Diversity equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) has quickly become a trend within corporate cultures across industries – with good reason: DEIB generates real, tangible benefits for companies.
Diversity refers to differences among people that include race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age and religion. Belonging refers to being accepted and part of an accepted community.
Belonging is the feeling of being a part of a community.
Belonging is a fundamental human need and has been proven to lead to positive life outcomes such as well-being, happiness, health, purpose and longevity. Within the workplace environment, belonging is linked with employee engagement as well as performance metrics like productivity and profitability; creating a sense of belonging is thus a crucial element in realizing DEI and organizational success.
Belonging refers to one’s sense of connection with their community, and this feeling of membership can be affected by many different factors. Considerations should also include an individual’s social capital level, the extent to which their voice is heard and accepted by others, their connections with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences and their ability to overcome challenges in relationships with peers and coworkers. Belonging can be affected by discrimination, racism, sexism and classism as well as other forms of oppression. Belonging can also be affected by our communication and interactions, particularly through language that creates or perpetuates an “us” versus “them” dichotomy, potentially creating division between individuals, communities or particular issues (Ramsden 2020).
Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to creating an atmosphere of belonging in any community. Diversity can be defined as differences among demographics such as race, gender, age and sexual orientation; or as different perceptions of reality among different individuals. Equity refers to a system in which everyone, regardless of differences, has access to equal opportunities and benefits – this goal of diversity and inclusion can be realized by addressing structural barriers like unjust policies, systems and practices.
Belonging isn’t something we can control directly; rather, it is the result of four interdependent components that work in concert to form our sense of belonging over time as individuals traverse various social, environmental, and temporal contexts and experiences. Understanding what influences people’s feelings of belonging is key in understanding how to foster an environment conducive to DEI that promotes an atmosphere that welcomes each employee with open arms while respecting his/her individual talents and potentials.
It’s the feeling of being accepted.
Once an individual feels as if they belong in their work environment, they can bring all of themselves to the task at hand and are more likely to be productive. Finding a sense of belonging may be challenging for some individuals due to how some companies make them feel unwelcome; often due to an unwillingness or inability of management or others in power to understand or acknowledge contributions made by people from diverse backgrounds. Misguided attempts at creating an inclusive culture could also have contributed. No matter the cause, if an employee doesn’t feel they belong at their company it is crucial for the organization to address this quickly so as to allow the employee to regain a sense of belonging as soon as possible and ultimately improve company performance overall.
Diversity and inclusion are integral parts of workplaces, yet many organizations struggle with effectively implementing them. It takes more than hiring diverse workers or encouraging people to embrace their differences for inclusion efforts to be successful; an organization must commit itself to the notion that all employees have equal chances at succeeding at their job, being promoted within their company, or building careers they can be proud of.
Flexible working arrangements such as remote work or part-time employment enable employees who have caregiving responsibilities or health conditions to continue doing their best work. It’s also about making sure everyone has a voice at the table – even when they disagree – so that all individuals find meaning in their work.
An employer truly committed to driving diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) will demonstrate this dedication through policies, recruitment practices, hiring processes and job offerings that reflect this dedication. Likewise, its culture as well as leadership and relationships within its community will likewise show this level of dedication, while making all employees feel valued and included at work.
It’s the feeling of being able to make a difference.
Belonging is essential in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work because it ensures employees feel valued and safe enough to bring all aspects of themselves into the workplace. Furthermore, those who feel like they belong are more likely to remain with a company; research indicates an increase in employee retention rate of up to 36% when companies focus on DEI initiatives.
But creating a feeling of belonging in the workplace is no simple task; according to one survey, only 30% of employees think their opinions matter at work. Unfortunately, many organizations lack the tools needed to foster this sense of inclusion among all of their employees.
As part of your efforts to increase employee feeling of belonging in your organization, taking an holistic approach will be crucial. This should encompass everything from policies and processes you have put in place, to products produced. Recruitment should focus more on quality than on quantity; hiring, promotion, development should focus more on people than numbers. You should also examine how employees interact within their own department while exploring what type of culture the workplace fosters.
DEI defines diversity broadly to encompass people of various ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions cultures and sexual orientations in an equal environment within an organisation. Diversity means ensuring all groups are represented equally within the workplace with access to opportunities for development and advancement.
Feeling of belonging refers to how people experience their daily work experience. This refers to whether employees feel accepted and valued within their workplace environment; whether their ideas are heard and respected; as well as how they view coworkers and managers.
Establishing a culture of belonging requires having diversity, equity and inclusion in place; but it also depends on how your leadership team acts and treats its employees. One effective solution for tackling this problem is through creating policies which support all groups; doing this will remove obstacles preventing your diverse workforce from reaching its full potential.
It’s the feeling of being a part of something bigger.
Belonging, as opposed to diversity, refers to an emotional state in which an individual feels they belong to something bigger–something larger than themselves. Recently, DEIB organizations have increasingly prioritized building work environments that celebrate diversity while upholding fairness and cultivating personal connection; not only can this boost morale, workplace satisfaction and team performance – it can even help individuals overcome difficulties such as mental health issues or high turnover rates in their professional lives.
Belonging is often neglected when discussing DEI, yet it remains one of the key components in creating an inclusive workplace. Belonging means making sure that employees feel valued and accepted as individuals; to promote it further, inclusive practices such as open dialogues, equal access opportunities and targeting microaggressions (i.e., subtle but unintended expressions of bias such as racism, sexism, tokenism, ageism or religion may enhance belonging).
Diversity is necessary to creating a thriving workplace, but it alone won’t lead to lasting benefits for companies. Without providing their employees with an atmosphere of belonging, companies that fail to create strong DEI initiatives risk missing out on significant advantages such as higher employee engagement levels, retention issues being reduced significantly faster and a wider talent pool which makes them more cost competitive than those with weaker initiatives.
Measuring how well a company embraces DEI can be difficult, since its success relies on subjective employee experiences. Organizations may use annual surveys as one measure of DEI; however, these only cover a sample of workers and don’t address all aspects of inclusion. Using these types of survey tools is like asking patients how healthy they feel without knowing about any underlying symptoms or causes.
Doing nothing about increasing diversity by hiring more “diverse” individuals won’t suffice; to achieve improved Diversity & Equality Inclusion (DEI), direct intervention from leadership must take place along with culture changes to increase DEI within an organization. Furthermore, belonging is more than a workplace experience; it applies equally to contingent workers or short-term contracts.