The conversation about Diversity Equity and Inclusion within the workplace is growing louder and louder each day and for a good reason.

Not only does DEI promote diversity within an organization, but it also dives into gender equality with pay gaps and added benefits that help employees integrate their work and family lives.

As a staffing firm, the goal is to help human resource managers cut down on retention, hiring employees that want to stay with the organization long term. One way to improve overall retention within a company is to implement and execute realistic DEI initiatives, attracting top – tire employees to the company.

MVP Staffing breaks down what DEI stands for and how you can add DEI initiatives to your workplace.

What is DEI

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can seem confusing at first simply because there are multiple different avenues within the term that overlap. However, DEI has one end goal, to ensure everyone within the organization is respected, treated equally, and can avoid imposter syndrome.

Almost a decade ago, DEI was a term associated with race; however, the term has grown as employees have brought to light the different ways they face discrimination daily.

Considering your place of employment is where you spend most of your day, it should be a safe environment where each individual feels comfortable being themselves without fear of losing their job.

Diversity

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective.

In 1964 the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) enforced Title VII, prohibiting workplace discrimination. Although this law passed, employees still face subtle discrimination based on hairstyles, sexual preference, or political perspectives.

One example of encouraging diversity within the workplace is the acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Companies worldwide have created workgroups to give members of the LGBTQ community the space to speak and be heard. This has prompted notable changes within some organizations like including feminine products in male restrooms or ditching the gender identified restrooms as a whole and opting in for unisex restrooms. If your company supports the LGBTQ community, a simple way to stand with your employees is to acknowledge Pride Month. This gesture can attract new candidates who feel unappreciated at their current roles and look for an organization that understands their values.

Equity

Equity promotes justice, impartiality, and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

A huge equity issue within a lot of organizations is the treatment that women employees receive.History shows that women have been underpaid and underrepresented in executive roles since the beginning of time. As a result of this, women and men have stood together to promote equity in the workplace by joining the nationally known Women’s March to speak up about injustices for women inside and outside of work.

Many employers are starting to reevaluate their compensation packages to increase the likelihood of comparable benefits and incentives for men and women. An example would be generous and equal paid time off for mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents who recently welcomed a child into their lives.

One way companies can continue to support women in the workplace and bridging the pay gap is by including private areas for women who recently returned to work from maternity leave and need a comfortable environment to nurse. This change will allow women to return to work quickly and not miss out on pay – prompting impartiality in distributing resources within the organization.

Inclusion

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those that are diverse fee welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution, and your program are genuinely inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization or group.

An example of inclusion would be hiring more people of color into executive positions. Companies’ most effortless way to attract employees to their organization is if future employees see current employees that look like them. Imposter syndrome can result in employees leaving organizations because they feel that they are not good enough for the role or do not belong.

Some companies have started making the change to become more inclusive by establishing employee resource groups or ERGs as a safe place for dialogue between employees and their employers. A few well known ERG groups across the nation are LGBTQ, Women, Mothers,Black/African American, LatinX, Veterans, Asian/Middle Eastern, and more.

5 ways to promote DEI within your organization

1. Set goals, and figure out what you want to improve
2. Assemble a team of committed members, and get started
3. Carve out time and budget
4. Get people talking about DEI, and encourage discussion
5. Commit to get started. You just need to listen, think, and take action

MVP Staffing is committed to staffing diverse candidates to our broad range of manufacturing companies. We are fortunate to have a diverse workforce that allows our recruiters to make unbiased decisions when sourcing qualified candidates. Let us help you find the right employees for your team.