The 2020 global racial and social justice movement has forced companies across all industries to refocus on diversity, justice and inclusion (DEI). For example, hundreds of CEOs have signed a pledge to take "collective action" on her DEI problem at work. Several top brands have also invested millions of dollars each to drive their own DEI efforts.12
DEI is a powerful term that has made a huge impact in the workplace, but it is still important to understand that each of its components stand alone. Although sometimes used interchangeably, each element of the DEI has an important meaning. Below, we discuss each term in detail and explain why the DEI is important as a whole. core paper
Diversity is about difference, equality is about providing equal access, and inclusion is about promoting employee values and empowerment.
Company diversity is very important to a significant percentage of employees and job seekers when applying.
Companies with diverse employees tend to be financially better than those without.
To prioritize her DEI in the workplace, organizations need to ensure fair hiring and promotion practices, conduct ongoing training, form diversity committees, and seek consistent employee feedback. there is.
define diversity
Diversity refers to everything that makes a person different from others. It is the existence of differences including race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, etc. (disability), age or political perspective.
Equity provides support based on specific needs and is manifested in fair access, equity of opportunity, resources, and the ability to thrive in an environment of respect and dignity.
Justice is often confused with equality, as the following analogy illustrates. One child is clearly visible through the fence, another is barely visible through the fence, and the third is too small to be seen. This is not fair.
According to Bernard Banks, associate dean for leadership development and inclusion, and a clinical professor of management at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, said that in this case, equity is “giving each kid something to stand on based on their height so that they all could see the same thing.” He added, “The same thing could be said for an organization; are you giving people what is necessary to help put them in the best possible position?”
There are typically three elements of inclusion, particularly in a work environment: belonging, respect, and support. Belonging is one`s perception of acceptance, respect is the extent to which someone feels they are being treated with civility, and support is the level at which one is provided the means to achieve their full potential. If any of these elements is missing, the workplace is not truly inclusive.
Note: Inclusion is the act of building and maintaining a strong sense of belonging by actively inviting and valuing authentic contributions and fully empowering the participation of people.
“It`s not enough just to be in the room,” said Banks. “Diversity means you are there, inclusion means asking yourself, ‘Should I be there? You're not just in the room, you're at the table, and your voice is valued.'"
The importance of DEI is reinforced across the workforce, not just executives. In a recent CNBC/SurveyMonkey employee survey, 78% of employees said it was important to work for a company that prioritized diversity and inclusion, and more than half of respondents said it was "very important." 3 Meanwhile, in 2020, a Glassdoor survey found that nearly a third of employees and job seekers would not apply for a job at a company that lacked diversity in its workforce. I understand.
According to Banks, one reason for the lack of diversity is that too many companies treat it as an afterthought, rather than including it in the first place. “Diversity makes DEI a priority in the workplace.
"Bringing in different perspectives and incorporating them into the problem-solving process can really yield better results than a group of people with the same perspective and background tackling this complex challenge.