Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) refers to any effort undertaken by companies to ensure all members feel valued and can contribute, from addressing unconscious biases and creating inclusive cultures to dismantling discriminatory policies.
One effective way of showing your dedication to DEI is through tangible initiatives and strategies, which is why this article contains diversity statement examples that highlight specific DEI programs and resources.
Gender Diversity
Gender diversity refers to ensuring that men, women and non-binary individuals are all represented equally in your organization. This involves hiring them at similar rates, compensating them equally for similar work performed and offering equal advancement and leadership roles opportunities. Gender diversity should also address how gender identity may extend beyond binary systems such as male/female identification; people must have freedom in how they identify their gender.
Gender equality is a core value in many organizations, and has direct connections to business performance. According to studies conducted, companies with gender-diverse executive teams tend to experience financial returns above industry medians. That is why businesses should prioritize gender equality within their operations and make sure they have all necessary tools and resources at their disposal to do it successfully.
An effective diversity and inclusion policy is an excellent first step toward improvement for any organization, helping it assess its current state and determine steps it must take in order to grow and thrive. Furthermore, creating this policy provides an excellent opportunity to define what all these terms mean, including which should come before which; once your working definitions have been created you can then move onto creating an inclusive diversity equity and inclusion plan.
Once you’ve taken steps toward implementing your diversity and inclusion policies, it’s essential to assess your progress. This can be accomplished through various evaluation methods – employee surveys and pay gap analyses among them – as well as conducting exit interviews with former employees to get direct feedback about their experience with you. Comparing this data against your target goals allows you to ensure your efforts are having an effect on diversity within your workforce.
To maximize impact, it is critical that diversity and inclusion (DEI) efforts align with your mission and values. This means prioritizing employee DEI needs while also taking into account customers, communities and customers with disabilities (for instance when selling products intended for them). If selling such products is part of your mission and values, DEI initiatives that address accessibility may also help.
Race/Ethnicity Diversity
Racial diversity in the workplace involves accepting all racial groups and their differences while acknowledging how some identities may intersect with one another – known as intersectionality. A Black woman who is queer and has a disability might, for instance, experience discrimination and microaggressions related to all three identities at once.
Racially diverse backgrounds can be determined by an individual’s parents, country of origin and other cultural factors, with people who identify as multiracial often using “multiracial” instead of black or white when discussing themselves. Ethnic diversity also extends further than race by including more elements such as languages and traditions in its definition.
No matter its definition, ethnic and racial diversity are invaluable assets to businesses of any kind as it allows for improved problem-solving and innovation by offering varied perspectives and experiences to the table. Furthermore, diversity helps organisations avoid biases that could lead to unconscious or intentional discrimination against certain members.
McKinsey research shows that companies that are more diverse with regards to gender and race are likely to be more innovative and productive, as well as have higher profits than companies with less diversity. One reason may be because women and minorities tend to possess creative or critical thinking abilities, making them indispensable members of a team. Similar to companies who prioritize and recognize the contributions of LGBTQIA+ employees, companies that recognize and celebrate them as part of their DEI strategies will better meet customer needs. Therefore, it is imperative for organizations to incorporate DEI strategies in order to effectively meet customer demands. Companies should implement programs designed to increase recruitment and retention of minority and underrepresented workers, by encouraging best practices, emphasizing training, education and building strong support systems for employees; specifically for minority racial or ethnic workers this could include mentorship programs or other initiatives designed to provide guidance in their career pursuits.
Disability Inclusion
Disability inclusion is often left out of discussions surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (D&EI), but this shouldn’t be the case – disability inclusion can actually enhance your company’s unique value proposition and boost creativity and innovation in the workplace more so than non-disabled colleagues. A recent study demonstrated this fact.
Disability can be defined as any physical or mental condition which limits a person’s movements, senses or activities; however this definition has the potential to have detrimental repercussions for those living with the condition as they often face stigma, prejudice and discrimination – something which has an enormously detrimental impact on their daily work lives.
Disability inclusion is a process that begins by identifying and eliminating barriers that hinder someone from fulfilling socially expected life roles and activities, including education, employment, using public services like libraries and transportation systems, moving about freely within their community, receiving adequate health care coverage and maintaining relationships.
Ola Ojewumi and Regina Walton are two women within the disability community who shared their insights on ways to eliminate workplace barriers for those with disabilities. Ola and Regina each possess multiple disabilities, making their perspectives all the more important when striving towards equality and inclusion for those living with disability. Both Ola and Regina agreed that intersectionality is an empowering concept that must be acknowledged while striving towards disability equality and inclusion.
While much remains to be done, we’re encouraged by the progress that many companies are making towards disability inclusion. We hope more businesses make disability inclusion their top priority and realize its advantages as part of creating an inclusive culture for all, including those living with disabilities.
At its core, diversity is the cornerstone of business success and we recognize its significance for building an agile and adaptable workforce. When all employees feel valued and accepted in the workplace, engagement increases dramatically resulting in better performance, higher retention levels, increased revenue streams and an enhanced brand image.
LGBT Inclusion
LGBT inclusion involves making sure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) employees feel welcome in the workplace by creating policies which include them and implementing LGBT initiatives within company culture. Furthermore, it involves addressing any issues which affect them such as discrimination and harassment that could affect them as employees.
Education of employees on the LGBTQ community is an integral step toward making your company LGBT inclusive. Training workshops that introduce employees to various identities within this group and what words or phrases should not be used when speaking about them can be highly beneficial; ideally, such sessions should be led by someone knowledgeable about this community so as to answer any queries from employees about it.
Another effective strategy for increasing LGBT inclusivity is adding inclusive language into company policy documents like employee handbooks and job postings, making your company more appealing to top talent by showing that you support LGBT inclusion. Be wary of tokenism – when companies make symbolic gestures supporting the community without actually upholding its values in practice.
An additional way to increase LGBT inclusivity is through encouraging and supporting employee-led LGBT groups, whether employee resource groups, mentoring programs, networking events or social groups that specialize in specific interest areas like LGBT film and TV. Such groups provide safe space for employees who face particular difficulties at work to share their stories while creating an atmosphere where all feel accepted and equals are welcome.
Finalizing efforts toward LGBTQ inclusion requires listening to employee feedback about ways in which their company could become more welcoming of this community. This can be accomplished via employee surveys and focus groups, or by rewarding offices who excel at this work with recognition for their efforts. By rewarding positive initiatives, companies can encourage others to join LGBT inclusivity efforts and foster an improved work environment for all employees.