5 Sneaky Myths About Identity Data

I’ve spent the past year or so working on a personal mission to create solutions to some of our most pressing inclusion challenges by utilising rich and deep identity data. What I have envisioned is nearing the point where it can take flight – a solution that will help organisations really understand who’s in the room, who’s being left out, and what that means for organisational culture, inclusive service delivery and improved performance.

Along the way, I’ve heard a lot of well-intended myths being perpetuated about identity data. Here are five that come up most often:

1. “People won’t respond if we ask about identity.”➤ This is mostly rooted in truth and is the experience of many businesses and organisations, however individuals will respond — if they trust you and the questions feel relevant and respectful, they need to feel safe to respond without fear of judgement or reprisal.

2. “We already have that data.”➤ Maybe. But most of what’s collected is admin-level stuff for compliance, not stuff which is relevant to an individuals’ lived experience. The data collected is usually siloed, kept in a dusty filing cabinet and rarely used to develop insight and drive change.

3. “This is an HR thing.”➤ Nope. Identity data not only affects traditional ‘HR’ activities which affect internal staff – things like recruitment, wellbeing and compliance with the Equalities Act, it also strongly links to organisational culture which in turn affects talent retention, staff engagement and productivity. And when we use identity data to understand our stakeholders, clients and customers we unlock the ability to drive product innovation, marketing, operations and a whole host of other activities that keep the wheels turning — it’s a whole-organisation conversation.

4. “Protected characteristics = identity.”➤ That’s the legal floor. But real inclusion happens beyond the tick-box basics. Identity needs to be reimagined. We need to understand uniqueness and intersectionality, and use identity data to create inclusive workplace cultures, products, services and communities.

5. “If people wanted us to know, they’d tell us.”➤ Only if they feel it’s worth the risk. That’s not about the data — it’s about your culture. It can be really scary to share deep insights about our identity with organisations we don’t feel always have our best interests at heart – even if they are meant to. And that is on you.

If you're trying to build trust, shift culture, or even just understand what your employee survey or customer feedback isn't telling you... start here.