Why Surface-Level Metrics Are Failing Your Culture

In boardrooms across the country, the conversation around culture, inclusion, and engagement often sounds familiar:

“Our employee engagement scores are steady.”

“Turnover is below the industry benchmark.”

“Our DEI dashboard shows progress in representation.”

These metrics look good on paper. They feel like progress. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: surface-level data can create a dangerous illusion of success while deeper issues quietly erode trust, engagement, and performance from the inside out.

We’ve seen it time and time again with our clients. Organizations over-relying on high-level surveys and basic dashboards miss the signals that matter most—like leadership misalignment, psychological safety gaps, and subtle exclusionary behaviors that don’t show up in neat, quantitative reports.

In this post, we’ll unpack why surface-level metrics are failing your culture and how people-centered, mixed-method assessments can reveal your workplace’s real story—and what you can do about it.

The Problem with Surface Metrics: What You See Isn’t What You Get

Surface-level metrics—like pulse surveys, engagement scores, and turnover stats—serve a purpose. They’re fast, easy to track over time, and give executives a sense of what’s happening at scale. But they come with two critical blind spots:

1. They’re Retrospective.

These metrics tell you what happened after the fact. High turnover rates don’t explain why employees are leaving. Engagement scores rarely illuminate what’s driving or draining energy inside teams. When a surface metric raises a red flag, the root issue has often been festering for months or even years.

2. They Miss the Human Context.

Culture is deeply personal. Numbers don’t capture fear of speaking up, the exhaustion of code-switching, the experience of being passed over for stretch assignments, or the subtle signaling that says, “you don’t belong here.” These experiences shape an employee’s daily reality long before they appear in attrition or engagement data.

We often say this at The Norfus Firm: Surface data tells you what’s happening. Mixed-method assessments tell you why.  Until you understand the why, your culture strategies are blind.

Case in Point: The “High Engagement, High Turnover” Paradox

Not long ago, we worked with an organization that proudly shared its relatively high engagement survey scores with us. Leadership felt confident that they were building a thriving, inclusive culture. But there was one problem: their turnover rate—especially among mid-career professionals of color—was alarmingly high.

On paper, this didn’t make sense. High engagement and high turnover shouldn’t coexist. But once we conducted a deeper, mixed-method assessment, the story changed.

We discovered a troubling trend through confidential listening sessions and qualitative interviews: while employees enjoyed their work and valued their teams, they felt deeply disconnected from leadership. Opportunities for advancement were unclear, and development conversations were inconsistent. Employees of color described an unspoken expectation to “play along” with norms that didn’t reflect their lived experiences.

The engagement survey wasn’t wrong—it was incomplete. It captured general satisfaction with the day-to-day but missed the long-term cultural cracks undermining retention.

When we presented these findings, leadership finally saw the full picture. We then worked with them to redesign career pathways, strengthen leadership alignment, and create a culture of genuine inclusion—not just surface-level belonging.

The Risks of Relying on Shallow Data

Over-reliance on surface-level metrics isn’t just an oversight—it’s a liability. Here’s what we’ve seen firsthand:

• False Confidence: Leaders celebrate metrics that look “good enough,” missing early warning signs of disengagement or exclusion.
• Reactive Leadership: Without understanding the root causes, leaders jump to solutions that don’t address the problem.
• Hidden Inequities: Surface data often mask disparities across identity groups, and aggregate scores hide the lived experiences of employees in marginalized communities.
• Missed Opportunities for Growth: Without depth, data can’t reveal strengths to build on or untapped potential within your teams.

Start with curiosity, dig deeper than the numbers, and let the full picture guide your strategy.

So What Does Better Look Like? People-Centered, Mixed-Method Assessments

When we partner with clients, we intentionally move beyond dashboards and pulse checks. Our approach blends qualitative and quantitative insights to reveal the invisible threads shaping your culture. Here’s how:

1. Quantitative Data Sets the Stage

We start with data—because numbers matter. But we don’t stop there. We analyze representation, engagement by demographic, people policies and practices, promotion trends, and exit surveys to identify patterns and surface-level gaps. This helps us know where to look deeper.

2. Qualitative Insights Add Depth

We follow the numbers with human stories. Through confidential interviews, focus groups, and open-ended surveys, we capture employee narratives that bring nuance to the data. These insights reveal the how and why behind patterns in engagement, retention, or leadership trust.

We often uncover that what employees aren’t saying in surveys is far more revealing than what they are. Silence speaks volumes.

3. Behavioral Observation Closes the Loop

We observe workplace dynamics, leadership behaviors, and team interactions to see culture in action. How are ideas credited in meetings? Whose voices dominate conversations? Are decision-making processes inclusive and transparent? This observational layer adds critical real-time context to our findings.

4. Actionable Reporting, Not Just Data Dumps

The final step is delivering insights that leaders can actually use. Our reports include clear, prioritized recommendations—backed by both data and human experience—so you know exactly where to act.

We’ve seen time and again: When organizations receive actionable, people-centered insights, they move faster and more confidently toward meaningful change.

Real-World Insights: What We’ve Seen in Action

Over the years, we’ve helped organizations uncover hidden truths like:

• Leadership Misalignment: Senior leaders signaling support for inclusion, while middle managers unconsciously undermine efforts through biased decision-making or inconsistent communication.
• Psychological Safety Gaps: Teams outwardly perform well but privately withhold ideas or concerns due to fear of retaliation or dismissal.
• Overburdened Employee Groups: ERGs are expected to carry the weight of culture change without adequate resources or influence.
• Silent Resignation: Employees mentally check out long before they hand in a resignation letter.

None of these realities would have been visible in a standard engagement survey. But with our mixed-method approach, they surfaced, and organizations were able to act before risks escalated.

If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level metrics and get to the heart of your culture, we’re ready to help. Culture isn’t just what you measure—it’s what you understand. And what you understand is what you can change.

Schedule a consultation with The Norfus Firm today, and let’s uncover the full story of your workplace together.

1. Schedule a consultation with our team today.
2. Check out our podcast, What’s the DEIL? on Apple or YouTube

Follow Natalie Norfus on LinkedIn and Shanté Gordon on LinkedIn for more insights.