People involved in diversity, equity and inclusion work employ specific terminology to explain its goals; for those unfamiliar with its language it can seem foreign.
Leaders should strive to clearly and precisely articulate the language they use when communicating company policies to their employees. This helps employees feel connected to them and is likely to increase compliance.
Race
Diversity, in its broadest sense, encompasses people of various races and ethnic groups as well as people with various viewpoints on race/ethnicity/gender/sexual orientation/age/location issues. Diversity also involves different backgrounds and experiences being brought to work, creating an inclusive workplace culture.
Equity refers to fairness and equal opportunity for all groups, which requires organizations to address racial and other forms of bias during hiring/promotion processes as well as workplace policies/practices.
Businesses today recognize the significance of adopting an inclusive DEI strategy to attract top talent and retain key employees. Studies demonstrate that more diverse workplaces tend to be more productive and successful, while keeping talented staff can save companies money in recruitment costs and training fees.
Companies looking to foster an inclusive and equitable work environment should focus on four forms of diversity:
Race: When studying race, this involves looking at demographics such as skin tone, hair color and cultural background in order to assess any disparate elements between groups. Although genetic studies have disproved biologically distinct races, many cultures still attach meaning and significance to physical differences that exist among their peoples; black people might take pride in their skin color while whites may view it as inferiority.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity refers to the origins and backgrounds of individuals within a group, such as country of origin, religion and language. It also considers how members interact within the group and whether their values and beliefs align. Gender: Gender refers to both the ratio between men and women in any given group as well as proportion of female-identified and male-identified people within it.
Gender
Gender diversity and inclusion go hand in hand. Gender encapsulates how different people differ, from their sexual preferences and dress preferences to language preferences and use. Recognizing and celebrating differences while creating an environment where everyone feels respected and empowered are core aspects of gender-focused initiatives; furthermore they help reduce unconscious biases (stereotypes that arise without one being aware of them) and microaggressions based on such stereotypes that manifest into negative actions toward individuals based on those stereotypes.
When companies prioritize gender issues, they often establish gender committees to incorporate new voices and address any biases within the workplace. Such committees may bring in fresh perspectives from individuals that had been ignored previously by management; additionally they work towards eliminating any existing biases within their company.
However, having a gender committee alone isn’t enough; companies must also work to make sure new voices are heard and included in company decisions. This means ensuring equal pay for women doing equal work as well as giving them an equal share at company decisions tables.
Companies with effective gender strategies will likely experience greater employee retention and be more cost-efficient than businesses without such strategies. Furthermore, such businesses are likely to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds more likely to create an inclusive workplace overall – the potential payoff could be significant – according to McKinsey research companies with more diverse teams are 70% more likely outperforming competitors!
Age
Diversity in the workplace goes beyond race, gender and age – it also encompasses physical ability and neurodiversity. When companies strive to ensure these groups have equal access to opportunities available to others in society – that is true diversity and inclusiveness at work. Doing this allows different viewpoints to be brought forth during decision-making processes while helping create an all-inclusive work environment for all employees.
Diversity and inclusion practices at an organization can include mentorship programs for underrepresented groups, blind resumes that hide personal details like socioeconomic status or gender identity during the hiring process, hiring days that encourage employees from all backgrounds to attend, as well as training employees on how to recognize unconscious bias or microaggressions in the workplace.
Companies that promote diversity and inclusion typically experience greater financial success in the marketplace, as they can draw on various opinions to solve problems or come up with innovative solutions. According to one recent study, companies with more diverse executive teams are 33% more likely to be profitable than those without them.
Companies with effective diversity and inclusion strategies find it easier to attract top talent by assuring them they will be welcomed and valued. As workplace diversity increases, businesses must ensure their diversity and inclusion policies stay current in order to attract the best talent – this requires taking an integrative approach towards understanding what it means to be diverse and inclusive, considering race, ethnicity, gender identity/sexual orientation/disability/age/religion/location etc and their intersection.
Disability
People living with disabilities face specific obstacles that necessitate tailor-made accommodations. Unfortunately, they also often encounter discrimination that is hard to spot or address, making it hard for them to integrate themselves in the workplace. By creating an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued for their skills and contributions, companies can benefit from having such diversity among their workforces.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies can help create more efficient and productive teams for companies. Employees from underrepresented groups offer diverse viewpoints that can increase creativity and collaboration in teams. Furthermore, McKinsey research found that companies which prioritize DEI tend to experience increased productivity and higher profit margins.
Setting DEI goals should be evaluated on three criteria: their measurable, attainable and relevant qualities. Utilizing metrics that support your organization’s core values as part of employee performance reviews will allow you to track progress easily – for instance if your aim is to increase female partners within your firm, establish targets based on their career trajectory as well as what proportion of the total work force represents these women.
Additionally, when setting DEI goals it is also vitally important to recognize intersectionality as part of this equation. Intersectionality refers to how various aspects of one’s identity overlap and interact – for instance a black woman who is also queer may face both racism and homophobia in the workplace; to avoid this happening it’s vital that we recognize how these characteristics shape a person’s experience and perspective, in order to more easily recognize any biases or forms of discrimination that might exist in your workplace environment.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation is an aspect of gender identity that refers to an individual’s emotional, sexual and romantic attraction to people of either the same or opposite sex. People may use different terms to describe their orientation depending on culture and experience – lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual and heterosexual may all describe this orientation; alternatively they might identify as queer or nonbinary.
Sexual orientation often intersects with other parts of an individual’s identity, including race, gender and disability. Intersectionality refers to how these identities overlap or intersect – for instance a Black woman who identifies as lesbian and has a disability is likely to experience microaggressions at work and may feel their contributions aren’t fully valued in their workplace environment.
Due to stigma and an inadequate legal framework, LGBTQI people find it increasingly challenging to access services – including housing, employment and health care – such as those available to their peers.
Diversity within the workforce can help a business meet its goals by expanding employees’ perspectives and ideas. Diversity initiatives may involve strategies like recruiting underrepresented groups or offering cultural sensitivity training; companies can also improve inclusive practices by making leadership more diverse or encouraging meritocracy culture, or prioritizing those in most need of support (known as distributional equity).