Case study brief: Accessible self-assessment DEI tool for Onvero members
Onvero, previously known as the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is a not-for-profit organisation helping employers to build and maintain diverse teams and inclusive cultures through membership, training, and consultancy services.
HeX has previously supported Onvero with a new accessible website and creative design work for their annual awards. Following these successful projects, we partnered again to deliver a new challenge. This time, developing an enhanced benchmarking self-assessment tool, TIDE, to help organisations embed and sustain an inclusive workplace culture.
Building an advanced system solution made this case study stand out
Being experts in accessible web development, our team undertook a new approach to this project. Unlike a standard website build, this project required an advanced system solution with complex functionality.
Working to a tight timeframe, we created a robust foundation using WordPress’ Formidable Forms plugin, combined with advanced custom fields and templates, all powered by PHP coding. Development was carried out to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards, ensuring every organisation could access and use the benchmarking tool effectively.
As we had a fantastic existing relationship with HeX on the relaunch of our main site, we were delighted when they wanted to pitch for this work. Their experienced and friendly team make working together both productive and fun, they feel like an extension of our own team.
Natalie Jones: Onvero Service Manager
Accessible design and web development action
- System design and development
- Interactive data visualisation creation
- Built against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards
- Delivery of Content Editor Training
- Project management and accessibility consultancy
The need for the Talent, Inclusion & Diversity Evaluation (TIDE) project
TIDE has long helped organisations measure their approach to diversity and inclusion, providing a clear framework for growth. However, it required a modern refresh to:
- Keep pace with evolving DEI practices.
- Provide a more accessible and user-friendly platform.
- Enable flexible reporting to support organisations at different stages of their inclusion journey.
Delivering efficient project consultancy
With the build requiring a quick turnaround, beginning in May and launch scheduled for October, efficient project management was essential.
We ran in-person workshops with the Onvero team to refine goals, scoring metrics, and user needs. Weekly virtual meetings also allowed us to share progress, gather feedback, and refine the solution iteratively – ensuring delivery remained on track and aligned to Onvero’s vision.
I was very impressed with the project management and coordination to deliver the new TIDE product in our desired timeline. The weekly catch ups, project plan and use of Zoho made it easy to keep track of the project, raise any issues and get them resolved promptly.
Natalie Jones: Onvero Service Manager
Designing the advanced system interface
As WordPress accommodates the use of multiple sites within a single installation, we built the system within the same Content Management System (CMS) as Onvero’s main website. This feature allows site editors to have the ability to swiftly maintain both sites within one dashboard.
Being within the same CMS, our developers could utilise a similar templated design to the main site, with Onvero’s branding being integrated system-wide. This presented users with the same aesthetics and functionality as the website, allowing members to seamlessly flow through both platforms.
TIDE measures an organisation’s approach and progress on diversity and inclusion practices across 10 areas. One of Onvero’s main project objectives was to create a more inclusive and adaptable questionnaire to cater to organisations of all sizes and stages in their inclusion journey.
To aid with this, and to not overwhelm users, we:
- Stripped away the complexity of the form’s interface.
- Designed a user-friendly entry system, breaking down questions into bite-sized sections.
- Enabled users to save their progress throughout each of the categories.
- Presented explanatory notes within each section. These gave clarity to empower users with the confidence needed to complete all required form fields.
Behind the scenes of the benchmarking solution
The HeX team set to work migrating over 400 Onvero members into the new system, creating an advanced script to pull out specific TIDE users to export into Excel. This bespoke code has been expertly crafted to save the data from any members which may leave in the future, but store their report history if visitors return at a later date.
To lessen the need for site managers to get involved during the TIDE submission process, we developed a self-serve system. This included advanced features such as:
- A stripped backend editor, to enable administrators to easily gain access to data and simplistically update content.
- A detailed and unique scoring system, built with Formidable Forms. This instantaneously publishes completed data on the front end to provide feedback results to users.
- Combined advanced custom fields, which use a taxonomy to group and organise post items. Taxonomies power the end result, extracting granular data to form individual organisation’s inclusion reports, pulling through performance comparisons against specific sectors, industries, company sizes, and turnover.
- Automated items, such as email reminders and notifications.
With the system being hosted on a cloud server, which our team can increase or decrease the size of on demand.
Crafting the TIDE Report
Once members complete the questionnaire, the advanced system generates a detailed and engaging breakdown of results instantly for the user.
To do so, we used Hypertext PreProcessor (PHP) language to add in coordinates to advanced custom fields and post types. Our expert developers could then manipulate the data to present the coordinates within scalable vector graphics (SVGs). These interactive visualisation charts display valuable insights into an organisation’s performance. This allowed users to see their overall performance and benchmark, alongside the average rank compared to different sectors, industries, and against all organisations completing TIDE.
Along with the data visualisations, users were presented with their three highest and lowest performing sections within the report. Also giving users useful supportive links to Onvero’s resources to help them to address any areas where they may need to improve upon. Members also have the option to download their results via a PDF if they so wish.
To enable users to continuously monitor and improve their EDI performance, an application period of 8 months was integrated. This means that organisations have the ability to resubmit their results multiple times across this timespan, to be used as a useful comparison tool across industries and sectors.
Upskilling the Onvero team with content editor training
Once the platform was ready for launch, we delivered a blended training session in London and online. This gave us the opportunity to:
- Showcase the advanced features of their new platform.
- Provide clear walkthroughs on site administration for editors.
- Showcase with live demonstrations how to best utilise the system.
- Give the team time to ask any questions.
In turn, empowering Onvero to have the confidence and skills needed upon project completion to update and monitor the platform.
The team at Hex are wonderful to work with. They are a lovely team, who are warm, friendly and really engaged in delivering results to support your organisation. They take time and care to understand your needs.
Natalie Jones: Onvero Service Manager
The impact and result of creating an accessible benchmarking tool
Onvero’s new inclusive, flexible, and adaptable self-assessment tool has been vastly enhanced. This has been not only in making the online experience more intuitive and user-friendly, but also by providing valuable insights across the entire employee lifecycle.
“HeX delivered a fully accessible and streamlined platform that enabled both our members and colleagues to navigate the system with ease”
Combining the main Onvero website with TIDE’s subsite, has streamlined the service. Enabling a single-sign on for members and the need for less servers. For the Onvero team themselves, the new site has enabled them to easily gain access to an array of extensive data, along with the automated reports and a tailored self-serve system which lessens the administrative burden for site managers.
We continue to support Onvero with website maintenance, keeping their website and TIDE platform up to date, secure, and accessible. We look forward to working together with future development work.
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