Why DEI is Important: Nine Benefits of Strong DEI in the Workplace
By Rie Parker
Attracting top talent can be a challenge when it comes to building a successful organization — and then you have to retain it.
Part of holding onto your staff is ensuring your employees feel valued, welcome, and respected, and one way to do this is through a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion — also known as DE&I.
In fact, a company’s commitment to DE&I can result in even more benefits than sourcing talent and building effective teams. Utilizing a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy can give your organization an edge over competitors and strengthen your bottom line. Let’s dig into how, and discuss nine key benefits to DE&I in the workplace.
WHAT IS DE&I?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are often lumped together or used interchangeably, but these are three distinct parts.
Diversity refers to a wide and varying range of groups within a community or population — think ethnicity, religion, abilities, sexual orientation, and other dimensions of diversity. Inclusion is the active engagement of all members of that community or population. Equity is the fair and just treatment of those members regardless of how they identify.
Each DE&I element is important, and they are all deeply interconnected. But there are differences. For example, a diverse population is not automatically inclusive or equitable. Similarly, an inclusive community is not always diverse.
To successfully bring DE&I to your organization, the three must be integrated into every aspect of the workplace. Only then will you and your employees reap the benefits.
HOW IS DE&I CONNECTED TO COMPANY CULTURE?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to company culture because they foster creativity, fresh perspectives, and understanding. By implementing DE&I, people of different races, abilities, ages, genders, religion, sexual orientation, and other diverse backgrounds can be made more comfortable in the workplace.
