Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are intertwined concepts that form an umbrella to foster fairness in workplaces. DEI encompasses an array of issues that affect employees as well as business success.
Diverse workforces are powerful forces of innovation for any business, and inclusivity plays a pivotal role in creating an environment in which everyone feels welcome and valued at work.
Definition of Diversity
Diversity encompasses all of the ways in which individuals differ, be it their social and cultural backgrounds, family structures, life experiences, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion/politics affiliations, physical abilities/qualities or education status. Diversity impacts access to resources, opportunity and achievement for everyone – it requires acknowledging inequities while simultaneously understanding privilege (CUNY 2017).
As important, it is to recognize that although diversity, equity, and inclusion may often be used interchangeably, they each have distinct meanings. Diversity refers to quantity while equity/inclusion focus on quality – diversity emphasizes quantity while equity/inclusion ensure equal opportunities but include making sure these opportunities actually benefit individuals (CUNY 2017).
Diversity in business terms refers to the inclusion of various races, ethnicities, genders and ages within an organization’s workforce. Diversity is the starting point in creating an inclusive workplace environment; however, being diverse alone does not ensure this outcome. In order to truly create inclusive workplace environments, organizations must evaluate how their practices may contribute to discrimination or oppression and make sure those from underrepresented groups feel welcome and supported at work.
To be inclusive, a company must recognize the role that culture plays in creating an environment in which all employees can feel free and authentic in themselves. Furthermore, tokenism must be avoided: when underrepresented employees are hired or promoted solely based on their identities without receiving the support they require to thrive in their roles.
At its core, an inclusive business is better able to meet customer needs. Recognizing and responding to the barriers workers from different backgrounds face and providing all employees the chance to thrive will increase productivity and foster innovation within its workplace. To learn more about becoming more inclusive in your workplace check out GW Center for Equity and Inclusion.
Definition of Equity
Diversity encompasses people of various backgrounds; equity focuses on creating the conditions needed to ensure everyone can access opportunities and benefits equally. A clear definition of equity can galvanize individuals and organizations to take action; in fact, research by SSIR indicates that foundations who establish explicit equity goals are more likely to implement theories of change, frameworks, and plans of action than those who don’t do this.
To effectively pursue equity, it’s vitally important to realize that equal treatment does not always translate to proportional fairness. A classic illustration of this point would be people standing on different sized boxes so as to see over a fence: equality would require all individuals standing on identical boxes while equity requires each person using one that best meets their height needs to see over.
Teachers typically employ the term “equity” when discussing academic achievement and educational resources. Teachers strive for equitable pedagogy by adapting curriculum and instructional practices so as to be culturally responsive, meet individual student strengths and needs, support all learners within society (Banks & Banks 1995) (additionally see “B. & B.” for further discussion).
Pursuing inclusion in the workplace requires understanding that each employee holds unique combinations of social identities–race/ethnicity, gender/sexual orientation, age, religion, physical ability and neurodiversity among them–that contribute to their unique experience at work as well as any barriers they might face to belonging. Thus, isolated gestures like unconscious bias training cannot suffice.
At companies, disaggregation is vital in understanding how data impacts each group. For instance, schools often monitor achievement gaps by demographic but fail to investigate gaps affecting specific student populations such as women of color or female STEM majors.
Organizations seeking to foster inclusiveness should secure senior-level sponsorship, practice inclusive leadership, foster dialogue and track their progress toward reaching inclusion goals. Policies, programs and practices must also be evaluated regularly through an iterative process of assessment and design to ensure they’re working as planned.
Definition of Inclusion
Talking about diversity, equity and inclusion can be complex. Different people often have differing definitions of terminology used during such efforts that lead to confusion or miscommunication that exacerbate inequities further. Establishing common terminology among participants in such dialogue is essential in making progress towards equality possible.
Diversity refers to all the differences among individuals that create differences among us – this could include our race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability status and socioeconomic standing – as well as differing abilities, beliefs and cultural backgrounds. Inclusivity involves acknowledging these differences while providing an environment in which everyone feels welcome to bring their authentic selves to work; respect is accorded for each individual’s talents, abilities and experiences.
In order to reach true inclusion, those in positions of power must listen and implement feedback from marginalized groups seriously, otherwise those most negatively impacted by an organization’s inequitable practices could start feeling disengaged and lose trust in leadership. One effective solution would be ensuring those spearheading diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have enough resources and time at their disposal for their projects to flourish.
Businesses must embrace diversity to gain an effective competitive advantage. By welcoming multiple points of view and creating an inclusive workplace culture, organizations can tap into innovative solutions for both their customers and employees alike. Furthermore, this helps increase brand visibility by creating products which reflect the demographic they serve.
Diversity and inclusion movements are vitally important components of our collective efforts to make our world a better place, but it must be remembered that progressing on this journey requires continued dedication and effort. We must educate ourselves about complex issues related to diversity and equity as we discuss these topics among stakeholders – taking time to comprehend definitions for diversity, equity and inclusion can ensure all voices are heard while making everyone feel valued within their communities.
Definition of Belonging
Belonging is the final element of DEI framework and refers to employees feeling valued and accepted by colleagues in their workplace, which allows them to express themselves freely while at work. Belonging is integral to business success because it promotes employee wellness leading to enhanced performance.
Yrthya Dinzey-Flores, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Justworks, says belonging is the emotional cousin of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) framework’s first three elements; unlike these components which focus on practices or philosophies; belonging is about feeling. According to Dinzey-Flores it may even be missing in some organizations altogether.
Belonging is an increasingly crucial aspect of DEI movement. To succeed at belonging, organizations must be open and honest about their biases while challenging people’s negative stereotypes. Leaders should acknowledge when they’ve made assumptions based on race or gender that led them down an incorrect path – this creates learning moments which will move an organization toward greater tolerance and understanding.
Though most researchers agree on the significance of belonging, their understanding varies considerably between disciplines. Literature on DEI research tends to be wide-ranging and theoretically diverse, yet no attempt has been made to integrate multiple perspectives. Furthermore, research on DEI has been predominantly conducted by individual scholars with diverse approaches and backgrounds.
An absence of clarity and consistency in the field is impeding meaningful progress. While individuals and organizations have strong commitments to diversity and inclusion, often without adequate resources for implementation; furthermore they often encounter resistance from those who don’t understand why change must take place.
Therefore, it’s vital that we adopt an inclusive approach to DEI. While each component has its own significance and meaning, all are interconnected and must be addressed to create lasting change. With an understanding of these definitions in hand, leaders can design their own DEI strategies; though it must be noted that they should not become set in stone as time progresses and the landscape shifts.