Let's chat about INclusion

With everything happening in the world today, it's difficult to understand how organizations can struggle with diversity and inclusion. Failure to attract diverse talent is often due to inclusivity issues in the workplace. For organizations looking to shape their diversity and inclusion programs, the change can be challenging — but ever more rewarding.

Most companies understand that diversity programs deliver business value, and often rely on research showing that companies with more diverse teams outperform their competitors. Research also shows that even just the presence of visible diversity results in better performance and that extra performance boost can be incredibly motivating for data-driven companies. Conversely, companies that lack diversity are being called out publicly, and may even be losing business, not to mention falling behind when recruiting.

But what's the distinction between diversity and inclusion? Many organizations refer to the two simultaneously. Inclusion includes more of the intangibles that create an environment where people can be successful and feel valued IN their work. But often, conversations about inclusion end up feeling like we're talking about classic diversity management. The focus is on targeted recruiting, mentoring programs, promotion rates, and diversity training. It starts to feel like the same book with an updated cover.

Inclusion allows individuals with different identities to feel they belong within the group, usually because they are valued, relied upon, welcomed, and, more importantly, empowered. Think of it this way; diversity is the book's cover, and Inclusion is the book itself. The meat that comes down to experience in the workplace.

#diversity #inclusion