Embracing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – why it is important for employers
The recent pushback against Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) with the advent of a new administration in America has placed EDI front and centre in recent headlines but not necessarily for the right reasons.
Look beneath the negative headlines and there is a wealth of evidence about the benefits of embracing EDI in the workplace not only for the performance of an organisation but for the wellbeing of all staff.
Economic pressures and recent shifts in cultural attitudes may be causing organisations to reassess their EDI measures. In the past few months, we have heard a call for a return to a more ‘masculine energy’ in the workplace and suggestions that those who support work life balance simply do not ‘love’ their work. These attitudes can limit an organisation’s potential, surrounding yourself with people who look and think like you has rarely been a recipe for success. Organisations are more likely thrive where they make work accessible to people from all walks of life, benefitting from diverse talents.
What is EDI?
As with many acronyms, EDI is widely quoted by many but its terminology can often confuse, so what do we mean by EDI?
- Equality – Equality means removing barriers to opportunity and giving everyone in your organisation fair and equal opportunities to succeed across all aspects of work life including progressions and training.
- Diversity – In simple terms diversity is about the range of different people in your organisation, and respecting, recognising and celebrating those differences.
- Inclusion- means everyone feels valued in work. Making sure people feel comfortable to be themselves and giving them a sense of belonging so that they feel safe to share ideas and raise concerns.
What EDI is not
EDI allows organisation to employ and progress the best people by removing barriers and opening up opportunities to people from diverse backgrounds who may otherwise be overlooked perhaps because of their ethnicity or social background. EDI does not mean you should be giving opportunities to less capable candidates to simply increase diversity. In fact such positive discrimination is not lawful in the UK as we have highlighted in a previous article here.
What are the benefits of EDI?
In the UK, employers are mandated to treat people fairly and to not discriminate in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. The benefits of effective EDI policies and procedures are often expressed in terms of avoiding legal claims for discrimination but there are wider benefits to be achieved beyond merely avoiding compensation payments.
The ACAS guide to equality, diversity and inclusion highlights the positive impacts of effective EDI within the workplace
- Happier employees and workplace
- Improved retention and attraction
- Fewer people issues
- Heightened innovation
- Enhanced customer service
- More successful organisations
McKinsey’s ‘Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters’ report, published in 2020 found that diversity within executive teams had a positive impact upon profitability. Organisations in the top quartile of gender diversity within their executive teams were 25% more likely to have above average profitability than organisations in the lowest quartile. This was an increase from their earlier reports of 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014. Higher ethnic and cultural diversity within executive teams also impacted profitability with organisations with 36% more likely to achieve above average profitability. This underscores the importance of diverse perspectives in leadership.
Diversity alone will not help increase an organisation’s performance. The report found that to realise the benefits of a diverse workforce, inclusivity is key. A safe environment is essential where people feel included give them confidence to share new ideas and to participate fully.
What should organisations be doing?
EDI is often cited in company mission and values’ statements but it is critical that EDI is embedded throughout your organisation to avoid it appearing to be tokenistic. The benefits can make a profound improvement to the working lives of people and to your organisations. Some ways to bring this in to the heart of what your organisation does, include:-
- Leadership – Strong EDI practices start from the top; senior leadership should be role models of EDI practices promoting an approach of ‘do as I say AND as I do’.
- Policies – Ensure that your policies are up to date and compliant. This isn’t just about having an EDI policy but reviewing other relevant policies to ensure they reflect the same approach of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Staff training – ensure that employees as well as line managers, understand the part that they play in creating an inclusive environment.
- Communication – open communication with staff makes them feel valued and helps them to understand the values and ethos of your organisation.
- Engagement – engage with your staff to get their honest views about their experiences of working for your organisation. You can do this via anonymised staff surveys. This will help you identify areas where you could improve.
- Recruitment – Advertise your job opportunities in more than one place, there are a multitude of recruitment platforms (media?) that can expand the reach of your advert to diverse sets of communities. Use inclusive language in adverts so as not to deter candidates from different backgrounds.
