Too many of us feel uncomfortable at work, but most won’t talk about it. Why? Because no one likes asking tough questions about diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, around 40 percent of people of color and women report compromising their authenticity and true self to secure acceptance from others at work. Meanwhile, only 20 percent of Millennials are willing to have conversations about gender, race, and qualities that contribute to our unique identities. Notably, Millennials are the generation that make up the majority of the workforce and who are poised to lead our economy into the future. A compelling case for creating organizations where we can express, and be accepted and valued for, our true selves has never been clearer. Companies with the most ethnically and culturally diverse leadership teams are a third more likely to have industry-leading profitability.
Specifically, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), beyond being a moral imperative delivers key results core to business success –
Let’s take a topical example: the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s projected the impact of the pandemic will be more severe for women and people of color. If this initial trend continues, global GDP growth could be $1 trillion lower in 2030. However, if we can reverse this initial trend, supporting the retention, acceptance, and promotion of women and people of color – we have the potential to add $13 trillion to GDP in 10 years.
Before we talk about DE&I, let’s define each. Diversity is the presence of varied identities and differences are represented across all levels and areas of the organization. Diversity encompasses everything that makes us unique, including -
While some dimensions of diversity are legally protected classes, each of these dimensions (this is not a complete list) affects our experiences and potential. It’s natural to hesitate and feel uncertain about where to go next. Knowing what questions to ask, and what data to gather, can guide you to an informed and powerful strategy. So, what are the key questions to ask around diversity?
As an example for the last question: If you hire college graduates for certain positions, do you tend to hire from some universities more than others? Affiliation with some universities may be linked with greater socio-economic status (i.e., more elite, higher tuition universities will graduate more students from wealthier backgrounds). Knowing if/how the university or program a person graduates from affects performance can educate and inform recruiting. You might also want to determine if college graduate status is related to performance at all – often times it isn’t – and can create a more diverse applicant pool and team.
Diversity involves getting (and keeping) people in the room. Work inherently has an element of reciprocity: we exchange unique skills and abilities, and time, for rewards. Rewards could be pay and benefits – but also extend to recognition, status, power, and influence. Whether for age, race, gender, body weight, appearance, religion – most of us know the sharp pain of unfairness.
Equity asks us how employees and are treated when they join our teams. Are they receiving equitable outcomes relative to their inputs? To understand if our organization (or team, store, clinic, or department) creates an environment we need to determine how we provide equal access to resources and opportunity, and ensure we’re providing fairness and respect to all. Questions to ask:
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Concealing who we are isolates us. We doubt and mistrust others. It hurts us – both mentally and physically. The opposite of concealing who we are is belonging. It is among the most powerful ways to foster commitment and performance. We see this across industries in in employee experience and engagement surveys and research – and it’s replicated by academics and practitioners across disciplines. An inclusive group must be diverse, but a diverse group isn’t always inclusive. This might be why more than half of us report at least one microaggression, a minor derogatory slight or insult, in the past year.
What’s more, dimensions of our diversity intersect. I am a cisgendered white female without children. My experience and perspective is different than a military veteran, cisgendered female without children. Inclusion means we’ve created an environment where everyone, across diverse backgrounds, feels that they belong. As a leader, I’m always questioning how I’m creating an experience that makes each person on my team know they are key to not only our success – but who we are a team. It’s difficult to know if I’m reaching this goal. Can each person relax and truly be themselves? Tough questions to ask here:
(Bonus! For more helpful information, check out our Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.)
We devote too much of our energy to our jobs, careers (and for some of us, callings), to be uncomfortable; or worse, unsafe just being ourselves. Actively listening to our teams, tackling tough questions that may be uncomfortable to ask, and taking intentional and thought-out action is the first step to not only growing our teams and organizations – but may transcend and create a tipping point that affects others in the future in ways we cannot know. By tackling tough questions about diversity, equity and inclusion, we create a fairer and more inclusive environment for all.
Seeking to access resources to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place to work? Access ongoing resources and support here.
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