The Significance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace

DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is a phrase that has gained popularity in the last few years as workers of different genders, races, and beliefs seek recognition and better working conditions to override the decades long prejudicial treatment of minorities in the workplace. To better accommodate workers who felt left out and to offer a safe work environment for everyone, companies have been investing in DEI training. Diversity, equity, and inclusion training came into existence in the mid-60s in response to the equal employment legislation passed by Congress. DEI has become an integral policy in modern institutions since the 1960s. Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices strive to make workers of all races, genders, beliefs, ages, and backgrounds welcome in the workplace without prejudice or partiality to ensure everyone has a sense of belonging. In this post, we will examine what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean and how they can be implemented in the workplace.

What Is Diversity In The Workplace? 

Diversity means the presence of people of different races, genders, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, beliefs, and physical abilities in the workplace. A diverse workplace should welcome peoples’ differences and not disqualify them solely based on those differences. Being a diverse organization means accepting and being open to not only visible but also intangible differences like differences of opinion, perspectives, and points of view.

Having a diverse group helps your team become more productive and creative, as you get a fresh array of perspectives and ideas from diverse minds that you can use to problem-solve and move closer to your organization’s goals. Being diverse is beneficial to employers looking to hire top talent as they have a wider talent pool, whereas potential employees get to work in a place they are comfortable, accepted and allowed to be themselves.

What is Equity In The Workplace?

Equity in the workplace means ensuring that all decisions are unbiased and devoid of bias toward anyone's beliefs, age, gender, race, ethnicity, or background. Equity ensures that all employees are treated fairly and provided with opportunities and support to help them grow. In contrast to equality, which focuses on providing everyone with the same resources, equity recognizes each individual's unique position and allocates resources so that they can achieve the same outcome as their peers. Equity in the workplace entails leveling the playing field and providing each employee with the specialized resources necessary to access opportunities within the organization. According to a Mckinsey report, organizations that promote equity retain up to 70% more employees than those that don't, as their workers feel motivated and connected to their workplace, from which they draw a sense of belonging. Employees benefit from equity at the workplace as they become more confident and open to sharing their ideas with the rest of the team, which in turn increases productivity and engagement.

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What Is Inclusion In The Workplace?

Inclusion at work entails fostering an environment in which all employees are encouraged to participate and contribute, regardless of their differences. Workplaces that are inclusive are welcoming and supportive of everyone's contributions, while also encouraging inactive employees to contribute and express their opinions. For workplace inclusion to be effective, an organization must eliminate intolerance, discrimination, and all other barriers that prevent employees from contributing and participating. Being inclusive means that employees can be themselves while actively contributing to the organization's success. Inclusive workplaces reap numerous benefits, including more motivated employees, higher revenue, and better talent pools when compared to their noninclusive counterparts. Employees are more free to express themselves and contribute solutions when they are allowed to be themselves, which means there is a constant flow of fresh and innovative ideas. According to a Great Place to Work study, inclusive workplaces generate more revenue and are better prepared to innovate and retain more employees than those that are not.

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Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important because they help create better workplaces that allow everyone regardless of their differences to get opportunities and contribute toward the success of the company. DEI helps build better people and organizations as it facilitates the constant exchange of fresh perspectives and ideas from diverse minds. DEI is a win-win for organizations and employees. Companies that seek out diverse candidates and engage in diversity training are better equipped and operate more efficiently than others that don't, as they have new perspectives and ideas that keep them competitive. Employees at organizations with DEI policies in place are better represented, more engaged, and overall satisfied with their work environment, which makes them less likely to quit. This translates to better retention rates for their employers as well as lower training and onboarding costs for new hires.

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How To Implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In The Workplace

Analyze Your Current Company Culture -  Assessing your organization's current company culture and employees' perceptions of the topic is the first step in designing an effective DEI training program. The perceptions of equity and inclusion among employees are influenced by organizational culture and the behavior of leadership; therefore, prior to assessing employees, organizations should ensure that the behavior of top-level management is consistent with DEI policies.

Implement DEI Goals That Are Measurable & In Line With Your Organization - DEI initiatives should have clear objectives that align with the overall goals of your organization. Organizations should ensure that the goals of their DEI training are easily measurable through metrics and milestones, while also allowing for monitoring and assessment along the way. Assume an organization does not establish standards and takes action based on numbers to ensure workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. In that case, determining the impact of the DEI initiative and calculating the cost-benefit analysis becomes difficult.

Offer Mentoring & Coaching -  Mentoring and coaching can be of great benefit to your organization as it allows different employees the opportunity to learn from each other or from management. Mentoring helps foster togetherness by bringing employees at different levels together to share knowledge and experiences. 

Don’t Just Identify Problems, Suggest Solutions - Bias and prejudice are the biggest obstacles to workplace diversity and inclusion, and the best way to eradicate them is to provide your team with the right tools to make the workplace better for everyone. Rather than just saying we need to do away with workplace bias, educate employees on the different types of bias, the negative consequences of bias on the organization, and the best ways to avoid workplace bias consciously and subconsciously. Engaging in dialogue with employees and helping them modify their workplace behavior in line with DEI is a collective job which will take some time. Employers should therefore walkthrough the model with their employees to help them navigate the new guidelines while setting good examples for them to emulate. 

Provide Training - Diversity training is now more important than ever, and educating employees in this domain is proving to be a worthwhile investment. DEI education can be implemented both online and offline or in a hybrid format to avoid inconveniencing other employees. Since employees interact with each other on a daily basis,  both face-to-face and virtually, it is important to train them on how to avoid things like bias both digitally and in the real world.

Conclusion

DEI initiatives benefit both businesses and workers; for businesses that adopt these practices, the gains are immeasurable. It is easier to talk and write about diversity, equity, and inclusion than it is to implement them due to the complex nature of the subject and the misconceptions surrounding DEI in society. Diversity, equity, and inclusion policies require a team effort to bear fruit during the preparation and implementation stages. Whether you want to build your DEI program from the ground up or improve your existing one, Greenmusk is your reliable and trusted partner. Check out our services and the rest of the site to see how we can make your DEI work for you and your employees. 

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