What is DEI&B in the workplace?

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) in the workplace are intertwined values that involve hiring individuals of different backgrounds and perspectives and wholeheartedly encouraging their participation. 

Diversity often includes equal representation of different:

• Ethnicities
• Ages
• Genders
• Sexual orientations
• Lifestyles
• Talent
• Personality characteristics
• Physical disabilities
• Personal beliefs

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What are the different types of diversity in the workplace?

There are endless ways to approach diversity at work. Let’s take a look at four common types of diversity that companies strive to incorporate: 

1. Internal diversity implies the conditions that a person is born into and includes:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• Age

2. External diversity refers to the qualities of a person that can change over time and can consist of:

• Education
• Personal interests
• Skills
• Socioeconomic status

3. Organizational diversity concerns the different ways of categorizing people based on their work status, such as:

• Job 
• Work location 
• Department
• Seniority level

4. World-view diversity includes people with different:

• Political beliefs
• World outlook
• Moral values

What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?

Diversity refers to the different people who come together to make up a company. Inclusion is how the company weaves people together into one cohesive unit. Your company may have a diverse makeup of people from different cultural and political backgrounds and ages. 

However, to include everyone, there must be acceptance, psychological safety, and value of people’s differences. Furthermore, inclusion provides fertile ground for diversity, leading to dialogue, innovation, company development, and improvement.

What is equity in the workplace?

Equity involves providing your people with fair opportunities according to each of their unique needs. Some examples of equity include:

1. Providing everyone in the company the same amount of holiday and PTO days and allowing them to use them however they see fit. This kind of policy accounts for the fact that people from different cultural backgrounds may have different needs.
2. Having transparent hiring practices. Organizations that are transparent about pay and job requirements from the beginning are often able to attract a more diverse pool of candidates, which helps create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. 
3. Offering professional development to all team members. This promotes equity across the organization. When everyone—regardless of department, seniority, tenure, or background—receives the opportunity to develop, it enables everyone to thrive.

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What is workplace belonging?

Belonging in the context of work refers to people’s sense of being accepted by their colleagues and the organization as a whole. When someone feels they belong, it means they feel valued and safe enough to bring their whole selves to work.

What are the benefits and challenges of diversity and inclusion at work?

Many Millennials believe that diversity and inclusion are essential and beneficial aspects of work culture. According to Gallup, emphasizing these values in the workplace increases:

• Engagement
• Job satisfaction
• Retention  
• Wellbeing
• Profit 
• Performance
• Innovation

But integrating diversity and inclusion successfully isn’t simple. It’s difficult to determine exactly how diverse and inclusive your organization is and how effective your initiatives are. This is where D&I metrics come in. 

How can you measure DEI&B in the workplace?

Because diversity and inclusion are multidimensional, qualitative and quantitative research can help you better understand the current state of your DEI&B. To measure DEI&B, start with the diversity and inclusion metrics that help companies assess their DEI&B status and initiatives. Common DEI&B metrics include:

• Candidate demographics
• Advancement and promotion rate 
• Retention and turnover
• Diversity throughout the entire organization

How can you improve DEI&B in the workplace?

HR professionals can boost DEI&B with these five steps:

• Hire remotely. Remote hiring enables HR leaders to recruit from a wide range of backgrounds, circumstances, and geographical locations. Remote hiring also allows HR to hire professionals who may not otherwise be able to work, such as those who suffer from debilitating physical disabilities or chronic illnesses.  
• Educate. Respect is a prerequisite for a healthy, heterogeneous workforce. HR leaders can run periodic diversity and inclusion training sessions to educate people on respectful communication that nurtures constructive dialogue and disagreement, growth, and innovation. 
• Build employee-manager relationships. HR leaders can promote a sense of belonging by guiding managers to establish trusting relationships with team members. This begins with respectful communication and open dialogue.
• Nurture people’s strengths. HR leaders and managers can acknowledge professionals’ achievements and talents to motivate them to continue contributing quality work. 
• Create transparent guidelines. Addressing diversity and inclusion in the company code of conduct helps managers properly support people, clarify their rights, and keep work conduct aligned with company values.

How can DEI&B in the workplace improve company culture?

Diversity and inclusion can promote a unified culture that encourages people to share ideas and value differing points of view. Creating a positive environment for discussion and diversity of thought enables a vibrant, growth-minded, and engaging culture that people want to be a part of.

How does HR tech help with DEI&B challenges? 

HR tech enables companies to organize and analyze their data more efficiently. Rather than taking an ad hoc approach to DEI&B, HR tech takes a systematic one to ensure:

• Accurate DEI&B metrics 
• Reduced unconscious bias in the hiring process
• Promotions, career development, retention, and engagement of diverse groups
• Easily accessible data for HR and all managers

Why should DEI&B be part of modern HR strategy? 

DEI&B allows companies to look in the mirror and ask, “What are we doing to offer equal opportunities to people of all backgrounds and beliefs?” While companies can’t force DEI&B, incorporating DEI&B initiatives assist the organization in extending work opportunities to everyone, no matter who they are and where they come from. Including DEI&B in the HR strategy helps companies hyperfocus on achieving business goals while integrating a varied group of individuals into the workforce.