Many workplace cultures place high importance on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), yet making these values work can be challenging. For DEIB to work successfully, individuals must feel safe to express themselves freely.
Here are a few strategies for reaching DEIB goals:
Definitions
Companies increasingly taking into account diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), so it’s crucial that they understand its definitions. DEIB encompasses four pillars – diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. While diversity, inclusion and equity may often be used interchangeably within an organization’s culture – each has unique aspects which impact it differently.
The diversity pillar recognizes all of the ways people differ, including gender, race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation and disability. It also incorporates internal characteristics like one’s personality and values. The inclusion pillar aims to bring these differences into the workplace so everyone feels like they belong. This may include giving employees space to express their unique identities at work as well as giving individuals an opportunity to lead or make decisions based on their skills rather than job title or responsibilities.
At the core of every company’s diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts lies the concept of Belonging; an emerging concept which refers to a sense of connection and belonging that people experience when bringing all aspects of themselves – identity, family life, hobbies/interests etc – into the workplace. This may include identity as well as any outside influences which shape who we are outside work environments.
Companies that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion can gain an edge over competitors. According to research by Deloitte, organizations who prioritize these principles tend to experience higher employee satisfaction rates and engagement rates as well as improved business results and are better able to meet customer demands from across their customer base.
Cara Pelletier of 15Five’s Division of Diversity Equity and Inclusion helps us understand what diversity means by breaking it down to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; she also discusses their contribution towards business success.
Diversity means being welcome at a social gathering; inclusion is being invited to dance; and belonging is the sense that your place at the table or team has been assured. All three elements play an essential part of a successful D&I strategy; leaders should understand each term’s significance before pursuing meaningful progress in these areas.
Barriers to Inclusion
Barriers exist that prevent organizations from prioritizing DEIB initiatives. Leaders may fail to prioritize creating a diverse leadership team, even though research demonstrates their superior performance compared to teams without diversity. Furthermore, leaders who don’t reflect the demographics of their organization tend to feel disengaged from DEI initiatives and can’t comprehend how these efforts link to company strategy.
Unconscious bias is another barrier. According to studies, people often divide into “in-groups” and “out-groups,” categorizing others based on similar and disparate characteristics. This tendency often manifests itself in the workplace where employees who appear different can experience bias because of stereotyping, prejudices or discriminatory hiring practices; or when employees feel like they are being treated unfairly because of ethnicity, race religion sexual orientation or any other unique characteristic.
Some employees may feel isolated at work because of the culture of their organization. This could be caused by lack of diversity in leadership positions or simply an environment which does not welcome those different than them. These feelings of exclusion can be addressed by raising awareness and education around inclusion initiatives as well as initiating cultural change projects within an organization.
Simply stated, when someone feels excluded it can have serious psychological and financial repercussions for them and can have detrimental ramifications on company performance and morale. Therefore, companies must address these issues to create an inclusive work culture which will enable all employees to thrive and reach their full potential.
One way to begin fostering diversity and inclusivity (DEI) within an organization is to identify employees willing to act as DEI advocates, helping educate others and promoting an environment which embraces all types of employees. Engaging the leadership team in these efforts is also key as it sets the tone for all employees within an organization. Training on recognizing and eliminating barriers will further enable employees to bring themselves fully into work while fulfilling their fullest potentials.
Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Your understanding of diversity and inclusion may be solid; but to truly build a culture of inclusion there are four additional components: equity, belonging and justice. Not only are these concepts essential in the workplace environment, but also for society at large – companies which prioritize DEIB have greater positive effects on their local communities while being better prepared to tackle an ever-evolving world.
At your company, the first step towards encouraging inclusivity is engaging senior leadership. Your executives should demonstrate their dedication by setting an example and participating in mandatory diversity & inclusion training to understand unconscious bias that may hinder its implementation.
Once your leaders are on board, it’s essential that all processes that involve employees – hiring, developing and retention – be thoroughly assessed. This will enable you to identify any areas for improvement and take concrete steps toward change such as initiating an employee mentoring program focused on DEI or creating an employee resource group to enable staffers to share their thoughts about company culture.
Diversity, equity and inclusion can often overlap. While diversity encompasses aspects such as race, age, gender and sexual orientation; inclusion refers to feeling valued and welcome in your organization while equity ensures all members access equal opportunities; belonging refers to feeling like part of a community both inside and beyond your organization.
Establishing an inclusive culture takes time and energy, but its rewards are evident: research shows that companies with diverse teams enjoy greater competitive advantages, are more innovative, and ultimately have higher profitability rates than similar companies without diversity teams. Most importantly, creating an environment of belonging can dramatically impact employee motivation and performance.
If your company is serious about cultivating inclusion, it’s essential that all aspects of its culture – policies, systems and products – be addressed simultaneously. Going beyond hiring five women quotas alone (say five employees at once), an inclusive company needs to consider recruitment processes, length of employee tenure and whether its products accurately represent our world.
Creating a Culture of Belonging
As a business leader, you have likely come across the terms ‘diversity and inclusion’ numerous times in conversations about DEI (Diversity & Inclusion). What may not have come up frequently however is creating an atmosphere of belonging in the workplace – this fourth component is perhaps less known, yet has proven crucial to creating a vibrant company culture.
Belonging is unique among DEI’s four pillars because it’s an emotion rather than a collection of practices or philosophies. Employees experience belonging when they feel welcomed and supported at work by coworkers who understand who they are as individuals while encouraging their wellbeing and development. Belonging also gives employees the confidence they need to express themselves authentically when sharing personal details such as weaknesses with coworkers – something often difficult in the workplace.
Establishing a culture of belonging requires both commitment and willingness to address underlying barriers that prevent people from feeling included. Diversity training or advocating a culture of inclusivity alone are not enough; concrete actions need to be taken, such as making sure employee surveys are accessible for those with disabilities, offering mental health support services, or offering family building benefits supporting same-sex couples or transgender workers.
One effective way of measuring the level of belonging in your company is through surveys like those provided by 15Five. Such surveys pose questions regarding what may be making employees feel excluded, yet don’t always offer an accurate reflection of workplace culture; results can also become biased due to some employees being more willing than others to participate.
To gain an accurate depiction of how well your company is progressing toward DEI, go beyond annual surveys. Instead, invest in an exhaustive DEI assessment that takes into account all aspects of your company – hiring processes, promotions decisions, family building benefits you offer etc – in order to identify gaps that prevent employees from flourishing at work and make targeted investments to close them.