We need diversity and inclusion in the workplace now more than ever. Sometimes, we don’t realize its importance and overlook opportunities to be inclusive. Or, maybe we’re not sure where to start. This article will help you understand why diversity and inclusion matter and what you can do about it in your own organization.
Once you understand the importance of DEI in the workplace, you can work on developing a strategy that works for your company by combining these ideas with your own creativity!
Table of Contents
The Core Idea
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not the same things. Diversity is about differences, while inclusion is about how we treat those differences. Diversity means recognizing and appreciating our differences in race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity/culture/religion/etc. Inclusion means that you’re open to other people’s ideas and experiences—you want everyone to feel comfortable being themselves at work.
When we blend diversity and inclusion, that’s where equity comes in. Equity means considering and treating everyone equally, regardless of origin, gender, race, or who they are.
The core idea of diversity isn’t simply “diversity of thought.” It’s also recognizing that there are many different ways of thinking or doing something that leads to good outcomes—and acknowledging them all as valid options. In short, we all must understand where each other comes from so we can create better outcomes together as a group!
Why Does DEI Matter to Your Organization?
There are many reasons why DEI matter to your organization. While there has been a remarkable improvement in DEI in the workplace, many employees still complain of discrimination and other problems. Hence, it is essential to consider all the reasons that make DEI important to the workplace, which include:
- Diverse teams have higher levels of moral purpose than homogenous ones. Moreover, the engagement and, hence, the productivity levels are also high in diverse teams. These things help you attract top talent and retain it longer, meaning your company will be more successful due to DEI efforts!
- When people from different backgrounds work together, they learn from one another. Their ideas cross-pollinate in ways that strengthen individuals and the whole group—including its ability to serve others in need or create new opportunities for them outside of work hours!
- Diversity and inclusion are essential for the economy because they give companies access to large markets worldwide while helping them maintain a competitive advantage by leveraging all available resources wisely without sacrificing profitability or growth potential over time.
- DEI is also essential to ensure your company abides by the relevant laws. Several strict rules allow individual employees to openly express their gender expression, sexual orientation, and preferences. Hence, every company needs to follow these laws to prevent legal consequences.
The Business Case for Diversity
DEI can also be beneficial to employee engagement, retention, and productivity. In fact, it’s been shown that companies with inclusive cultures are more productive and make more money than their counterparts with less inclusive cultures.
Diversity is good for your customers too! Research has shown that businesses with diverse workforces are more likely to attract new customers—and retain old ones—than those without them.
How to Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace
There are many ways to increase DEI in the workplace. Some of them include:
Train Employees on DEI
Employees should be trained on building an inclusive culture through awareness training and workshops on diversity, equity, or inclusion. This can help create an environment where minority employees feel safe voicing their concerns without fear of retaliation or discrimination. The best way to train your employees is by leveraging organizational diversity programs. These programs are tailored to help organizations identify the best DEI strategies for themselves and implement them.
Hire a Diverse Workforce
To achieve a more inclusive workplace, hiring a diverse workforce is essential. A divorce workforce offers many benefits to businesses, such as sparking innovation, getting better ideas, effective team collaboration, expanding customer base, and improving team performance.
Create a Positive Work Environment
A positive work environment makes everyone comfortable sharing ideas and speaking up when they see something wrong happening within the company culture. This means being aware of too many “jokes” about women being stupid or making sure that people are not being excluded from meetings because they’re not white or black men.
Retain Employees
Retain employees by identifying ways to retain underrepresented groups by providing opportunities for advancement and flexible work schedules so those with childcare responsibilities can balance work and home life.
Be Aware of Unconscious Bias
Unconscious biases don’t align with our conscious beliefs. It means that we might feel we are not discriminating against anyone consciously. Hence, unconscious biases are even more critical and challenging to identify and stop. Again, organizational diversity programs and workshops can train employees to identify unconscious bias and stop it.
Promote Pay Equity
While there has been a significant development in pay equity in the past decade, many people still get lower pay, especially women, because of their gender. Such inequalities can hinder employee trust and loyalty. Moreover, they can also reduce motivation and engagement, ultimately affecting your own company. Hence, it is best to identify pay inequality and pay individuals based on their work, not gender, origin, race, etc.
When You Are Inclusive, You Allow People to Be Who They Are
When you are inclusive, you allow people to be who they are. That’s important because when you can be yourself at work, you bring more of your best self with you every day. You can communicate freely with others and put forth your best effort because it feels safe to do so. Inclusion means that everyone has access to opportunities and resources based on their skills and abilities rather than other factors—such as gender identity or sexual orientation.
This environment is also good for morale: when people feel welcome in their workplace, they’re more likely to stay longer and get more out of their experiences there.
Conclusion
When you’re inclusive, you create an environment where people can show up as themselves. DEI isn’t all about making the hiring process more equitable or establishing a business case for diversity—although those are important aspects of inclusion. It’s also about encouraging employees to be their authentic selves at work and allowing them to bring new experiences that can help your organization grow in unexpected ways.
About Carson Derrow
