Have you heard the term diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) before? Belonging is an emerging concept which has quickly become integral part of an organization’s DEI efforts.
Belonging is about individual’s internal motivation and sense of connection to an organization; DEI makes this its focus.
Attracting Diverse Talent
Engaging in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies is more than a moral or social responsibility; it’s an imperative business practice that leads to enhanced decision-making, increased creativity, enhanced financial performance and talent attraction and retention. Studies demonstrate that companies with high levels of diversity enjoy higher revenue growth and profitability compared to those without such strategies in place.
An effective diversity and inclusion strategy starts by recruiting diverse talent in the first place. Companies can increase diversity by recruiting from various parts of their local community, making sure job descriptions and interview questions don’t contain biases and offering mentorship programs for new hires to transition into company culture quickly and successfully.
Employees need to feel like they belong in order to bring their full selves to work, which can be accomplished by making sure their reflection is seen throughout the organization, from senior leaders down through mid-level managers and junior staff. Companies can further foster this sense of belonging by providing opportunities for employees to connect with one another – such as through employee resource groups (ERGs) or affinity groups based on shared characteristics or interests.
Leaders must show their dedication to DEIB by setting an example and modeling its values in their behavior, such as being open to challenging conversations and encouraging an environment of trust and respect, making DEIB visible within the company culture, setting clear goals related to DEIB goals that they communicate to their organization as well as celebrating any progress made towards those goals.
Diverse and inclusive workforces are essential to business success in today’s competitive environment. An employee pool that reflects your customers can better respond to shifts in customer needs and wants, innovate more easily and outshone competitors more readily if there is an active DEIB strategy in place and its implementation becomes part of daily operations.
Retaining Diverse Employees
Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) seeks to create an environment in which all employees feel welcome to express themselves authentically and offer their unique viewpoints without fear of reprisals from management or peers. Companies that prioritize DEIB see an increase in employee retention and more positive business results as well as improved society outcomes.
Organizations can foster a sense of belonging by encouraging employees to take part in DEIB activities, provide training and promote best practices, form employee resource groups (ERGs) to connect with those who share similar experiences or interests, and including contingent workers (such as contractors, temporary staff and gig workers ) in such activities in order for them to also feel included and secure within the workplace.
By providing employees with a safe space to have open conversations and offer feedback, employees can become more self-aware of their unconscious biases and take steps to address and correct them in order to reduce microaggressions in the workplace. Employees aware of their own biases may use gender neutral pronouns when speaking to colleagues or make an effort to recruit from diverse communities – two benefits gained by being aware of bias.
Companies should make sure their employees understand why promoting diversity and inclusive work environments is crucial, including sharing updates on any progress made toward meeting DEIB goals and celebrating any wins.
Frustration and apathy among employees may hinder the overall success of DEIB initiatives, particularly if their goals remain undefined and measurements difficult to assess and adjust as necessary.
When setting DEIB goals, it’s essential to set measurable and attainable targets aligned with its core values and mission. This will allow employees to recognize how relevant these goals are to them and motivate them towards working toward them.
Building Trust
People who feel that they belong at work are more likely to stay and do their best work. Belonging is an integral component of diversity equity inclusion; it only occurs if employees see their group represented, are treated equitably, and supported by management. But in order to foster this sense of belonging successfully, managers need to be aware of any unconscious biases within themselves that might unintentionally exclude others.
Companies have made considerable strides toward building more diverse and inclusive workplaces, though their goals must go beyond simply hiring more individuals from diverse backgrounds. A stronger commitment to DEI must be evident throughout an organization and extend all the way down from CEO.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are three organizational frameworks designed to ensure equal treatment of all individuals within an organization. Integrating diversity into your culture can help you better comprehend the world around you and make more informed business decisions while simultaneously creating an atmosphere where employees feel free to express themselves authentically at work.
Historically, diversity initiatives focused on recruiting and hiring, with HR department usually leading the charge. But to achieve true diversity and inclusion within an organization, leaders must invest in training programs for employees at all levels of the hierarchy.
Training should also include lessons about biases and stereotyping to enable individuals to recognize when they may be acting out of an unconscious bias. Furthermore, DEI training for managers is vital as part of making sure employees feel welcome at work.
Neurodiversity – or the variation in human brain functions between individuals – is another component of DEI that organizations have begun addressing. 15Five held a webinar featuring neurodivergent panelists discussing their experiences as well as ways businesses can support such diversity in the workforce.
Companies of all kinds benefit from creating an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. When employees feel free to express themselves fully at work they tend to be happier, engaged workers who collaborate better across disciplines – not to mention that companies who embrace more diverse leadership teams tend to be 36% more profitable!
Leading by Example
If you want your workforce to embrace diversity, equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) as core values, it’s critical that their leaders demonstrate its importance. Leaders should actively support DEIB efforts – including attending events and employee resource group meetings as well as responding appropriately to daily slights that could be evidence of bias.
Companies often struggle with meeting the business outcomes associated with diversity, equity and inclusion at work (DEIB) due to insufficient leadership commitment to DEIB. Many leaders aren’t fully aware of how their behaviors impact others or don’t feel comfortable discussing challenging topics like microaggressions at work. Microaggressions include not receiving credit for ideas proposed or asked to represent groups based on appearance or behavior or being told how to act within professional settings.
As organizations demonstrate leadership’s dedication to DEIB, it’s imperative for organizations to implement processes for identifying and eliminating unconscious bias during hiring and training processes. This creates an inclusive and welcoming environment for candidates from diverse backgrounds while creating a sense of belonging among all employees regardless of background.
Establish a system for gathering feedback from employees regarding their experiences at work. Engaged surveys may prove effective; but even better is identifying key themes and prioritizing those which matter the most for your workforce.
Cultivating a sense of belonging in your workforce is an emotional aspect that’s hard to measure, yet essential. It stems from actions and philosophies within an organization as well as its culture of acceptance and support that is fostered throughout.
Create a DEIB committee, comprised of various individuals within your organization who can drive forward change toward your goals. Our webinar, Building a Culture of DEI Inclusion & Belonging will show you more ways to do this successfully.