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Once again, the world is changing as we speak. Many of us are struggling with disbelief in the new reality. One more new reality. Just as we thought, we are heading back to old normal – to one where the world is a safe place for us to be. Where the borders are open and remote places are reachable, where people were simply living their lives without fear of their existence, that world where life was easy.
When composing the employee experience trend article, we mentioned DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) as a slowly uprising trend for 2022. Little did we know that the events of the world would push the importance of DEI to such heights in such a short period.
But what exactly is DEI, and why is it important? The first answer that pops up when this question is asked to Google is: Simply put, reinforcing robust DEI programs helps every employee to show up each day without fear of being their true selves. This fosters higher engagement, productivity, and innovation that contribute to increased revenue. We won’t emphasise the importance of employee engagement or productivity, at least not this time. Instead, let’s dig deeper into the acronym and get a fuller picture of its meaning.
Diversity
DEI Extension provides simple yet explanatory images; we’ll use them to visualise the topic.
Diversity refers to the presence of differences. They may include differences in opinions, skills, knowledge, education, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, and many more. For society to grow and develop, it needs to be diverse – only then we can be innovative and evolve.
Equity
The result of equity is when all members of a diverse society are given tools that equally supports their goals. The visualisation below illustrates it wonderfully; unfortunately, it is not as straightforward as it looks. To achieve equity, you need to know and understand the root causes of issues your people face.
Equity promotes fairness in all terms – opportunities, attitude, treatment and access.
Inclusion
Inclusion is an outcome of diversity and equity, and it is achieved when those who are diverse feel and are genuinely included in the society – regardless of who they are and where they come from. It’s a society where everyone’s opinion is valued equally, and everyone has the same opportunities.
Also, according to research, it is worth keeping in mind that inclusion is one of the essential pillars in employee retention. Luckily, we live in an age when technology can support achieving DEI goals. Peero can help you, e.g., to tackle the inclusion web; with the help of Peero’s analytics tool, you can immediately notice how included your employees actually are.
In times of change, anxiety and confusion, it is ever necessary to be present for each other. To acknowledge each other’s differences and cherish them; to be supportive, understanding and strong. If not yet now certainly is a good time to begin embedding DEI initiatives into your organisation and help your people to feel that they are not alone. They belong. As Abraham Lincoln would have probably said: “This too shall pass”. It will. Meanwhile, we should all try and find comfort in the fact that we are all in this together, side by side. Beautiful in our diversity.
