Pre-diagnostic governance checklist for HR leaders

Is the diagnostic purpose defined in a single sentence that a participant could understand?

Has the topic scope been reviewed and approved by HR leadership?

Is there a clear boundary between what the diagnostic will and will not explore?

Has the diagnostic sponsor confirmed what decisions the findings will and will not inform?

Is there written confirmation that findings will not be used for individual performance evaluation, discipline, or termination decisions?

Will participants receive a written explanation of the diagnostic purpose before they are invited?

Does the notice clearly state that participation is voluntary?

Does the notice explain how responses will be aggregated and who will see the findings?

Does the notice describe the reporting threshold — the minimum group size below which findings are not broken out?

Is there a point of contact for participants who have questions about the diagnostic before, during, or after participation?

Has legal counsel reviewed the participant notice for compliance with applicable employment and privacy law?

What is the minimum group size for reporting findings by sub-population (role, team, level, location)?

Has the threshold been set high enough that participants in small or distinctive groups cannot be identified by inference?

Are groups below the threshold noted in the report as "below reporting threshold" rather than omitted silently?

Has the threshold been communicated to participants as part of the notice?

Is there a defined process for handling responses that suggest a situation requiring human investigation?

Who receives escalated concerns — and what is their response timeline?

Is the escalation process documented and available to the diagnostic team before launch?

Does the participant notice explain that certain situations may require the platform to flag a concern for HR review?

Is it clear that the platform routes concerns but does not investigate, resolve, or take action on them?

Who will receive the full diagnostic report, including root-cause detail and evidence?

Who will receive only the executive summary and action plan?

Are access levels configured in the platform before the diagnostic launches?

Is there a process for HR to review and approve findings before they are shared with business leaders?

Has the distribution plan been reviewed by legal counsel for diagnostics with employee-relations implications?

Is there a committed owner for each action item that the diagnostic may produce?

Is there a follow-up measurement schedule — typically 60 or 90 days after interventions — to confirm whether the response worked?

Has leadership committed to communicating what was learned and what actions were taken, even if findings are reported in aggregate?

Is there a process for participants to provide feedback on whether they felt the diagnostic was worthwhile and handled appropriately?