Going beyond wishful thinking: How Pleo uses data to drive diversity 

In the corporate world, diversity initiatives often resemble New Year’s resolutions – well-intended declarations that fade as the year goes on. As a female, queer, person of colour leading data teams, I’ve seen first-hand how this can lead to organisations becoming trapped in a cycle of performative diversity efforts that generate more headlines than impact.  

To change this, there is one resource (often untapped) leaders can turn to, to fuel their own diversity efforts, maintain momentum and have a profound impact on their business – data. 

How data can drive diversity 

Today’s companies won’t be strangers to the importance of data. Almost 20 years ago, it was coined the “new oil” by British mathematician Clive Humby. Today, many leaders are realising it’s much more valuable than that. 

At Pleo, we recognise this which is why data is a living, breathing part of our operations. But, while data is typically reserved to drive productivity and performance, we use it to drive diversity. That’s because – in the same way it turbocharges performance – data can be a similar treasure trove of insights capable of identifying opportunities and challenges when it comes to diversity, and tracking progress over time. 

Pleo’s integration of diversity metrics into our business operations has yielded remarkable results beyond just improved representation. Teams with higher inclusion scores show greater innovation output, complete projects on time more frequently and demonstrate significantly better employee retention. Our diverse product teams consistently deliver features that resonate with a broader customer base, directly impacting our bottom line. 

Diversity is not a nice-to-have or “woke”. Nor is it something standalone from business goals – instead it is a responsibility that just so happens to have the potential to accelerate performance and results. Below, I share the key findings from our own diversity data journey – and explain how it’s been integral to our business success. 

The key learnings from Pleo’s data journey 

Gender representation 

When our belonging survey revealed that women represented 45% of our workforce but only 20-28% of leadership positions, we didn’t just note the discrepancy – we acted. Working with Diversio, we surveyed 846 Pleo’ers to create a robust data foundation to help us implement structured sponsorship programmes pairing women with executive mentors and designing our promotion criteria to eliminate subtle biases. Six months later, we’d increased women in leadership by 7% and created a pipeline that promises further progress. 

LGBTQIA+ representation 

Our belonging survey also uncovered that our LGBTQIA+ community – representing approximately 10% of our workforce – scored significantly lower on inclusion metrics (63%) compared to the company average (72%). Instead of generic inclusion initiatives, we launched targeted interventions: increased pronoun awareness and training, revised company communications for inclusive language and by empowering our LGBTQIA+ community group with executive sponsorship. Within one quarter, inclusion scores among LGBTQIA+ employees jumped 11 points – proof that targeted, data-driven interventions work. 

Experience differentials 

Perhaps most revealing was our discovery of “experience differentials” – the gap in lived experience between different groups. Our survey measured five critical dimensions of inclusion: inclusive culture, fair management, career development, workplace flexibility and workplace safety. When we found that 72% of employees in the dominant group felt they received fair feedback, compared to just 48% of women with disabilities, we started overhauling our feedback systems. We introduced more structured feedback templates and created alternative feedback channels. Today, that gap has narrowed to just 8 points, with satisfaction rates improving across all groups. 

Putting the data (and ourselves) to work 

By making data the backbone of Pleo’s diversity strategy, we’ve turned a “challenge” into an opportunity. Rather than relying on intuition or industry trends, we’ve built a culture where belonging is measured, analysed, and continuously improved – just like our financial or performance metrics. 

Crucial to this approach has been holding ourselves to account and ensuring data translates to action. For instance, the data showed us that underrepresented racial and ethnic groups comprised only 15% of our workforce compared to the industry benchmark of 43%. This represented a hiring problem, and one we weren’t prepared to hand off to recruiters. To fix it, we redesigned our hiring processes by diversifying interview panels, partnering with specialised talent networks and establishing a hiring calibration process. The result has been a 40% increase in racial and ethnic diversity among new hires without compromising on our high standards for talent. 

Similarly, despite implementing a flexible work policy designed to support caregivers – approximately 20% of our workforce – our data told us it primarily benefited men in senior roles. We quickly adjusted the policy, adding specific support for primary caregivers, and providing support to team members with care responsibilities. Today, our workplace flexibility score ranks above fintech industry benchmarks (78% vs 74%). 

A successful approach demands measurement. Which is why we’ve compiled 32 internal information packs grouped by division and competency. In addition to these, each department receives a customised diversity dashboard every quarter – with the metrics directly tied to leadership performance evaluations. Crucially though, when a team does fall short of its diversity and belonging targets at Pleo, it receives immediate support rather than criticism. This looks like specialised training, resources and cross-functional working groups to implement solutions. It’s a journey we take together. 

The power of relentless measurement 

Because they are woven into our operational fabric, data insights have transformed Pleo into a workplace where diversity thrives. But crucially, our belonging initiatives aren’t separate from our business strategy – they are integral to how we operate, innovate and grow. 

For organisations looking to truly advance diversity, the message is clear: start with data, act with precision and measure relentlessly. At Pleo, we’ve proven that when you bring the rigour of data analysis to diversity efforts, you create more than just an inclusive workplace – you build a stronger, more adaptive and ultimately successful business.