Diversity, equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) is a four-pillar workplace strategy. Organizations that implement strong DEIB practices experience enhanced employee retention, productivity and performance.
Belonging at work means being accepted and valued as the person that you are, which includes aspects such as gender, race, national origin, physical ability, religion and sexual orientation.
Belonging
Diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and belonging are a mouthful – yet increasingly prevalent workplace concepts. By adding belonging as the fourth pillar of DEI it helps clarify some confusion around this complex topic while creating a functional roadmap companies can use to learn about, plan for and achieve their inclusion goals.
Belonging is defined as the sense of connection and inclusion an employee experiences in his/her workplace team or company. This involves feeling valued for their contributions, accepting themselves without fear of judgement, and understanding that their ideas will be accepted without criticism or push-back from management. Studies show it’s an indicator of better mental, physical and social health outcomes for workers – hence employees increasingly demand that companies prioritize creating opportunities for belonging to flourish in the workplace.
Employers looking to foster a sense of belonging should focus on cultivating and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. Diversity refers to all the attributes that set people apart, including age, ethnicity, family structure, gender, language national origin physical ability sexual orientation religion etc. Inclusion ensures individuals are treated fairly while equity involves eliminating barriers that prevent people from being treated equally.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging all work hand-in-hand to foster an engaged workforce. By taking the time to understand and embrace these concepts organizations will increase the chances of their inclusion initiatives succeeding.
Leaders should provide training on how to be effective allies. They should encourage direct communication and create safe spaces for dialogue; and support the development of diverse teams. Likewise, leaders must ensure their company is equitable when it comes to performance and promotion; invest in mentorship/sponsorship programs for underrepresented groups; focus on these areas so employees feel included and that their contributions are recognized; this will create an inclusive work environment as well as helping retain top talent.
Equity
DEIB, or Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging is receiving increased consideration in business today. Companies that prioritize DEIB are better prepared to face challenges head on, attract top talent and meet customer demands across different demographics. But there remains some confusion around what these terms mean and their relationship. Many use them interchangeably without realizing there may be differences.
DEIB’s first pillar is diversity. This term refers to demographic characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity, family structure, religion, sexual orientation, ability and socioeconomic status of a group. A more diverse group is more likely to provide different perspectives and foster creativity than one with homogenous membership.
DEIB’s inclusion pillar focuses on making all employees feel welcome and appreciated in the workplace, creating an environment in which all can discuss differences freely while sharing unique perspectives that help reach company goals together. Furthermore, inclusion ensures equal employment opportunities as well as advancement paths to success for all employees.
An integral component of inclusion lies in addressing challenges that erode a culture of belonging, such as microaggressions and exclusionary behaviors, which may represent subtle, unintended expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, ableism or religious bias. By providing educational programs on these common biases and creating policies to combat them organizations can foster environments in which everyone feels as though they belong – creating more welcoming workplace environments where everyone feels welcome and accepted.
Measures to assess diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in companies can be complex. Employee surveys provide only a snapshot of an organization’s current performance; to truly gauge DEIB advancement you should solicit feedback regularly from employees and track results accordingly.
At Findem, we assist our clients in setting ambitious yet attainable diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) targets using data-driven practices. If you would like to find out how we can support you in reaching your DEIB goals, get in touch with us now – we would love to hear from you!
Inclusion
Many who are new to diversity equity inclusion (DEI) may feel confused and overwhelmed when trying to understand its terminology. Terms such as diversity, equity and belonging can often be used without clear definitions; adding belonging into the DEI framework may help companies develop meaningful and effective DEI strategies more easily.
Diversity refers to all the different ways people differ, including age, ethnicity, gender, family structure, sex, religion, socioeconomic status and neurological make-up. Inclusion refers to accepting these differences while celebrating them – an integral component of healthy workplace cultures found among high performing companies according to research conducted by Deloitte.
Belonging is defined as the sense of belonging that people feel at work, both between each other and with their organization as a whole. A comprehensive DEI strategy must include this element and can be fostered through employee resource groups (ERGs), social gatherings and initiatives designed to bring employees together based on shared experiences or characteristics. Leaders must demonstrate their dedication to DEI by making sure all employees can see that company actions align with values.
Companies that recognize and appreciate diversity can reap many rewards: increased performance, greater financial success, improved retention and innovation. But for DEI approaches to be truly effective, companies must go beyond creating practices and policies to support its pillars; instead they must include belonging as part of their DEI strategy.
Implementing inclusion can be challenging in complex corporate environments, particularly when faced with cultural and demographic change challenges. Some organizations struggle to integrate contingent workers into the existing culture due to a lack of understanding or failure to recognize and celebrate these special groups; it’s therefore imperative that organizations carefully consider such matters when crafting forward-thinking strategies to adapt with an evolving workforce.
Diversity
Diversity and inclusion are vitally important, both professionally and personally, for various reasons, including increasing employee engagement, better meeting customer needs and creating a more positive workplace culture. But these benefits will only become fully realized if employees feel like their contributions are valued by management.
“Adding belonging” to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) provides organizations with a way of emphasizing human needs for connection and belonging in the workplace. By emphasizing it as part of DEI initiatives, organizations are better able to foster environments which value differences while encouraging fairness; in addition, this creates opportunities to foster employee connections as well as enhance overall workplace inclusion.
Diversity refers to how individuals differ, while belonging focuses on how they experience that difference. It acknowledges the human need for connection among different individuals which may be difficult in an environment in which everyone must act and think alike. In order to foster a sense of belonging it’s vital for leaders to build trust with their teams by showing vulnerability, being approachable, sharing personal stories without stereotyping, refraining from negative language, providing meaningful feedback etc.
Belonging also requires creating a safe workplace for individuals to express themselves freely, which may prove challenging when companies strive to meet diversity goals and attract a diverse workforce. Leaders need to recognize microaggressions or other exclusionary behavior that threaten a sense of belonging for others, while training must take place so all employees understand how they can avoid such behaviors.
Finally, organizations must establish policies and practices that foster a sense of belonging among employees – for instance through open dialogue and transparent decision-making processes – in addition to making sure all workers have equal opportunities and resources regardless of identity or background.
Diverse perspectives are integral to business success. Diversity fosters creativity, innovation and productivity while increasing customer satisfaction and decreasing turnover rates – two things MentorcliQ and McKinsey research has confirmed as essential ingredients of business success.