Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) can be difficult concepts to fully comprehend and define. In this article we’ll look at common definitions for these terms to give a deeper insight into how they work together.
Companies that put an emphasis on DEI tend to outperform their peers, while also being more inclusive for employees.
Equity
Equity refers to treating each person fairly and providing equal access to opportunities and means. It can be seen as providing every individual the chance to realize their fullest potential, which differs from equality which refers to giving all people equal resources and opportunities regardless of existing conditions or differences between individuals.
Equity encompasses gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and physical ability as elements of diversity. When applied to workplace diversity, this term refers to all groups being represented equally in the workplace with varied experiences, viewpoints and perspectives represented within it. A company can still be diverse without necessarily practicing equity: for instance if their workforce includes men and women from diverse generations working under leadership positions where only certain opinions are valued or carried forward as leaders- this may not constitute equitable practices within an organization.
Organizations striving for equity must make an effort to combat structural inequalities that exist for certain groups within their workplace and community at large, such as pay, promotion, career development and access to leadership roles. Equity also means acknowledging there are vast disparities across areas such as income, educational attainment, health care access, food security and housing among many other aspects.
Companies that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) experience significant financial and employee health benefits from prioritizing diversity initiatives. According to McKinsey research, DEI-forward companies are 35% more likely to outperform their peers financially; and according to Kellogg Insight analysis when tech companies announce gender-diversity initiatives their stock price rises by one percent.
As companies strive to advance DEI initiatives, measuring their progress can be difficult. Companies typically rely on annual employee surveys but these often don’t give enough information or data to drive action. For more accurate results, organizations should implement a comprehensive DEI survey which will give an accurate picture of where things stand now in terms of diversity initiatives, identify any obstacles and provide leaders with a roadmap for improvement.
Inclusion
Inclusion practices are integral to realizing the full benefits of diversity and equity in the workplace. While diversity efforts focus on demographics (such as race, gender, age and professional background) inclusion strategies strive to make people feel like they belong. By making people feel safe to express their opinions or needs safely at work this helps foster an inclusive work environment which leads to happier workers with increased productivity.
Inclusion can often be more of a challenge than hiring people from diverse backgrounds. Companies that do not prioritize creating an inclusive culture often end up only considering demographics when hiring employees from these groups; leaders need to lead by example and be open about sharing their own experiences in order to foster an atmosphere conducive to inclusion.
One of the hallmarks of inclusion is ensuring everyone has equal input into decision-making processes, which requires changing how people perceive business processes and employee management practices. Every employee, whether a Black mother of three in accounting or non-binary engineer in engineering, must feel they belong and share equally in workload responsibilities – which includes eliminating bias by employing inclusive language when discussing colleagues.
Integrity requires providing people with opportunities to participate in social and community activities, whether this means providing transportation for those unable to drive, providing materials in alternate formats for students with sensory disabilities or simply opening the classroom door for students in wheelchairs to enter. Inclusivity should apply at all levels of education.
An organization can only truly embrace diversity and inclusion when its leadership reflects the demographics it intends to serve. McKinsey conducted research that demonstrated companies with more ethnic diversity on their boards are 35% more likely to outshone competitors when it comes to profitability.
Diversity
Diversity encompasses every facet of human experience. Most commonly associated with race differences, diversity can include gender differences as well. Furthermore, diversity can include social roles, religion, sexual orientation orientation education physical ability or attributes as well as life experiences – it even extends to an individual’s mental and emotional well being or worldview.
When discussing diversity in the workplace, it’s essential to differentiate among different forms of diversity. Gender and racial diversity both play key roles in an organization’s effectiveness but have different impacts on employees; making this distinction is particularly crucial given some organizations may only prioritize one form while overlooking another.
An inclusive organization encompasses individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences who appreciate and celebrate these differences as individuals, each having something to contribute. Creating an environment which truly embraces diversity requires that these diverse viewpoints are represented at every level of business operations.
Diversity and Inclusion Plans should aim to foster an environment in which all employees feel welcome in the workplace. An integral component of this goal should be providing equal opportunities for all to succeed within your organization regardless of background or circumstance.
To achieve this goal, leaders should exemplify inclusivity through their own behaviors, making clear that everyone is welcome at the table. This is especially relevant for leaders at the helm of an organization because they serve as role models to others who might struggle to visualize themselves as leaders; seeing someone they can relate to rising to leadership positions can serve as a powerful reminder that any individual can achieve greatness themselves.
Leaders need to be intentional when discussing diversity and inclusion issues as well as their own biases, including unconscious ones that might arise from subconscious acts of discrimination. Unconscious bias occurs often; leaders can take steps to prevent it by communicating with diverse groups of people and seeking out knowledge about their cultures; creating safe spaces where individuals can share experiences openly while learning from each other.
Belonging
Belonging is the feeling of belonging and acceptance into an important group – such as sports teams or church congregations. It is an integral component of healthy communities as well as workplace environments – research has demonstrated that when employees feel they belong at work it leads to improved performance and more engaged workforce members; belonging in the workplace can be affected by organizational culture, leadership style and employee engagement practices.
Organizations need to recognize that people seek different paths of belonging, and connect with them in ways that resonate most meaningfully for them. This may involve creating spaces for new connections to form and eliminating any barriers preventing people from connecting. It’s also essential to remember that belonging is a fluid experience that changes depending on context, time, experience and individual biological needs, cognitions and perceptions; organizations must foster an environment in which this process of belonging may flourish and flourish naturally over time.
One of the key aspects of belonging is feeling valued for who and what one contributes to a group or organization. In the workplace, this means valuing an employee’s unique qualities while offering opportunities to express them authentically while supporting their development as individuals – as well as having the freedom to speak up when feeling unsafe or undervalued.
An employee feeling out of place in the workplace can have serious repercussions for both their own health and well-being, as well as for the business’s bottom line. To foster a sense of belonging in their employees’ workplace experience, leaders should establish an environment characterized by trust and inclusion that accepts every aspect of identity such as gender, race, sexual orientation, religion ethnicity status or disability status of employees.
To further expand this framework, additional empirically driven multilevel research must elucidate the social, neural, and immunologic mechanisms underlying processes associated with belonging. This will allow researchers to gain a fuller understanding of how complex systems influence human behaviour and health – so it should also incorporate longitudinal, person-centred approaches that identify strategies designed to increase perceived belonging in diverse populations.