An effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy requires more than raising awareness; programs designed to advance DEI must bring diverse viewpoints together to generate novel solutions.
Without an extensive DEI program in place, employees often feel that their company doesn’t value or prioritize them; consequently, motivation wanes and productivity drops, leading to less productiveness overall and increasing the likelihood that they leave.
Equity
Diversity, equity and inclusion are intricately linked concepts, intertwining in complex ways. Companies frequently prioritize diversity without considering its complex interplay with equity and inclusion; when hiring diverse workforces for instance many organizations focus on recruiting more underrepresented group employees without taking necessary steps to ensure an equitable work culture which could impact employees disproportionately from these underrepresented groups and ultimately cause higher turnover rates.
Diversity of workers is vital to businesses achieving their business goals, as a diverse workforce provides new perspectives and ideas that lead to improved decision making and problem solving as well as creativity and innovation. Furthermore, diverse workforces help improve customer satisfaction by offering services to a broader array of customers; finally, diverse workers can help shape a more inclusive and equitable society; companies that prioritize diversity can have a positive impactful on local communities while contributing towards creating a fairer society.
Many people use the terms “diversity”, “equity”, and “inclusion” interchangeably; however, each has distinct meanings. Diversity refers to the range of characteristics that make up an individual or group, while equity and inclusion seek to create an environment in which individuals feel welcome; in this regard equity seeks to address disparate access to resources while inclusion ensures everyone feels included at work.
To create an equitable workplace, it is crucial to address issues of bias and microaggressions. Training must focus on uncovering how unconscious bias influences our decisions and actions; equally providing advancement opportunities as well as mentoring support to employees from underrepresented groups is also key.
Pew Research Center surveys conducted this summer have shown that 56% of workers consider increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at work to be beneficial; opinions may differ widely depending on demographic or political factors.
Inclusion
No matter your field of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEIB), or simply supporting efforts to make our world more inclusive, it is vital that you are familiar with its terminology. Many terms used within DEIB have different meanings than elsewhere and any confusion over these can cause serious confusion and frustration for all involved.
Diversity refers to differences among people. This may include factors like age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, education and national origin. But diversity extends further than simply demographic makeup: its purpose should also include creating an environment in which employees feel safe, valued and respected at work.
Inclusion is the opposite of exclusion, or situations in which someone is excluded from benefits in society or workplaces. It involves making sure all employees have equal pay and leadership access as part of an inclusive work culture that fosters respect and belonging among all employees. Inclusion also prevents discrimination and harassment while creating a culture of respect and inclusion among colleagues.
DEIB stands for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at Workplace (DEIB) which comprises four separate concepts essential to building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and society. Implementation of DEIB initiatives has the power to significantly impact employee retention, morale, engagement productivity and success as well as customer and business outcomes; helping organizations adapt more easily to changing demographics.
Although DEIB may provide several advantages, its focus still causes considerable controversy. While some view it as an unnecessary diversion from other pressing matters, others consider DEIB essential for maintaining a healthy economy and society.
Companies looking to foster an inclusive workplace must understand the difference between diversity and inclusion. Diversity refers to demographic differences within a workforce; inclusion refers to efforts made to make all employees feel included – without this latter element, diversity alone may not guarantee inclusiveness.
An inclusive workforce is essential for any organization’s success, fostering creativity and problem-solving while helping attract and retain top talent. Furthermore, McKinsey recently published research indicating that organizations who prioritize diversity experience 35% higher revenue growth compared with their counterparts.
Diversity
Diversity refers to the various characteristics that distinguish demographic groups; this can include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age socioeconomic status and culture. By contrast, inclusion refers to making sure all these categories feel accepted by their peers – without discrimination or harassment occurring among any social identities involved.
Inclusion and equity can often be confused, yet are distinct. While inclusion focuses on how an organization treats its employees, equity equalizes playing fields across demographic groups. An organization focused on inclusion might hire from an array of candidate pools while offering them various learning opportunities; thus helping employees reach their full potential and fulfill their potential within their company.
An organization that prioritizes diversity but fails to take measures to address inequities or barriers may fail to achieve the expected results. Hiring more women and minorities might not suffice if their culture devalues them further.
Companies that prioritize diversity are more likely to succeed at attracting and retaining clients. Employee engagement increases when employees feel their organizations value and respect their individual differences – leading to increased productivity, creativity and innovation at work.
Many employees agree it is crucial for employers to be diverse and inclusive, with 53% of Black workers considering it “extremely or very important” that their company offers employees from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds; smaller shares of Hispanic (39%) and Asian (30%) workers feel similarly.
However, some companies struggle with diversity and inclusion initiatives. Many of these issues stem from diversity not being enough to ensure a thriving workplace environment. Tokenism is another issue that arises when companies hire certain groups but fail to ensure they feel welcome or appreciated in the workplace environment.
Commitment
As former Head of People for two rapidly expanding startups and cofounder of an award-winning workplace inclusion strategy firm, I’ve witnessed how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is becoming more central to hiring practices for all roles. Employers seek teams composed of different backgrounds and perspectives as a source of competitive edge; at the same time they need candidates who will help facilitate an inclusive work environment.
No matter their race, gender, religion, disability status, sexual orientation or any other individual characteristics that make them unique, all employees have the right to feel valued and included at work. Without feeling welcome and supported by their employers, employees could suffer decreased job satisfaction, retention rates, productivity levels and overall business performance; companies should commit themselves to DEI initiatives for this reason alone.
Many organizations have made public commitments to becoming more diverse and inclusive workplaces. They have taken stock of their current workforce, revamped recruitment practices, and sought to ensure employees from different backgrounds represent diversity within the company. While such initiatives are important, they don’t sufficiently demonstrate a company’s true dedication to diversity and inclusion.
Definitions should be simple and succinct for maximum effectiveness; unfortunately this makes defining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) challenging. Due to this lack of clarity and conciseness in DEI fields it has caused disagreement and confusion leading to slow progress.
An effective diversity and inclusion strategy covers every facet of a company’s culture, policies, and practices – this means it must be holistically tied into their mission and values as well as how employees are recruited, trained, supported, promoted to new markets etc.
Inclusion refers to how an organization treats its employees, whether through mentoring programs, employee resource groups (ERGs), or community outreach initiatives. It’s vital that all workers – including contingent and temporary employees – feel valued as members of an overall effort and connected to an organization as a whole.