Numerous organizations have made diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) an organizational priority. A McKinsey report indicates that organizations with more gender diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to outshone their peers in financial performance.
An effective DEI strategy must go beyond diversity and representation – it must also ensure people feel included.
Diversity
Diversity refers to all of the qualities that distinguish people, such as skin color, gender identity and expression, religion practiced by an individual, sexual orientation preferences, national origin origination socioeconomic status language spoken and physical ability. Diversity encompasses individuals as well as their communities – it can even encompass all cultural aspects within those communities.
Oft times, these differences lead to disparities that many organizations attempt to address through DEI initiatives. Racial inequities that exist between White and Black communities affect all aspects of people’s lives – income, education attainment, home ownership, accessing healthcare and social services as well as quality of life – with similar inequalities existing between women, Latinos, LGBTQ+ employees and those with disabilities as well.
While companies might hire people with various talents on their teams, without providing them with sufficient opportunities or resources to flourish they will likely struggle to be successful and create the kind of lasting impacts in their communities they desire.
Step one towards combatting inequities is ensuring all voices are heard; this means prioritizing diversity and inclusion as core aspects of your company culture. That means acknowledging and accepting everyone’s contributions to your organization; being open and transparent with employees, promoting inclusivity while respecting individual perspectives of individuals; fighting microaggressions, bias and discrimination and creating a sense of belonging among staff.
To do so effectively, organizations must possess an efficient means for measuring and reporting on the performance of their diversity and inclusion programs. Best practice assessments typically incorporate questions around employee satisfaction, engagement and retention metrics alongside questions pertaining to best practices such as:
Equity
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) seeks to ensure that everyone has an equal chance at success regardless of background or circumstance, regardless of race, religion, or economic circumstances. At its heart lies equity – often used interchangeably with equality – which ensures resources are distributed based on needs rather than equal opportunity. Equity is achieved by addressing root causes of inequality and working toward change – in workplace settings this can include fixing broken career ladders for underrepresented groups as well as closing gender pay gap issues.
Equality and diversity work hand-in-hand to create a more equitable workplace, but it’s essential to recognize their distinct roles. Diversity refers to making sure different groups are represented within an organization, while equity addresses any barriers preventing certain groups from reaching their full potential. A company focused on diversity may hire a diverse workforce but fail to address obstacles preventing their members from succeeding – these individuals could leave to find more fulfilling opportunities elsewhere.
DEI initiatives aim to identify and address all barriers preventing women from reaching their full potential, whether systemic or personal. Women may be well represented among senior management roles at an organization but still feel excluded due to longstanding gender norms or pay disparity issues – all factors which must be overcome in order to reach true equity.
Companies that place strong emphasis on DEI tend to outperform those without, financially. According to research conducted by McKinsey & Company, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity among their executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than those in the bottom quartile; additionally, diversity improves decision-making processes and helps create innovations within businesses. Therefore, businesses must embrace an inclusive culture which accepts the talents and perspectives of all employees so as to remain competitive within their markets and foster stronger bonds with their workforces.
Inclusion
As businesses transition away from viewing diversity strategies as optional extras, it is critical that organizations understand how they can elevate their efforts further. The aim should be for all people, no matter their background or demographic composition, to feel as though they can express themselves freely at work; otherwise they won’t feel valued and thus struggle to support company’s mission and values.
“BELFOR” in DEI&B stands for “belonging”. To be inclusive means making people feel valued, respected and supported both at work and outside it; acknowledging differences among individuals such as race/ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity religion socioeconomic status disability etc and providing all people an equal chance to participate and contribute in ways meaningful to them.
Inclusion and equality can often be confused, yet there’s a key distinction: equality refers to treating everyone equally while equity goes further by allocating resources according to needs. Our society can often be uneven; equity seeks to address imbalances by providing more opportunities for those who previously had limited access.
One reason it can be difficult to fully comprehend diversity, equity, and inclusion is due to their interconnectivity; all must work in unison in order to foster an inclusive culture. For instance, if women are well represented in the workforce but do not feel included due to structural or societal barriers like salary discrepancies – one possible explanation.
For diversity initiatives to flourish, it’s essential that they have an effective leadership team in place. This should include having an inclusive group that can set an example and encourage others to embrace building more inclusive workplaces. Furthermore, it is critical that we remain aware of any offensive or insensitive language being used within organizations; having people from underrepresented groups in C-suite positions could help drive cultural shifts that enable companies to thrive more fully.
Impact
Diversity, equity and inclusion have multiple effects on an organization. They can include recruitment and retention of diverse employees; reaching different customer segments with innovative products or solutions that address specific challenges; as well as improving financial performance by encouraging an inclusive culture. Companies that adopt diversity management tend to outperform those that do not.
Diversity refers to all of the different characteristics that distinguish individuals, such as differences in age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and disability status. Inclusion refers to feeling accepted and appreciated for who one is as an individual.
While diversity and inclusion may appear to be independent concepts, they both work hand-in-hand to foster an environment of respect and fairness. A diversity and inclusion strategy seeks to ensure everyone feels like part of something bigger – regardless of background or identity.
To do so, organizations must establish a commitment to inclusion by creating policies and encouraging a culture of acceptance. All employees should be informed about these values as core components of business operations; while embracing differences and respecting each employee as individuals are vital components in creating inclusive environments where all are welcome and feel part of a team effort.
Implementing a diverse and inclusive workplace is no simple task, as new attitudes take time to adapt. But organizations can make strides towards this goal through initiatives like training or workshops on unconscious biases or microaggressions (negative behaviors directed against members of underrepresented groups).
Though diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives present unique challenges to their organizations, most employees believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are beneficial to both employees and employers alike. According to 15Five’s survey results, 56% of respondents reported feeling an immense sense of belonging at work while more than half (56%) noted their employers have policies in place designed to combat race/gender discrimination.