Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is an essential component of business success. DEI seeks to empower employees while drawing in talent; enhance brand reputation; and ensure all customers feel welcome and respected.
Leaders need to acknowledge unconscious biases and work toward opening up communication channels for everyone involved in order to make an impactful difference in society. Here are a few suggestions on how they can get started.
1. Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Diverse workforces have long been acknowledged to be more productive companies, offering benefits ranging from increased employee engagement and creativity to an increase in revenue. But diversity alone cannot create an inclusive culture required by companies that want to support their diverse employees while assuring all team members feel safe at work.
Establishing an inclusive workplace involves employing various strategies, and company leaders must understand which will have the biggest effect. Focusing on those areas that impede inclusion rather than adding diversity without considering specific issues at play can make all the difference in terms of creating an equitable work environment.
Example: An organization cannot expect its diverse employees to feel safe or valued if it fails to offer equal opportunities in terms of advancement. Furthermore, management teams without diversity or insensitivity to different groups can act as barriers towards creating an inclusive culture.
Company leadership must set the example and be open to discussions on what an inclusive culture looks like. Furthermore, DEI training can teach them how to check their unconscious biases while upholding company values.
Encourage a culture of inclusion by offering your employees an opportunity to show their gratitude. This approach gives employees a strong and positive feeling of belonging within the company, leading them to feel more engaged with and satisfied by their job.
Companies that prioritize creating an atmosphere of belonging among its employees will enjoy many advantages, ranging from more creative and productive workplace environments to stronger brand loyalty. Ultimately, this can help companies achieve success and thrive in their marketplaces. To start this journey towards creating this sense of belonging among employees, companies should review four components of DIB model: diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging – then determine how best practices can make an impactful difference across their diverse workforces.
2. Creating a Culture of Equity
Diversity refers to people from all different ages, races, physical abilities, genders, religions and cultures who all interact at work in different ways. Equity involves creating an atmosphere in which those differences are valued and everyone feels like they belong – to foster an inclusive work culture your organization must prioritize equity first.
Reaching equity requires more than hiring a diverse workforce and training managers on unconscious bias; rather, it calls for an evaluation of all organizational structures, policies, systems, products and processes within your company to see whether they address inequities effectively.
Your team must be open and communicate effectively if it wants to achieve this. That means providing ongoing training on how to discuss D&I issues while creating an inclusive work environment where employees feel safe to have these difficult discussions. While sometimes these conversations may feel challenging or awkward, it is necessary in order to address inequities and foster an environment in which all employees can feel they belong and feel that sense of belonging.
Another key step toward creating a culture of belonging in your organization is making sure all types of employees participate in events and initiatives, not only full-time staff but also contingent workers and contract employees. You can foster this sense of belonging by offering affinity groups such as Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or community service committees for employees to find their tribe and connect over shared interests.
Establishing a culture of belonging is integral to employee morale, retention and performance. Studies have revealed that companies with highly inclusive workplaces experience higher engagement levels and greater productivity compared to competitors. Employees who feel part of an employer are more likely to remain with them and refer them to others.
Companies need a plan in place in order to maximize inclusion and equity at scale. BoardSource offers this handy guide as a starting point in their cultural planning journey, offering insight into various components of an equity-driven culture as well as templates that can assist your organization with creating an all-inclusive equity plan.
3. Creating a Culture of Belonging
Belonging, the latest addition to DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), has quickly become an essential aspect of company culture. As pandemics and social justice movements bring attention to belonging issues, more companies recognize its significance to their bottom lines by creating an atmosphere of belonging for their employees.
Attracting and creating a sense of belonging are positive endeavors; the challenge lies in making sure everyone feels they belong in both team and company.
Establishing a culture of belonging requires leadership that encourages behaviors that foster it, along with an inclusive workplace environment. Furthermore, creating such an atmosphere requires reevaluating how we communicate – in organizations with diverse workforces it’s key that all employees understand the mission and values so that people feel included as part of something bigger while their aspirations is represented by company ethos.
Fostering a sense of belonging in employees requires providing benefits and initiatives that promote community building, such as flexible work scheduling and emotional wellness programs – these initiatives have been shown to increase feelings of inclusion by up to 38%! Furthermore, contingent workers and temp workers must also participate in team-building activities.
Employees who feel valued can increase productivity and engagement at work. McKinsey & Company’s Great Attrition Survey 2021 found that half of those leaving their job did so because they did not feel appreciated by their employer or manager; creating an atmosphere of belonging can help decrease employee turnover rates and foster innovation.
Leaders who create an environment where employees feel like they belong in their workplace experience higher turnover and lower performance rates. One effective strategy leaders can employ to foster this sense of belonging is setting an example from the top and ensuring everyone feels welcome and supported – this means making sure everyone from CEO to junior team member are visible within the company, with everyone having equal access to voice contributions that matter and being valued for what they bring.
4. Creating a Culture of Innovation
Coqual has found that when employees feel included and accepted within their organization, they’re more willing to innovate. They feel safe suggesting new ideas or raising concerns about processes which don’t work well. Furthermore, these employees tend to stay with the same company for at least two years and recommend it as a great place to work – hence making DEIB a priority across the organization.
Establishing a DEIB culture requires shifting one’s mindset and an appreciation of how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are inextricably linked. Diversity refers to representation of various identities within an organization’s workforce; equity refers to workplace fairness while inclusion is focused on creating social bonds among coworkers. Furthermore, belonging is another component of DEI which refers to people feeling connected with their organizations.
Though many organizations are making progress toward diversity and equity in the workplace (DEI), many remain far from fully adopting DEI policies and initiatives. Only four LGBTQ+ CEOs lead America’s 100 largest corporations. And although 84% of workers support diversity initiatives within their organizations, only 6 percent feel their company is doing enough to promote DEI initiatives.
An effective way to increase DEI awareness within your organization is through more DEI-centric conversations. Though initially uncomfortable, such discussions are essential in creating a culture of belonging for all employees. Another strategy for building it would be ensuring all employees can participate in companywide meetings and decision-making processes so they can interact with other employees from diverse backgrounds while learning from each perspective presented.
Finally, leaders should set an excellent example by showing they value vulnerability. Leaders can demonstrate this value by talking openly about their struggles, fears and hopes to show they care. Doing this helps build trust among their teams while making them understand that differences don’t pose threats to anyone’s wellbeing.