Maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as part of your team’s mentality can play an essential part in driving business growth. Not only can it avoid misaligning with core values or creating toxic cultures but it can also boost business development.
Bring together your team and review these definitions so everyone has a firm grasp of what each term represents for your company.
Inclusion
Most people understand diversity to mean the traits and experiences that distinguish individuals from one another – this may include differences related to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, socioeconomic background, marital status education sexual orientation among others. But diversity goes further than this and encompasses how these differences impact us personally as individuals as well as society at large.
Inclusion takes these differences into account to ensure all individuals feel welcome and valued, which may require the removal of barriers such as structural and societal ones that prevent certain groups from accessing education, resources or opportunities; it also involves addressing unconscious biases which might impact how an individual or group is seen by society.
At its core, inclusion aims to foster an environment in which every employee feels respected for the unique perspectives and contributions they bring to work. Businesses that invest in inclusive practices see increased employee engagement, improved performance, and higher revenues – according to research from McKinsey – with companies with greater levels of cultural diversity 35% more likely to rank among top performers within their industries.
Organizations need clear definitions and vocabulary in place in order to foster an atmosphere of inclusion, or DEI initiatives can fail. More companies are adopting DEI initiatives as part of their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies as consumers, employees and shareholders increasingly favor businesses that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility.
Diversity, equity and inclusion must go beyond simply hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds; companies must ensure all individuals have equal access to resources, opportunities and benefits in order to foster an environment in which all employees feel supported and valued in being their best selves at work – that way a business can truly innovate, engage its employees, grow and ultimately thrive in an inclusive society.
Equity
Diversity refers to differences; equity refers to creating an environment in which every individual feels welcome and valued. Equity considers how people from different backgrounds can thrive when allowed to utilize their strengths and talents to make the most out of life; examples of this can be seen at an national scale such as eliminating physical roadblocks for wheelchair users accessing areas that able-bodied people can reach or creating housing which accommodative individuals with differing abilities.
Though many DEI initiatives focus on inclusion, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone will feel as though they belong in an organization’s diverse team, such as women or members from the LGBTQ community; yet these individuals might still feel isolated due to longstanding gender norms or salary disparities; this feeling of alienation could lower productivity significantly.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives often spark much discussion regarding their word order. Some advocate placing “equity” first while others favor diversity at first as more effective. What matters most is having an understanding of each term used and their relationship among themselves.
Once an organization has developed working definitions of each term, they can begin designing their strategy. This process will continue to develop over time until all individuals can contribute their unique perspectives and experiences into its framework.
As we become more conscious of our own biases, it has become ever more vital that workplaces be welcoming of all types of individuals. Different experiences, perspectives and beliefs bring great value to organizations – it is critical that we recognize this and incorporate this understanding into business models so as to reap all possible advantages from it.
Belonging
Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they differ considerably. Diversity refers to the presence of various demographic groups within an organization while equity ensures they are treated equally while inclusion ensures people feel like they belong at work. An inclusive culture which fosters belonging is key for creating an environment in which employees feel free to bring all aspects of themselves into work – leading to higher employee satisfaction, performance improvement and a more positive business result for your company.
Establishing a sense of belonging for their employees can be challenging for any employer. To succeed at it requires altering our perspective of the workplace; rather than considering it a place where everyone has equal chances to succeed, employers should focus on cultivating an environment in which each employee feels welcome to share their unique perspective and authentic self. This may mean encouraging relationships among employees from various backgrounds or creating safe spaces for honest dialogue, as well as using storytelling to reveal all aspects of an individual’s identity.
At its heart, belonging is defined by an acceptance and welcome of all aspects of oneself regardless of background or gender. Furthermore, feeling accepted means feeling valued for their contributions regardless of status or title in an organization – this should always be the goal of any DEI strategy.
Companies looking at DEI should carefully examine how they recruit, hire and promote employees as well as policies, systems, products and services they offer. DEI involves more than simply hiring only women or minorities; rather it means creating an inclusive culture in which employees feel like they belong and can truly contribute.
Establishing a sense of belonging requires the commitment and dedication of all leaders within an organization. All levels of leadership should participate as they set the tone and model behavior that foster an inclusive culture. When conducting a DEI culture assessment, an outside facilitator can ensure neutrality while creating space for open, candid discussions.
Impact
Over the past several years, national discourse surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion — or DEI — has expanded significantly. More companies are adopting inclusive initiatives into their operations to gain a competitive advantage while meeting customer demands. But what exactly does it mean to be diverse, equitable and inclusive?
Diversity means accepting that individuals differ, be it differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, community, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. Inclusion refers to providing everyone a place at the table while respecting and appreciating each individual for his/her unique qualities and attributes. Finally, equity ensures all individuals have equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of any differences that might exist among them.
Diversity and inclusion practices in business practices are vital steps toward creating a more just society, yet understanding their difference and interrelation can be challenging. Here are some definitions to help explain these concepts:
An organization that emphasizes diversity without paying due attention to equity or inclusion may run the risk of tokenism. This occurs when employees from marginalized groups are recruited simply as recruits instead of being fully accepted for who they are as individuals and valued individually for what they bring. Examples of tokenism could be superficial invitations for groups from marginalized backgrounds or assumptions made that one member can represent their community at large.
In order to truly make an impactful statement about their commitment to diversity and equity and inclusion, a company must go beyond diversity alone and move toward equity and inclusion. To do this, companies must first understand all of the layers of discrimination and biases that impact individuals; as well as changing our views about diversity while addressing implicit bias in the workplace. While this journey will take time and requires dedication on everyone’s part, its purpose remains crucial as we create a more equitable and just world – The McKinsey Global Institute research on diversity has shown that organizations that prioritize diversity have higher productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction rates than their counterparts that don’t.