Becoming familiar with the language surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion will enable you to be an inclusive leader. These terms may come up frequently in your work when discussing individuals based on gender, age, sex orientation, disability status and religion.
But it is crucial that one understands the differences between these terms, as each term has specific connotations.
Definition of Diversity
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are three interdependent concepts often discussed together in organizations as a strategy for creating an environment welcoming to all employees regardless of identity or status. Therefore it’s crucial that your team fully grasps how each concept relates to one another as you develop your DEI strategy.
Diversity refers to a mixture of differences and similarities among individuals or groups, covering all aspects of human difference that add value to our world. Diversity includes all racial/ethnic identities, gender sexual orientation religion nationality age disability veteran status education language skills work experience marital status among others.
Equity refers to the equitable treatment of people within institutions and systems. It involves identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent certain groups from accessing resources or benefits, and increasing justice and fairness within procedures, processes, and decision-making.
Inclusion refers to the feeling of belonging within an organization, with all employees feeling welcome and valued as individuals. It involves authentically including traditionally excluded groups into organizational processes and activities, such as recruitment/hiring practices, leadership training programs and other organizational endeavors. Furthermore, inclusion strives to create an overall sense of community within the workplace by creating an atmosphere in which no employees feel isolated from other members in the company.
An inclusive culture makes it clear that all perspectives are welcome, making it an essential goal of every organization. Unfortunately, however, such an ideal can often prove challenging due to unconscious or implicit biases within an organization that could prevent its realization. Conquering these barriers requires considerable effort, yet is essential to creating an atmosphere in which employees can thrive and a productive workplace environment. That is why it is vital that your workforce receives education on issues related to cultural diversity and how to build an inclusive workplace culture. By including this knowledge into your company culture, all employees will feel welcome contributing their unique perspectives and expertise for mutual growth of both employees and the company itself.
Definition of Equity
Inclusion refers to the recognition and appreciation of differences among people, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability status religion socioeconomic status. It creates a space where all can feel accepted while finding themselves at home – this goal can often be linked with social justice and equity goals in order to break down barriers or address inequalities in society.
Understanding the difference between inclusion and equality is of the utmost importance. Although some may use them interchangeably, they do differ significantly: equality means providing every group with equal resources and opportunities while equity acknowledges that certain groups may require more resources or opportunities than others to thrive; meeting communities where they currently are rather than expecting them to meet standards that have already been set in stone is the heart of equity.
Example: Two people trying to pick fruit from a tree leaning far to one side will find it more challenging to reach its top than if its angle were more balanced. Equity would require propping up or providing ladders so both individuals can reach similar fruit levels at the same time.
Inclusion demands both strong support for diversity and celebrating it, but also understanding historical and external forces that contribute to inequalities. It involves conducting in-depth analysis on discrimination and injustice at their root level while identifying policies, practices and systems which contribute to these inequalities; ultimately it’s about shifting structures and attitudes that perpetuate inequality.
Sustaining and evolving inclusive initiatives requires dedication from both leaders and employees alike, with training provided to both. All employees should feel free to discuss issues of bias and inclusion without fear of reprisals, with all stakeholders engaged in the process. Creating an environment in which all employees feel included allows employees to express themselves authentically while honoring differences.
As the field strives to address systemic inequalities that prevent people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals from flourishing, the importance of inclusion has become ever clearer in philanthropy. Organizations are adding “equity” into their mission/value statements while some grantmakers have altered their strategies in order to emphasize equitable work more.
Definition of Inclusion
Diversity refers to differences among people; inclusion is about creating an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and included, according to SHRM. A culture of inclusion allows those from various identities to flourish and fully belong, according to its definition.
Inclusion refers to creating an environment in which all individuals feel supported and respected in both their professional and personal lives. It means providing every person the chance to actively participate and achieve success in an inclusive workplace that offers safety, health, productivity and fairness for all employees. Achieve inclusion requires understanding the complexities and interrelations of differences as well as taking active steps to remove barriers that prevent individual and collective success.
Organizations that prioritize DEI typically focus on the broad categories of diversity, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, religious or ethical value systems, socioeconomic class, physical abilities or attributes, sexual orientation and gender identity and veteran status. But true inclusion transcends these broad definitions; rather it embraces every unique person for who they are in every aspect of their personal, social and cultural lives.
Step one of creating an inclusive workplace is ensuring everyone enjoys equal opportunities and benefits, which means identifying root causes of inequality and developing strategies to combat them – such as providing training on unconscious bias to help employees recognize and address inequalities they encounter on a daily basis.
McKinsey research indicates that organizations that prioritize DEI are more successful at recruiting and retaining talented workers, as well as satisfying diverse customers. Furthermore, inclusion creates a sense of belonging among employees that plays a pivotal role in employee retention efforts; furthermore fostering such an environment can boost team performance while sparking fresh new ideas.
DEI can also be an excellent way to show that your company takes environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices seriously. Customers and investors increasingly demand businesses they interact with have ESG policies in place; ultimately implementing DEI will benefit your bottom line by driving customer loyalty and revenue growth – the rewards far outweigh the effort involved!
Definition of Belonging
Belonging is a central tenet of diversity equity and inclusion. It refers to the feeling of acceptance within communities or organizations, being valued for one’s identity, background and contributions; individuals who feel accepted will engage actively, collaborate effectively and make contributions positively to their environment.
As an aid to understanding what it means to belong, let’s consider an analogy. Imagine being Invited to a Party Where when You Arrive You are welcomed with friendly conversation and an inviting environment; invited to dance and encouraged to express yourself fully; all while feeling accepted by all attendees and enjoying every aspect of it until later when the music shifts and becomes less welcoming or aggressive, and You feel less welcome and start feeling left out – exactly how someone might feel if they weren’t part of the original group that invited them – such as what might happen if they weren’t part of that group that originally invited them.
Belonging is key to creating an inclusive culture in the workplace and is essential to reaching peak levels of performance and productivity. Employees who feel welcome at their workplace are three times more likely to look forward to coming in each day and five times more likely to remain with their organization; belonging is thus an integral component of DEI; leaders must create environments which foster this feeling for all employees.
Many organizations tend to focus on diversity without considering equity and inclusion issues, leading to unintended results such as reduced employee engagement or retention rates. As leaders it is vitally important that they prioritize DEI initiatives by addressing inequities or barriers preventing individuals from feeling they belong in their community.
Leaders who prioritize DEI can achieve greater business results, such as higher productivity and reduced turnover risks. According to McKinsey research, companies with more ethnically diverse teams experienced 36% greater profitability.