2025 Transparency Report
From Commitment to Renewal
2025 marked the end of Instrument’s five-year inclusion commitments, established in 2020. We made those commitments publicly five years ago because we believed inclusion had to be built into how we operate, not treated as a symbolic gesture. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re equally committed to being honest about where we still have work to do.
This annual transparency report shares our representation data, benchmarks, and the outcomes from last year (2025). As we look ahead to 2026–2030, we’re bringing greater clarity and focus to this work, building on what we’ve learned over the past five years and shaping an approach to people and culture that’s built to last.
Below is a high-level look at this year’s data, with the full report available if you’d like to dig in.
*Please note that all percentage points have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
2025 Benchmarks & Outcomes
Benchmarks
Outcomes
Equity & Inclusion Favorability
Employee sentiment on equity and inclusion improved in 2025. A lot of that came down to how it felt to work here day-to-day.
- Greater flexibility through our hybrid model
- More consistent and visible executive communication
- Continued investment in wellbeing (UPTO, four-day office closures, stipends)
- Expanded leadership councils
- Increased transparency around the business
BIPOC Representation
In 2025, BIPOC representation increased within leadership and dipped slightly across the company overall. Representation matters to us, because diverse perspectives make the work stronger.
Shifts like this can be influenced by hiring patterns, promotion timing, attrition, and broader market dynamics. We’re taking a close look at what shaped this year’s movement so we can make thoughtful adjustments in how we hire, develop, and grow our teams.
Gender Representation
Instrument continues to be a predominantly women-led organization, with an all-women C-suite. About 57% of our leaders identify as women, and women make up 61% of our overall workforce. We’re proud to sustain strong gender representation across the organization—and we see it as an important part of building a workplace where leadership is visible, inclusive, and shared.
Pay Equity
Pay equity remains aligned with both industry benchmarks and our internal standards. The numbers indicate that our compensation framework is working as intended.
We also measure promotion velocity to support equitable career development. In 2025, promotion timing remained consistent across the organization, with the longest interval between advancements being eight months (within our 6–12 month target range).
However, we continue to see a 9.7% salary variance for Black or African American employees in leadership, consistent with 2024. Promotion timing, attrition, and a small leadership sample all shape this number, but the reality is that overall representation and tenure within leadership are where we need to focus.
Looking ahead
The completion of our original five-year commitment does not mark an endpoint, it marks integration. This work must evolve alongside the business. As we refine our operating model, restructure teams, and scale toward our long-term vision, equity cannot sit adjacent to those decisions. It must be embedded within them.
That means:
- Designing team structures with clarity around opportunity and accountability
- Ensuring compensation frameworks remain consistent and transparent
- Integrating clarity into performance expectations and leadership standards
- Continuing to refine hybrid policies that support both well-being and high performance
- Listening deeply and adjusting when the data tells us to
We believe doing great work and being great to work with are inseparable. When people feel respected and supported, they do their best work, and our clients feel that impact.
The next chapter of our people and culture strategy (2026–2030) will focus on durability and measurable impact. We are building systems that scale with us, systems that are measurable, practical, and built to last. Designing policies that are good for both people and the business has always been the objective. This work is not an initiative separate from the business; it is part of how we operate. And we will continue to hold ourselves accountable through performance, retention, and trust.
