Diversity, equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) is one of the four cornerstones of education that helps ensure individuals thrive. So what exactly does DEIB entail in practice?
Belonging is the foundation for healthy cultures. It fosters feelings of acceptance and connection through principles such as authenticity, nonjudgment, trust, respect, safety and safety. Belonging is what sets you up to flourish!
1. Attract Diverse Talent
Companies that prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are likely to attract employees from underrepresented groups in the workplace. This approach helps organizations access a vast pool of talent that may otherwise go untapped while preventing discriminatory hiring practices from being followed out.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging should not simply be addressed through hiring practices alone; instead they represent cultural values that need to be embedded into both workplace and organizational structures in order for any meaningful changes to take place. A deliberate and holistic approach must be used in this regard.
Companies typically place great importance on recruitment; however, they must also prioritize how the workplace culture supports DEIB initiatives. For instance, companies may wish to include DEIB training for managers and employees as well as promote an understanding that diversity enhances all aspects of company operations.
Furthermore, companies should focus on creating an atmosphere of inclusion within their workplace for all employees – including part-time, temporary and contingent workers who often feel neglected. Achievers Workforce Institute conducted research showing that those with an increased sense of belonging tend to be happier in their job and will stay at their company longer.
Companies should also be willing to change longstanding policies that discriminate against certain groups, such as affirmative action. Although it can be challenging, this step is vital in creating an equitable and inclusive work environment within the company.
At the conclusion of their recruiting process, companies should make an effort to be open about their DEIB efforts with candidates. By showing candidates that the company values diversity, equity and inclusion openly they may become more trusting of it.
Additionally, companies should make an effort to hire individuals known for being active in community outreach or DEI-related initiatives – this will demonstrate to candidates that your company is committed to making a difference both locally and beyond.
2. Develop Talent from Underrepresented Groups
Development talent from underrepresented groups can be challenging. Leaders must be visible, transparent, supportive of these employees and establish relationships and trust between themselves and them – especially considering leaders have such an immense influence over workplace cultures; research suggests if leaders support diversity and inclusion at an organization level this can result in more women in executive positions and more diverse teams.
As it can be challenging to develop talent from underrepresented groups without adequate resources, companies must invest in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI includes policies and programs that foster representation, opportunity employment and sense of belonging for underrepresented groups – policies which address race ethnicity religion gender age sex socioeconomic status language physical ability cultural background sexual orientation as dimensions of human difference.
Lack of diversity and inclusion can have detrimental effects on business performance, leading to low morale and high turnover rates. According to a Glassdoor survey, half of Black and Hispanic employees who quit due to discrimination reported their departure as being related. Achieve an optimal level of diversity and inclusion within your organization will attract top talent while improving employee retention rates.
As we enter 2023, there is an increasing need for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. While organizations have committed more resources and are raising awareness on DEI issues, many have cut budgets for DEI programs or laid off members from DEI teams in an attempt to combat DEI challenges.
Economic benefits of investing in DEI are undeniable. According to a McKinsey study, businesses with more diverse workforces were up to 25% more profitable than their nondiverse counterparts and employees who felt like part of their organization were more productive and engaged than before.
No matter the size or nature of your organization, fostering an inclusive culture can be difficult and complex, yet essential to its success and the global economy. By including DEI into your work practices, your company will be more equipped to attract top talent while producing creative solutions for today’s complex issues.
3. Create an Inclusive Culture
Inclusion is an umbrella term for acknowledging all the ways people differ, from race and sex to age and gender identity, socioeconomic status and religious beliefs to abilities, perspectives and values brought to work by employees. Inclusion aims to foster an inclusive workplace environment in which everyone feels valued and respected – something which boosts team morale, increases performance and profitability and reduces health-related absences while creating a work culture conducive to recruiting top talent while serving customers more efficiently or expanding into new markets.
An inclusive culture requires an investment in both time and money. This process begins by informing leaders about the benefits of diversity and inclusion for their organization, such as improved decision-making, increased collaboration, creativity, innovation, increased employee retention rates, as well as outperforming competitors more easily. Next step should be educating leaders about why DEI matters so that their organization benefits. To accomplish this task effectively they will need to demonstrate its importance by showing its various benefits – such as improved decision-making processes, collaboration improved, creativity increased etc. Show leaders that more diverse teams create a stronger work environment while companies that prioritize diversity are more likely to attract talent as well as outstrip competitors more successfully.
Next, create a plan for reaching your DEI goals. According to the NAIS, set measurable, attainable and relevant targets aligned with your company values; be sure to provide a timeline for reaching them; this will make tracking progress easy while holding yourself accountable.
Last, but certainly not least, is to foster a sense of belonging among your employees. While having an effective DEI framework in place will aid this goal, creating an inclusive culture where all employees feel accepted and connected is of equal importance. Make it clear that you respect their unique perspectives and experiences while seeking to understand them better is also key here.
Not only should you foster a sense of belonging for your team members, but make sure they have access to all the resources necessary for effective performance of their jobs – whether this means accommodating for disabilities, providing training on unconscious bias and microaggressions or creating safe spaces for open dialogue.
4. Create a Sense of Belonging
A sense of belonging is an emotion created from two factors – a desire for connection and positive regard – which most individuals evaluate their experiences to decide if they fit with others (Baumeister & Leary 1995; Deci & Ryan 2000; Maslow 1954). There is widespread agreement that belonging is an essential human need; however there remains disagreement on its definition and measurement, as well as ways to enhance feelings of belongingness.
Belonging is a component of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEIB) which refers to employees’ sense that all aspects of themselves can be brought to work; differences are respected; contributions valued; psychological safety is ensured for group or team participation; new hires often don’t feel accepted or that their voices are heard; creating an atmosphere in the workplace where employees feel like they belong is integral for employee retention and innovation.
As an example, in a leadership team composed of nine experienced managers and one new one, it may cause one manager to feel marginalized or not appreciated for their contribution. If other managers encourage this new manager to speak up and provide their perspective while providing opportunities to lead projects and grow, this gives them a sense that they belong and that their voice matters to the group.
Fostering a sense of belonging can also be achieved through affinity groups or employee resource groups (ERG), where individuals can come together around shared characteristics or interests to form community within their company. Such groups provide great ways of increasing communication across teams while simultaneously building a sense of community within it.
Companies are coming to realize that it’s not enough just to hire diverse candidates or have a diverse workforce or promote from within; they must consider all aspects of their organization that create an environment in which employees feel accepted and valued for who they are – which will result in more innovative, productive, healthy workplace environments where every employee feels they can bring all of themselves to work each day.