People of color or those who identify as LGBTQ should feel valued within the workplace environment; this means bringing their whole self without encountering microaggressions or discriminatory remarks.
Enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) can make businesses more successful – but how?
Diversity
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are three interdependent concepts that ensure employees feel like they belong in their workplace environment. DEI initiatives promote representation and participation from diverse ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions cultures and sexual orientations in the workforce.
When it comes to DEI, the first step in creating an inclusive culture requires creating an atmosphere in which everyone feels welcome and accepted – this creates the foundation of a healthy workplace environment and ultimately can boost employee morale. Doing this involves clear communication with all employees as well as training on how to respect different perspectives and viewpoints; setting examples of respectful behavior by holding individuals accountable if they fail to abide by company policy is also key.
Another key component is creating an environment in which employees feel free to bring all aspects of themselves to work, which fosters an inclusive culture. This involves providing equal access and opportunity to positions within your organization as well as offering resources and support so employees can feel like themselves at work and avoid feeling isolated or resentful of coworkers.
Companies that place inclusion first have an edge, being better equipped to meet customer demands, attract talent and innovate products and services. Their company will also have a greater chance of building positive global reputations – an integral factor of business success in an increasingly globalized business world.
Research has proven that diverse organizations are more creative and innovative than their less diverse counterparts, likely because of access to an abundance of ideas and perspectives that would otherwise go overlooked in less diverse teams. By drawing upon them all for solutions they would otherwise miss.
Leader support is crucial in order to successfully launch and sustain any diversity initiative, since leaders set the tone of an office and can influence employees’ perception of diversity. For instance, having non-diverse executives may discourage employees from being open about their differences and may lead them to shy away from discussing sensitive topics. Furthermore, having a diverse leadership team demonstrates to employees that your company is committed to foster a culture of inclusion.
Equity
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace are inextricably linked, but each term deserves special consideration and interactions between themselves. A shared vocabulary would also aid discussions about these subjects more efficiently.
Diversity refers to the makeup of people within a team or organization, including social identity groups such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, national origin and sexual orientation. Inclusion takes it a step further by making sure these groups feel welcome and valued within an environment – this allows individuals who feel part of an inclusive environment to fully engage with their work while having a sense of belonging within an organization.
Un organization’s desire for diversity often results in recruitment and hiring practices being prioritized over equity considerations. While recruitment efforts must still focus on hiring practices, equity must also be built into every aspect of company operations by way of talent screening procedures, interview processes, and workplace policies that ensure fairness is built into every aspect of business operations.
Some organizations can attract a diverse pool of applicants while others struggle to retain them. According to research, inclusive organizations tend to outshone their peers by encouraging employee satisfaction and motivation – in fact, companies deemed inclusion leaders are 29% more likely to achieve above-average profitability than those considered inclusion laggards.
With an increasingly diverse workforce, it has never been more crucial for companies to demonstrate a dedication to DEI. Luckily, there are multiple pathways for organizations to start down this journey of inclusion; even taking small steps toward creating more inclusive cultures will make a difference in results.
Companies are taking proactive steps to address gender parity by hosting women-specific networking events or community tables where employees can share their experiences. Others are taking on racial equality through hosting conversations about racism or hosting training sessions on bias awareness training. Although achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace takes time and dedication, its benefits are considerable.
Inclusion
Inclusion refers to how well a diverse workforce feels supported and welcome at work, making sure that Black mothers or non-binary employees feel like they share equal voice with everyone else in the company. Achieving inclusion can be challenging, and leaders need to put in extra time and effort in order to cultivate an inclusive workplace culture.
Your company might need to revamp how it conducts meetings so they are more accessible for people with different needs, review policies related to pay equity and promotion processes to ensure they are free from bias, as well as train leadership in unconscious bias to encourage active listening to ensure all opinions are given equal consideration.
More than half of workers see diversity, equity and inclusion at work as being beneficial (though views differ along key demographic and political lines). Six in ten workplaces have policies in place to ensure fairness in hiring or promotions while five-in-ten offer trainings or meetings on DEI. Other measures taken by workplaces to support DEI may include assigning staff members who promote it (33%), offering salary transparency (30%) or creating employee resource groups based on shared identities (26%).
Although it may be easy to focus on the numbers of underrepresented group members in your company, it’s equally essential to recognize and celebrate their experiences and perspectives. A 2015 McKinsey report demonstrated this trend – it found that companies with effective Diversity, Equality and Inclusion programs saw higher revenues compared with less effective competitors.
Companies that embrace diversity among its employees can leverage an expanded pool of talent and gain more insight into its business and customers, providing better decisions, increasing operational efficiencies and cultivating employee loyalty. Conversely, businesses who don’t take steps toward DEI may lose trust from employees which in turn could result in lower revenues, productivity reduction and even reduced hires.
Belonging
Diversity and inclusion are essential in the workplace, but belonging is what truly brings people together as part of one community. Achieve this sense of belonging requires creating a culture which respects and embraces its employees’ diverse identities; making sure each person feels represented at work without judgement or discrimination; challenging policies or practices which discriminate against certain groups while creating equal conditions for all employees – in short ensuring a sense of true community!
Studies indicate that when employees feel at home in their work environments, it can lead to higher job performance and better health outcomes, as well as have an enormously positive effect on bottom lines – recently one study revealed companies with more diverse workforces experienced 56% revenue increases while companies that promote strong sense of belonging have 75% lower risk of employee disengagement and 167% increased employer net promoter score scores than those without strong senses of belongingness.
Leaders need to build trusting relationships with their employees and show empathy towards all their differences in order to create a sense of belonging in the workplace. Leaders must ensure all individuals can see themselves reflected there – from background and heritage through to religious beliefs, gender identity and sexual orientation as well as physical abilities and physical disabilities. All employees should also be acknowledged for their individual qualities, skills and perspectives in the workplace – providing opportunities to expand these attributes further.
Many modern organizations now realize the necessity of taking actionable diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; however, some still struggle with understanding and incorporating DEI concepts into their businesses.
DEI is a multifaceted concept, touching all areas of a workplace. Diversity of backgrounds, experiences, ideas, values and perspectives allows a company to innovate more efficiently while meeting customer demands more effectively. For DEI to fully realize its benefits all employees must feel included and that they belong.