Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The subject of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, touches every part of our daily lives – at home, at work, socially, and professionally. Understanding what it is and why DEI in the workplace is so important for organizational effectiveness is key to helping leaders, employees, and teams  thrive. In particular, inclusion is a key driving force to enabling effective and cohesive workplace collaboration. It is a critical organizational strategy that can sometimes be misunderstood or perceived as  quite complex, so read on for a breakdown of some of the essentials to be aware of regarding DEI in the workplace.

What is DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is an organizational strategy that ensures fair treatment and opportunity for all, creating more effective work relationships, and facilitating a sense of belonging for all organizational members for enhanced innovation and improved decision-making within your workforce. Ultimately, all three components of DEI are complimentary elements that together make an organization more effective.

Diversity is about ensuring that an organization is representative of the many fundamental characteristics that make employees unique.  It is not limited to gender and race, but rather encompasses any differentiating factor, such as age, sexual orientation, religion, parental status, national origin, socioeconomic status, and even more diverse perspectives and life experiences.

Equity is about access and understanding that providing equal treatment or resources doesn’t necessarily deliver equality of results. As part of your DEI strategy, it’s important  to consider that some individuals have more obstacles than others to gain the same level of access within the workplace. It involves distributing resources based on the specific needs of the recipients and ensuring appropriate levels of support are provided.

Inclusion is the most critical element of DEI in the workplace, as it is about enabling the diverse talents within your current workforce to thrive, ensuring that individuals of all backgrounds feel welcome, respected, and valued, and  included in important decision-making. It is about enabling feelings of belonging for every employee and creating the necessary conditions for them to excel within your organization.

Why is DEI important in the workplace?

DEI in the workplace is vital for fostering a culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work. A strong commitment to DEI helps organizations attract and retain diverse talent, drive innovation through different perspectives, and improve overall employee engagement.  Research shows that organizations who prioritize DEI and work to properly implement effective DEI workplace programs and solutions  can benefit from greater collaboration, creativity, engagement, profitability, and overall company performance leading to stronger team dynamics and long-term business success. Whereas, organizations that lack diversity and inclusion often experience lower employee engagement and higher turnover rates. Additionally, many industries are facing the issue of skills gaps and struggling to hire in a tight talent market making it crucial to attract and recruit candidates from the whole talent pool to remain competitive and successful in today’s labor market. However, attracting diverse talent alone isn’t enough—without an inclusive workplace, organizations are likely to see talent leaving or becoming disengaged. As workforces and industries continue to become more diverse, more global, and more complex, inclusion has moved to the forefront of an effective people strategy. Without an inclusive work climate, organizations may experience conflict, lack of trust, siloed work, isolation, and increased turnover. However, embedding inclusive practices enables colleagues to work more effectively by learning from different perspectives, collaborating with empathy and respect, and seeking more varied input leading to better organizational outcomes.  It is through inclusion that the benefits of DEI in the workplace  can be effectively leveraged.

What types of initiatives can an organization implement to promote inclusion and DEI in the workplace?

While strategies to enhance inclusion and DEI in the workplace can differ within each organization, some examples include:

• Coaching and development programs to target individual inclusive behavior development (e.g. cultural competence development)
• Ensuring fair and transparent hiring and promotion criteria
• Flexible arrangements within work time and physical space (e.g. parental, religious, or disability accommodations)
• Fostering psychological safety and creating safe spaces for discussion
• Setting up confidential ways to report bullying and harassment
• Incorporating more varied perspectives into decision-making and diversifying teams
• Building awareness of differences in background/perspectives, and celebrating different cultures.

Most importantly, asking for input and listening to employees is the first step before implementing strategies. They are the experts in what does and does not make them feel included and valued in the organization. Employing surveys, focus groups/listening sessions, or staff networks with senior sponsors can help gather valuable information, provide support, and identify problem areas and solutions.

There are many ways of enhancing inclusion and belonging at every level of the organization, and taking a genuine, action-oriented approach can create enormous benefits for employee and organization well-being and success.