range of the company sizes that received these scores.

How do you confirm the validity or legitimacy of the survey answers you receive?

Scores are determined based on the information organizations provide in response to the NDC Index questions. Before submitting, all participants are asked to certify that all information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge. The NDC assumes no liability for the information provided and does not warrant the accuracy thereof.

How do you ensure the scores you provide are accurate?

Due to the large volume of participants, we have automated the scoring process to eliminate human error. Before publishing the scores, we manually verify a representative random sample of scores to ensure the accuracy of these calculations.

Results

 

I received a score of 90 (or more) on the NDC Index, what now?

Congratulations! Your company will be featured in our NDC Index Best U.S. Companies for Diversity. You will also receive a copy with high-quality logo to publish on your website, because we want others to recognize your brand as a champion of diversity!

Do we need to be a partner with the National Diversity Council to make the NDC Index Best U.S. Companies for Diversity list?

No. You do not need to be a partner or donate to the National Diversity Council to make the NDC Index Best U.S. Companies for Diversity list. To make the list, you must receive a score of 90 or above on the NDC Index. Scores are empirically and objectively determined based on the information companies provide in response to the NDC Index questions.

When will the results be announced?

NDC Index results are announced by mid-April of each year, after participating companies have received a confirmation of their scores. Participating companies can expect to receive their complimentary NDC Index Report by June 1st.

What is included in the complimentary NDC Index Report?

The NDC Index Report includes an executive summary, your one-page scorecard, which details the points your company received per question scored, and five pages of comparative analysis, which compares your company’s performance to that of participating companies. Each page of analysis corresponds to one assessment area.

How are the scores published?

Name, score, and logo of all participating companies are published on the NDC Index website, social media, and e-mail announcements in addition to National Diversity Council affiliated websites. The name and score of participating companies may also be published on NDC Index benchmarking reports, press releases, and other NDC Index and National Diversity Council online and in-print reporting. Through these venues, companies with a score of 90 or above will be honored as the NDC Index Best U.S. Companies for Diversity.

First time participants that receive a score of less than 70 will not have their scores published but will still be listed as a participating company with their company logo.

    Other than the NDC Index Report, do you offer additional benchmarking services?

    Yes! We offer a number of benchmarking reports, which breakdown data thematically and by industry. Our benchmarking reports are completely customized to provide you with a more in-depth understanding of your results and a more strategic and time-effective approach to your D&I work. For additional information and pricing of our benchmarking reports, please contact us at [email protected].