Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is still an issue at the top of the agenda for many HealthTech companies, as data has shown that diverse workforces lead to better innovation, reputation, and patient outcomes.
However many organizations have struggled with making their EDI policies practical rather than performative. Getting EDI right is more than a box ticking exercise and requires representation, accountability and policies implemented at every level throughout an organization, rather than just at the hiring stage.
Below, you’ll find the latest benchmarks, actionable metrics, and practical hiring strategies that our HealthTech recruitment consultants have identified are shaping HealthTech recruitment in 2025.
Snapshot: Where EDI Stands in HealthTech Now
The HealthTech sector has made clear gains in representation over the past few years, but the picture is still mixed, especially at senior and leadership positions.
While there are more women, ethnic minority, LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent professionals present in the workforce compared to 2024, most companies in the healthtech space are still in the early stages of embedding equity, diversity and inclusion beyond surface-level policies and basic hiring quotas.
Senior leaders are talking about EDI more than ever, but translating that intent into measurable change and diverse faces in leadership positions remains a challenge particularly when top down accountability structures and career progression pathways aren’t fully in place.
Representation & Progress:
- The average HealthTech company’s workforce in 2025 is 38% women (up 2% vs. 2024), 26% from ethnic minority backgrounds, and 17% who identify as LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent.
- 64% of health execs and 75% of life sciences leaders now say closing equity gaps is a priority this year.
- Just 10% of firms report “fully integrated” EDI strategies; most are still working to embed inclusive practices beyond HR.
Accountability:
- Only 28% use formal EDI accountability systems to track hiring, retention, and promotion outcomes.
- 51% of tech leaders gather demographic data, but only 37% analyse it for career advancement or leadership pipelines.
2025 EDI Metrics: What Leading HealthTech Firms Track
The healthtech organizations that are making real progress in EDI aren’t just relying on good intentions, they’re tracking the right data, regularly, and acting on what it shows.
These organisations measure representation at every stage of the employee journey, from application to career advancement, to monitor how inclusive their culture feels to the people working within it and identify any blind spots in their policies.
They also go beyond simple diversity quotas, looking at pay equity, accessibility, and the lived experience of underrepresented groups to make sure inclusion isn’t just a hiring focus, but part of day-to-day operations.
From our consultant’s conversations with HealthTech leaders so far in 2025, we’ve seen the following ED&I metrics are in the spotlight for employers.
- Diversity of candidate pools (gender, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity).
- % of diverse candidates hired vs. applicants: Reveals gaps in conversion and progression.
- Retention and promotion rates for underrepresented groups.
- Employee engagement & sentiment: Pulse surveys on belonging, fairness, and psychological safety.
- Pay equity audits: Monitor for disparities in compensation, particularly by gender and ethnicity.
- Accessibility metrics: % of digital assets meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Inclusion scores on annual staff surveys and external benchmarks.
- Board and leadership diversity: Often a specific target for scale-ups and PE/VC-backed HealthTech firms.
2025 Hiring & Inclusion Trends
We’ve seen that recruitment processes are becoming more structured and bias-resistant, job descriptions are being rewritten for clarity and accessibility, and leadership is taking shared responsibility for inclusion goals. Flexible work, wellbeing policies, and development programmes for underrepresented talent are now seen as essential, not just ‘nice-to-haves’ or optional extras.
And with candidates increasingly weighing an employer’s track record on inclusion when deciding where to work, these changes aren’t just values-driven, they’re business-critical policies to have in action if you want to have access to the best talent.
Here are the hiring trends our team have identified over the past year when hiring for senior and executive level healthtech roles.
Data-driven EDI
Companies are moving beyond simple diversity targets to real-time dashboards, with leaders demanding evidence of impact, not anecdotes. Transparent sharing of metrics – internally and externally – is now seen as a competitive advantage for attracting top talent and investment.
Customization over ‘one size fits all’
Employee facing platforms and AI tools allow companies to identify where they have representation gaps and tailor hiring processes, onboarding, and culture interventions to actual workforce needs.
Representation goals and structured progress reviews
SMART goals – specific, measurable, and time-bound – are set for every level of the organisation, from graduate hires to leadership. Regular progress reviews and accountability keep targets on track.
Inclusive Job Descriptions & Accessible Processes
Ensuring inclusivity and accessibility at the earliest stages of the hiring process are essential for attracting diverse talent, with companies ensuring their job descriptions use clear gender-neutral language, don’t focus on “nice to have” credentials and are accessible to candidates with disabilities.
Multi-channel sourcing
Recruitment teams are casting a wider net when searching for talent – niche job boards, referrals, community partners, and talent networks focused on underrepresented groups all play a role.
Structured, bias-resistant interviews
To avoid unconscious bias from swaying hiring decisions at the interview stage, many companies are ensuring diversity on hiring panels, implementing blind CV reviews and investing in unconscious bias training for employees on hiring panels.
Flexibility and wellbeing as key attractors
Candidates (especially those from underrepresented groups) prioritize flexibility, fair pay, and mental health support when choosing employers. Top HealthTech companies offer adaptive work arrangements and strong wellbeing policies as standard.
Internships, apprenticeships, and ‘returner’ programmes
Focused early-career schemes to support diverse candidates, backed by clear development and mentorship.
Board-level and cross-functional EDI ownership
DEI leaders report directly to the C-suite or board, and inclusion is integrated into every department – not just a “HR” issue anymore.
Regular audits, feedback, and improvement cycles
Pulse surveys, feedback loops, and independent audits help companies trial, refine, and evolve EDI efforts based on what works in practice.
What Does This Mean for Talent and Leadership?
EDI best practices in 2025 are grounded in transparency, accountability, and action. As candidates become more selective, the experience of diverse groups in your hiring process directly influences your brand, credibility, and ability to scale.
The HealthTech organizations that are prioritising open dialogue, flexible policies, and measurable fairness are attracting high-performers from all backgrounds, while those who are slow to act are facing challenges in talent attraction, retention, and even customer trust.
Building a More Inclusive HealthTech Team
Storm3 partners with HealthTech startups and scale-ups to help you recruit leaders from one of the largest and most diverse talent networks in the industry, to connect you with leaders who truly understand how EDI impacts innovation, growth, and patient success. If you’re looking to hire a new C-suite leader or you’d just like to know how your metrics compare to other US HealthTech leaders, get in touch and let’s shape an inclusive future together.
