Diversity in the workplace is both moral and ethical imperative, while providing companies with many practical advantages like increased revenue, customer reach and employee recruitment and retention.
However, diversity equity and inclusion is a broad field with many terms with vague meanings; therefore this article seeks to make these topics clear for all readers.
Diversity
As these terms are frequently bandied about in our world – especially the workplace – it can be easy to be confused between diversity, equity and inclusion. This may be especially confusing to someone new to this field.
Working in this field, you know that diversity can often be seen as the end goal, when in reality it serves more as a tool. Diversity encompasses all the ways individuals differ from each other – not only demographically; some differences such as race, gender and sexual orientation may be obvious to us while other ones such as language use or military/veteran status may go unseen.
Diversity comes in many forms; inclusion is the practice of welcoming all these differences and creating an environment in which individuals feel free to express themselves freely and authentically. Although this process takes time and dedication from leaders, the rewards make it worth your while.
Consider what makes up your department or unit’s composition: is each kind of identity present, given a chance to thrive and contribute their unique skills, perspectives, and values to the team?
Diversification is necessary for meeting the other goals of DEI: equity and inclusion. Without it, achieving these aims may prove more challenging. Expanding diversity without addressing inequities would be like pouring water into a colander: only until its capacity has been reached will any excess flow off into drainpipes. To ensure all members of your organization can thrive, it’s necessary to address systemic inequities that prevent people from flourishing and create an inclusive culture that welcomes all forms of diversity. Luckily, there are resources available that can assist with this goal! Click here for more information and keep this in mind: it is crucial that your definitions of diversity, equity and inclusion evolve with you throughout your journey. Additionally, gathering feedback from members in your department or unit about what it means to them to feel included as part of a team may prove fruitful.
Equity
Diversity is important because it shows your company is working towards providing equal opportunities to everyone. Equity means trying to eliminate differences in how people are treated or access resources; having equity in the workplace will help your business to flourish because it gives people of different backgrounds the chance to display their work skills, as well as giving your employees the sense of being part of a team and being recognized for their hard work.
Searching definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion is likely to reveal long and confusing explanations; this is because these concepts are constantly being revised so they meet the needs of different groups more adequately. But understanding these terms is crucial if your organization hopes to make progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Simply defined, diversity refers to the demographics of your team members – which encompass their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age and national origin. A diverse team increases your likelihood of making a positive impactful contribution to community and customers; however, having such a team does not automatically guarantee everyone feels welcome; inclusion is more complex concept that looks at how different groups are treated differently as well as their experiences varying among themselves.
Establishing an inclusive environment takes time and dedication; but the investment pays off. A company without inclusive practices risks alienating its employees and failing to reach its full potential. Inclusivity can be achieved through cultural competency training, hiring practices that support social awareness policies, equitable procedures and equalization practices.
DEI strives to foster an environment in which every employee feels welcomed and appreciated, which in turn leads to stronger and more innovative companies. A diverse workforce brings in new ideas that may lead to success while remaining relevant in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion is designed to give all people of diverse identities a sense of being valued, welcomed, respected, included, represented and heard within an organization or any space where people interact. Those in power need to be held accountable for making necessary changes so all individuals may enjoy its advantages.
Inclusion is the final component of DEI framework and requires your team to take an in-depth look at how they can create an environment in which all individuals can thrive irrespective of any superficial differences between individuals. This may involve challenging unconscious bias which often prevents people from feeling fully included within organizations. Ensure all types of people receive equal opportunities, access resources and chances to thrive in their work environments.
So it is essential that allied members and those from underrepresented groups occupy leadership roles within your company, to set an inclusive tone throughout. Such leaders can set the pace toward making your company an inclusive workplace faster by setting an example through their actions. A diverse and well-rounded C-suite team can speed this transformational journey.
Finally, make sure that all members of your team understand how to talk about diversity and inclusion so as to avoid using insensitive language that might cause offense to members of their own team or the larger community. This should be an ongoing process requiring regular conversations amongst your employees in order to ensure you remain on track.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is an ever-evolving concept which can be difficult to define. But once your team has an in-depth understanding of these terms, they can use them across their work life and daily activities. By applying diversity principles more frequently in all areas, their culture will slowly transform to become one where everyone feels welcomed, valued and seen for who they truly are.
What is DEI?
DEI (Diversity and Inclusivity) is a process to create a more fair society where all individuals have equal opportunities. This requires addressing barriers that prevent groups from accessing resources equally based on factors like age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability; unfortunately there is no single solution; but steps can be taken toward making workplaces more diverse and inclusive.
Companies that place emphasis on diversity and inclusion strive to ensure all individuals have equal chances for success, whether by representing various demographics in the company, making sure employees feel welcome, or creating policies to foster an inclusive work culture.
Diversity-friendly employers (DEI) can also contribute to company success by providing fresh perspectives and ideas, leading to more innovation, productivity and customer base understanding as well as potentially helping find more talent by tapping into a wider pool of candidates.
Employees in an environment that champions DEI can work collaboratively to overcome cultural resistance and unconscious biases such as affinity bias (when people gravitate toward others who share similar interests), conformation bias, or attributive bias (judging other behaviors based on prior observations and interactions). By accepting cultural challenges head-on, companies can more successfully implement DEI initiatives.
One way data can help create an inclusive workplace is through its use as a diagnostic tool and insight generator. For instance, employee data can provide valuable insight into which groups of employees are being affected by disparities, enabling you to take the necessary actions against these disparities. A college, for instance, shared with Inside Higher Ed how their team used powerful analytics capabilities to detect racial inequity within both student and staff data sets.
Companies looking to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces require senior leadership support in order to achieve their diversity and inclusion (DEI) goals. In particular, it’s crucial that they implement training that helps employees identify microaggressions or other forms of discrimination within their organization.