Your Inclusion Scores Look Fine. Your Data Doesn't.

70 % of employees who score low on inclusion also report low intent to stay. That's not a feeling. That's from Ennova's 2025 benchmark data, covering employees across more than 100 countries.

And yet, in most organizations, inclusion still sits on the side of the HR agenda, measured occasionally, acted on rarely.

This article looks at what engagement data actually shows about the link between inclusion and retention, why inclusion gaps are so often missed, and what HR teams can do when they spot them.

From Inclusion Data to Action

Many organizations measure inclusion. Few turn insights into real change.

See How It Works in Practice

Go to:

• What Aggregate Scores Hide
• Inclusion as a Retention Lever
• The Business Case: What Exclusion Actually Costs
• Build an Inclusion-Driven Retention Strategy
• One Thing to Act on This Week
• Inclusion Drives Retention. Here's How to Make It Work
  
  

What Aggregate Scores Hide

Your overall engagement scores might look strong. But if turnover is rising in specific teams, or certain groups are quietly disengaging, you're likely missing something important.

Without segmenting your engagement data, you miss the warning signs hiding in plain sight. Adding the right questions to your engagement survey gives you the ability to surface those signs, including those from employees who identify as belonging to a minority group.

Ennova's latest benchmark data shows a consistent pattern: while overall Satisfaction & Motivation scores may look strong, minority groups, especially those identifying with mental health challenges,  score up to 7 index points lower than their non-minority peers.

On inclusion-specific questions, such as 'I feel safe and able to share my views and opinions', the gaps are even larger. This pattern appears across high-scoring teams and applies to LGBTQ+ employees, neurodivergent staff, and women in male-dominated functions alike.

These gaps rarely appear in top-line scores. But they show up in behavior: disengagement, internal withdrawal, and quiet resignations.

Bottom line? Inclusion gaps create fragile engagement. And fragile engagement breaks under pressure.

Inclusion as a Retention Lever

Inclusion ranks among the top five engagement drivers across Ennova's benchmark industries. In many organizations, it outranks cooperation, pay, and learning opportunities.

And when it drops, retention follows. Ennova data shows that among employees who score low on inclusion, 70% also report low intent to stay.

Retention starts with belonging.

Among employees scoring low on inclusion (18% of total), 70% also report low intent to stay. “Others” reflects the remaining 82% of employees, with significantly lower risk. Comparison based on Ennova 2025 data.

High-inclusion cultures outperform on retention and internal mobility. That means fewer departures and more growth from within.

In short: belonging is not a perk. It's a productivity driver.

How to Use Inclusion and Engagement Data in Practice

1. Identify gaps in engagement across groups. Segment your survey results by gender, tenure, role, and minority group status. Aggregate scores will almost always look healthier than the subgroup reality.
2. Link inclusion data to retention metrics. Compare inclusion sentiment scores against exit data, transfer requests, and stay interview feedback. Look for patterns, not outliers.
3. Combine survey data with qualitative feedback. Numbers show where the gaps are. Conversations explain why. Both are needed before you design an intervention.
4. Prioritize actions based on impact. Not every gap requires the same response. Focus first on groups where low inclusion scores are combined with low intent to stay, that's your highest-risk segment.
   
   

The Business Case: What Exclusion Actually Costs

Replacing a single employee can cost between 1.5 and 2 times their annual salary. And when those employees belong to minority groups, the cost often includes lost innovation, reduced team morale, and damage to your brand.

But here’s the kicker: Many of these employees don’t raise red flags before they leave. They don’t file complaints. They don’t make noise. They just disappear quietly.

That’s what makes exclusion so expensive. It hides in silence until the resignation lands on your desk, unless you proactively surface it through your survey data. Inclusion metrics belong in your engagement strategy, not as an add-on, but as a risk prevention tool.

Build an Inclusion-Driven Retention Strategy

You can talk about inclusion, or you can measure it.

With the right questions in your engagement survey, you gain insights into how different employee groups experience inclusion. At Ennova, we help clients create DE&I reports that uncover gender gaps, track sentiment among minority groups, and map demographic representation across teams.

Here’s how to make inclusion actionable:

• Segment your data by gender, tenure, role, and other relevant subgroups. Aggregate scores will always look healthier than the subgroup reality.
• Track stay interviews and compare with inclusion sentiment scores. Patterns across both sources give you earlier warning than exit data alone.
• Add inclusion metrics to leadership KPIs. When leaders are accountable for inclusion scores and not just overall engagement, the conversation changes.
• Build an inclusion status report. A regular snapshot of where gaps exist and where progress is being made creates visibility and momentum.
  
  

Ennova also supports exit pattern analysis to uncover whether lack of inclusion is quietly driving turnover.

Learn more about our DE&I Expertise and Employee Engagement Survey.

When inclusion becomes a structural part of your retention strategy, you're not just building a fairer workplace. You're securing your talent pipeline.

One Thing to Act on This Week

Still not sure if inclusion drives retention? Here’s the bottom line. 
If inclusion isn’t part of your retention strategy, your best people may already be halfway out the door.

Inclusion Drives Retention. Here's How to Make It Work

Inclusion doesn't just make people feel good. It makes them stay.

In a labour market where skilled employees have options, that's a competitive advantage worth measuring.

If inclusion isn't part of your retention strategy, your best people may already be looking elsewhere.