"What gets measured gets managed." So goes the famous quote attributed to Peter Drucker, the man acknowledged as the inventor of modern business management. But when it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion, many companies just don't seem to measure. A recent report from Mercer showed that while 81% of surveyed organizations said they were focused on improving DEI, only 42% reported having a multi-year, documented strategy to make it happen. These failings are not lost on shareholders, who often take it upon themselves to advocate for DEI initiatives, according to Mercer.

"Companies disclose anecdotal stories of happy employees, but are hesitant to publish diversity and inclusion metrics," said Meredith Benton, workplace equity initiative manager for shareholder advocacy nonprofit As You Sow. "That's not how investors work; with material issues, we want to see data — the numbers."

In an effort to provide companies with a clear picture of racial justice policies and workplace equity disclosures, As You Sow has released two scorecards rating the 250 largest companies in the S&P on these issues. The nonprofit hopes to identify best practices and encourage corporate leadership to take more active steps to improve DEI.