Diversity in the workplace is a familiar concept to many companies but in recent years the term “Equity” is taking the forefront of boardroom conversations. And more often the question is raised as to why Equity is Important and critical to the business.
And the simple answer to my mind is when the business does not create equal access, that means the business doesn’t have diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices at the decision-making tables. Hence, the business not only misses out on the opportunities to grow but also brings out great risk upon itself.
As business leaders continue to strategize how to foster a culture of belongingness among the employees, it is important that they add the idea of Workplace Equity into their leadership skillsets. Equity arguably is the glue that holds diversity and inclusion together. Without an equitable workplace and equal opportunities for resources and success for all, the playing field is not level and therefore cannot foster a diverse or inclusive environment.
Equity by means is everyone in the company has uncompromised access to the support, resources, treatment, and opportunities they need to succeed in the workplace. While equality focuses on making sure that everyone gets the same access to the same resources, equity emphasizes specific, individual needs. Organizations are now focusing on facilitating the steps to progress toward equity through several initiatives:
Hiring Right Talent: Defining the hiring process by evenly casting to all the people from varied backgrounds, religions, gender, ethnicity, abilities, etc. E.g. Are the JDs promoting equality or specifying diversity mix and promoting people applying from varied backgrounds on meeting the job requirements?
Career Advancement: Defining the career paths in a manner where the individual is getting opportunities to meet his/her aspirations. Every single person and every single leader has an opportunity to make the way for other people if they want to. This way every single person has an opportunity to thrive by learning from others.
Fair Practice Policy: Organization fair practice guidelines essentially govern the workplace means purposely ensuring that everyone in the company has equal access to resources and opportunities. Any deviations have a fair hearing by the company management.
Diverse Cross-Level Representation: Meeting diversity across all job levels and bands, not only restricted to low-paying, low-authority jobs. Defining the promotion policy which promotes diverse demographic representations across the levels, job roles, and functions.
Higher Education/ Skill Upgradation Programs: Systemic barriers prevent people from diverse, remote, different economic backgrounds and disabled from accessing education. This lack of education creates a diversity deficit across the work levels. By promoting education and skill opportunities, the company provides a potential life-changing resource that enables people to advance their careers and grow with the company.
Internal Job Posting: Making the Job opportunities available to the employees along with the Job descriptions mentioning the wages, skill sets, and all the necessary information to provide a variety of avenues to employees creating their career plans.
Value-based incentive Plans: To establish a culture of Inclusion and equity, implement value-based reward schemes which do recognize people reaching out to others in helping and enabling them to become part of the team.
Providing equitable access to all employees: This not only means access to resources and opportunities but also physical infrastructures and materials. Whether the meeting rooms is wheelchair friendly, washrooms have the provision to support disability, the presentations have captions for the understanding of the employees.
Equitable Benefits: With Maternity, Paternity leaves, additionally for the adoption, Aged parents or family member. Spousal benefits for a same-sex couple, holidays of all cultures, prayer rooms etc.
Employee survey questionnaire: The survey must capture the questions like whether the employees are treated fairly, Is the organization’s promotion policy is fair, is the compensation package is fair and as per the skill sets, and are the managers promoting equality and fairness, etc.
Leaders Training Programs: It is important to collaborate with the leaders and train them on how to have open conversations about DEI with their direct reports. Managers are in a unique position to build trust with their teams and solicit honest Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts aren’t successful overnight. In fact, making structural changes to workforce strategies can take months, especially as businesses face new challenges around hiring and managing people.
A cultural shift takes time, which means organizations must set benchmarks and track their progress to access how their efforts are moving the needle. This will not only show the leaders what strategies are working and which are failing short, but it will also help to hold them accountable for reaching their long-term goals.
By building more equitable work environments, employees come forward and share their big ideas, they feel comfortable pushing back the status quo. Everyone comes to a workplace that is innovative, embraces creative tension, and allows for meaningful debate in order to arrive at the best possible results.
Implementing equitable actions in the organization has the potential to change the lives of the employees and affect positive change in the wider world.
