Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”

Stephen R. Covey

What it is

What does Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) mean? (Note: many people refer to ‘Equality’ when they talk about DEI, but we prefer the term ‘Equity’.)

  • DIVERSITY. Recognising that people differ in a wider range of ways. (But just because a company is diverse doesn’t mean it’s inclusive)
  • EQUITY. Acknowledging that everyone doesn’t begin in the same place in society – and advocating for everyone being provided with what they need to succeed. (Note: Equality means that everyone is treated the same way – but this might not always be the right approach)
  • INCLUSION. Making people feel welcome, accepted for being uniquely who they are, and encouraged to participate. Inclusion fosters a sense of belonging

DEI should never be thought of as an ‘add on’ or a ‘nice to have’. It should be woven into every touchpoint, action and decision.

Why it’s important

Make DEI a business priority, and you’ll reap the benefits:

  • Improve employee experience. Create a warmer, more welcoming workplace. Increase employee loyalty and retention. Attract diverse talent. Strengthen your reputation as an employee of choice
  • Improve customer experience. Reflect the diversity of your customers. Understand the diverse needs and perspectives of all your customers
  • Boost business performance. Spark creativity and innovation through multiple perspectives. Increase productivity and profit. Gain competitive edge by opening up new market sectors
  • Comply with the law. Fulfil your obligations to the Equality Act 2010

Businesses with high inclusive engagement have an operating profit almost three times higher (27%) than those that don’t. – Towers Watson, 2012, (Global workforce study)

 

How we can help

We have wide-ranging expertise and experience in the field of DEI, and can provide you with the following:

  • DEI Audit: A thorough DEI health check of your organisation, during which we review key data and policies and conduct interviews and focus groups. We present a comprehensive report detailing our findings and recommendations
  • DEI Workshop: An DEI action-planning session with your Senior Leadership Team and other key stakeholders. Led by one of our experienced DEI facilitators, we discuss our recommendations and work with you to shape your DEI Strategy and prioritise actions to take forward
  • DEI Strategy: A crucial piece of work which must be informed by evidence. It consists of clear objectives, deliverables, targets and metrics, as well as responsibilities and an outline of how progress will be reviewed and reported
  • Equality Impact Assessment. EqIAs can produce tangible outcomes for your business when introducing a new policy, strategy or project across the organisation. Similar to a risk assessment, an EqIA challenges our assumptions that a policy, strategy or project affects everyone the same way. Having an EqIA process in place will ensure that all your policies will be looked at through an DEI lens before being introduced
  • HR Consultancy: We can provide you with an DEI expert to work closely with your HR function, and support with the embedding of DEI across your organisation

Top tip

Every organisation needs a comprehensive DEI Strategy. But for it to be successful, it’s critical that those who are responsible for its implementation are involved from the start. They need to see the value in it and feel inspired to own it and action it.