Diversity refers to the various characteristics that distinguish people. Equity refers to fair treatment and access to opportunities.
Inclusion is about making people feel they belong in your company and is achieved by its culture, policies, and systems.
Belonging refers to an emotional sense of alignment with an organization’s mission and vision.
Gender
Diversity, equity and inclusion discussions are becoming more widespread around the globe, as companies become more conscious of their need to foster inclusive working environments for all employees. What exactly does being inclusive mean in practice? Diversity means welcoming and supporting all individuals and groups regardless of differences; providing access to opportunities while eliminating any barriers preventing individuals from taking full advantage of those opportunities; as well as making sure everyone feels valued and feels like part of something larger in work environments.
Diversity encompasses any differences among people, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion/spirituality, socioeconomic status, national origin, language, age disability and political/social perspectives. Inclusion refers to creating environments which affirm and celebrate these differences while offering access to opportunities – this means making sure that each individual can fully contribute his/her unique perspectives toward achieving success and meeting organizational objectives.
An organization that prioritizes DEIB provides an inviting environment where employees feel welcome. A workplace free from all types of bias, including racism, sexism, tokenism, ageism, ableism discrimination and more – makes for a productive working experience and fosters employee wellbeing. DEIB can help companies attract and retain talented employees, improve employee morale, increase productivity, foster innovation and form more resilient organizations – ultimately creating workplaces more ready to adapt to an ever-evolving world. DEIB stands for Diversity Equality Inclusion and Broader Benefits and refers to workplaces which are better equipped to respond to the diverse marketplace. The business case for DEIB is compelling; companies with more women on their boards are 27% more profitable [4], and mixed teams solve problems faster and make better decisions than all-male teams [5]. But its benefits go well beyond simply increasing profitability and morale – DEIB also brings increased employee creativity, better leadership performance and enhanced work life balance [6,7].
Race
Race is a social construct that segregates people into groups according to physical appearance, cultural background and other characteristics. This creates disparate opportunities, outcomes and resources that negatively impact individuals and communities alike. Many organizations are working hard to address these issues through diversity equity inclusion (DEI).
DEIB-focused organizations value all employees equally and give them equal opportunities for professional success. Furthermore, such companies understand and acknowledge employees’ individuality and recognize its contribution in the workplace.
Companies that prioritize diversity, equity and belonging are better able to meet customer demands in today’s increasingly diverse world by prioritizing company culture, hiring processes and leadership team composition.
An organization that values DEIB also has an intensely clear sense of purpose and understands how its mission can help create a more equitable society, evident by how they communicate their goals to employees and encourage employee involvement in community initiatives.
Companies serious about developing and upholding a DEIB culture should make time to carefully examine their recruitment, hiring and promotion practices, identify any areas for improvement and set targets with their leaders to achieve these enhancements. They will also work toward creating a safe work environment without microaggressions – this can be accomplished through activities such as unconscious bias training sessions, diversity committees or mentoring programs – so taking this time-intensive step will allow a company to achieve its long-term DEIB goals more successfully.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to who someone is emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to. Examples include gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual and asexual people. Gender identity differs from sexual orientation as gender identity describes an individual’s innermost perceptions about either being male, female, a blend or neither; which could correspond with their assigned sex at birth or differ. LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Questioning or Questioning individuals) or LGBTQIA (Lesbian Gay Intersex And Nonbinary individuals) will often describe this identity or orientation respectively.
Diversity-friendly societies respect and celebrate the differences among their people, while equity and inclusion play essential roles in creating an open society that welcomes all. Inclusivity means providing equal access to opportunities and benefits; creating an atmosphere which welcomes and respects everyone can also be achieved by identifying and eliminating unconscious biases such as negative stereotypes about other groups of people.
Marginalization refers to the act of forcing certain groups into society’s margins by denying them an active role, identity or place within it. This process may occur either deliberately or subconsciously through discriminatory acts like discrimination and microaggressions; by acknowledging and honoring diversity we can overcome such hurdles and ensure all people have equal chances to thrive and feel included within it. Eventually we hope for a world in which each individual can be recognized for his/her unique contributions to making society stronger, richer and more sustainable over time.
Disability
Disability Justice movement seeks to enhance the lives of disabled people by prioritizing collective liberation. This framework emphasizes collective liberation rather than traditional civil rights or medical models of disability that view disabilities as medical problems; rather it highlights intersectionality and the role ableism plays in other oppressions such as colonialism, heteropatriarchal capitalism and white supremacy.
Disability, gender, sexual orientation, age and religious beliefs are all aspects of diversity that can contribute to an inclusive work environment. Fostering diversity within your workplace can help attract and retain employees while increasing productivity and employee engagement – but promoting DEIB takes dedication – organizations must address unconscious bias, identify microaggressions and foster a culture of inclusion for it to succeed.
At work, everyone should feel included and welcome; an inclusive workplace fosters this feeling by supporting and welcoming differences. An inclusive culture overcomes barriers to collaboration and respect among team members by training for biases or miscommunication and raising awareness for possible misunderstandings; additionally it makes an effort to consider the effects their actions might have on others.
DEIB (Defense Equality & Inclusion Boarding) is a long-term process involving changing attitudes, policies and practices within your workplace. To create a productive work environment and overcome unconscious bias or microaggressions is of utmost importance; building sense of belonging for all employees requires time as well. To be successful in DEIB efforts you should set clear goals with measures for achievement that other organizations can follow as this will set a good example to other companies that use DEIB is no trend but an ongoing process that should not be overlooked or put off until its time comes again! DEIB has come back into mainstream consciousness recently but this time it’s here to stay!
Age
DEIB’s final component, belonging, refers to employees’ sense of connection and community within their workplace. To foster it, open communication and collaboration between colleagues are encouraged, along with creating an environment in which everyone feels free to be themselves. Furthermore, an inclusive culture must be fostered, along with ongoing education on diversity and inclusion issues.
Diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging are essential values in any organization. By adopting them into your company culture, you can attract a more diverse workforce while improving customer services. However, diversity should not be confused with inclusion. Diversity includes all aspects of people’s uniqueness while inclusion goes further by making sure all individuals feel they belong and their differences are respected and celebrated.
An inclusive company is defined as one which accepts and embraces differences among its workforce in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, physical ability religion and political beliefs. Furthermore it considers intersectionality – meaning each aspect of an individual’s identity impacts their interaction with others – when making decisions.
To be truly diverse and inclusive, companies must ensure that each employee has equal opportunity to be hired, perform their job well and advance in the organization. To do this successfully, a company must create an environment free from biases such as racism, sexism, tokenism, ageism and religious discrimination; additionally it means making sure each employee has access to mentoring programs as well as cultural awareness training on political matters as well as access to leadership roles within the company.