Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) discussions can be complex and contentious, making it important to create a common vocabulary to ensure there are no miscommunications and misinterpretations of information.
Clarifying these terms can be instrumental to your workplace success. They’re essential in creating an environment in which employees feel like part of something greater and thrive professionally.
Equity
Diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations can be complex and ongoing, necessitating a lexicon for these discussions that is broadly inclusive to avoid misinterpretations and miscommunication. Below is a comprehensive overview of key terms to help guide discussion.
Equity: Equity refers to a system in which everyone has equal access to opportunities and assets regardless of existing needs or barriers; it differs from “equality”, in which everyone receives the same amount of something like food, medicine or opportunity regardless of actual need.
Diversity: Diversity refers to a spectrum of social identities that distinguish groups and people from one another. This can include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation socioeconomic status language (dis)ability etc.
Inclusion: An environment in which individuals feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work and feel accepted within an atmosphere of respect. Embedding inclusion requires intentional engagement with diversity to build a culture which supports it.
DEI can be beneficial to business, but for it to remain sustainable it must become a top priority within an organization. Without that commitment, employees may feel less represented and leave. Furthermore, businesses without strong commitments towards DEI may miss out on valuable perspectives that help make them more innovative and competitive.
An organization with an equity mindset may be more likely to recruit diverse candidates and encourage women to advance within its ranks, while making sure all employees feel supported and valued – leading to improved performance and job satisfaction for everyone involved. A company prioritizing DEI may also be more resilient in times of change as its diverse pool of solutions allows it to adapt better to unexpected events.
Many organizations face the difficulty of taking equity to its next stage. Without clear and consistent definitions for what it means to be inclusive, measuring progress becomes difficult; furthermore, any lack of clarity or consistency undermines efforts at engaging people with DEI in general.
Diversity
Diversity refers to characteristics that differentiate individuals and groups. Within an organizational setting, this can encompass traits like race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, education and physical ability; along with social identities like class, language family background and professional experience.
Diversity is an essential element of modern society, contributing to cultural, economic, and social vitality in communities worldwide. However, diversity can be challenging for organizations to define and measure effectively – often failing to link initiatives related to diversity to business outcomes or establish accountability at the top of an organization – not to mention employees often feeling that their efforts go unrecognized or undervalued.
Studies show that most people support diversity and that diverse teams tend to be more innovative, productive, and customer-focused than teams with no diversity. If companies fail to use this support effectively and commit to inclusive and equitable practices for all employees within their workforces then its benefits will be limited.
For an organization to be truly inclusive, they must address how it interacts with its employees, customers and communities – particularly tackling any hidden barriers that prevent people from fully embracing diversity while making sure everyone feels like they belong.
Barriers to diversity can stem from various sources, including unconscious biases, microaggressions and negative stereotypes; workplace culture or individual identity complexity; these barriers may prove challenging to overcome; however they may be overcome by creating authentic interactions and challenging inequitable practices that exist.
Companies should commit to an expansive DEI strategy and allocate sufficient resources towards its execution. These resources should be invested in training managers and employees, setting clear metrics and outcomes tracking processes, and mandating that senior leaders lead by example when it comes to DEI efforts. Furthermore, companies should provide financial resources to third-party consulting firms which help improve practices; also regular opportunities must be created for employees to share experiences and learnings within the organization.
Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion can often be confused, yet each has distinct meanings. While inclusion refers to making sure all employees feel welcome in the workplace, diversity refers to making sure everyone can contribute their talents and expertise.
Companies that prioritize diversity without engaging with inclusion risk creating an atmosphere of exclusion for certain groups of employees, like women. When women are only represented at entry-level roles but are under-represented among leadership or other key positions, their ideas and presence may feel diminished or not valued as much.
An inclusive work environment ensures that all employees can fully contribute and thrive regardless of their social identities. To achieve this goal, companies that prioritize inclusion must engage in complex endeavors beyond simply hiring people considered “diverse”, such as understanding and addressing any biases present.
Companies need to focus on the intersections of identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, life and career paths, educational background, native language or dialect and (dis)ability when considering how best to engage employees from diverse groups. Following such intersections can help companies avoid common pitfalls like tokenism – where an appearance of inclusion without meaningful participation by members of an identity group being favored; assimilation – where individuals from marginalized groups are expected to speak on behalf of all of them; dehumanization – where individuals are treated as less than human;
Transparency about progress toward inclusion is also vital, as this helps employees feel supported as the company moves from diversity to inclusion. Some companies, like Google, already publish an annual diversity report.
Engaging in open conversations about bias and power dynamics is also key, to allow folx to identify systems which hinder inclusion for marginalized communities. Although such discussions may be challenging for members from privileged groups, their obligation is to do their part to protect others who may be hurt by the current status quo.
Belonging
Diversity, equity and inclusion can be intimidating to newcomers to the field, with its members speaking a particular jargon that can seem abstract rather than tangible tactics. Furthermore, there are numerous terms and acronyms associated with this movement; therefore a breakdown of common words, phrases and acronyms used within it will help newcomers navigate this culture more successfully.
Belonging is defined as the feeling of acceptance within an organization. Although not directly tied to diversity, belonging plays an essential role in creating an inclusive workplace environment. Businesses that prioritize DEI will likely experience higher employee sense of belonging resulting in improved performance and retention rates.
Belonging means feeling safe enough to express oneself fully in the workplace and be understood by colleagues, without feeling marginalized and excluded due to race, sex, age, national origin, gender identity religion socioeconomic status sexual orientation and disability. A workplace must offer an environment free from bias, prejudice and discrimination while acknowledging individual contributions made to its success. In addition, it should address factors that contribute to feelings of marginalization or exclusion within its ranks such as race sex age national origin gender identity religion socioeconomic status sexual orientation disability etc.
Facilitating a strong sense of belonging can also be achieved through giving individuals a voice in decision-making processes, and giving them opportunities to express their ideas and opinions. A company that fosters this kind of environment encourages workers to share their stories as part of building understanding, trust, and helping others understand them more fully as individuals.
An effective culture to foster a sense of belonging includes rewarding hard work and making community contributions, while making sure managers actively take part in creating such an atmosphere at work.
Companies that place diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront will be better prepared to navigate future challenges. They’re likely to attract and retain top talent while meeting customer demands across different demographics. By prioritizing DEI practices in business operations, DEI companies can achieve their potential while contributing towards building a prosperous society.