For my second Gordon Career Center event, I chose to attend a webinar entitle The Importance of DEI in the Workplace & Creating an Enriching Experience, hosted by AlphaSights, a consulting group. Prior to this webinar, I had never heard of AlphaSights, nor did I know what “DEI” meant, so I really had no idea what to expect going into this experience.
In the end, though I don’t think I’ll end up going into consulting, I still think I learned a few valuable things that can be applied to any workspace to make it better. For one, the presentation actually centered around an idea of DEI-B, not just DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
D: They defined diversity to be the practice of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. This is of course important for a consulting group because giving clients access to the widest range of opinions and ideas possible will ensure that they have the best outcome, no matter the project. But this also applies beyond consulting, in an industry like medicine for example, where diseases in minority groups are typically understudied and therefore under-diagnosed, or where, due to preconceived notions or stereotypes a provider might believe about a certain group, the affect the quality of care an individual receives may be affected. Ensuring diversity within a hospital system can absolutely help to eliminate these issues.
E: The presentation defined equity as being fair, not just in a sense that everyone is on a level playing field, but going further than that by providing aid to marginalized groups who historically have beset back from other groups. Once again, this is important in any workspace in any industry, from consulting to medicine, so that all employees are in a position where they can put forth their best work.
I: They defined Inclusion and Belonging similarly to Equity, in terms of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. However, these terms also referred to the team dynamic within, making sure every employee felt like they belonged and felt seen and heard within the workspace. One really interesting way they noted that they promoted inclusion and belonging was through employee resource groups (ERGs) and interest groups.
ERGs function similarly to affinity groups in a sense that each one is comprised of employees of a specific group, whether that be race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, etc. These are important because they promote solidarity and a sense of community (and therefor support) among employees with similar lived experiences. Interest groups, on the other hand, span employees of all different backgrounds and are comprised of employees who simply share a common interest or hobby. These also help create a sense of community within a workspace by connecting employees who share something in common that they might not have otherwise known they share. Put together, these two types of groups facilitate alliances both within and across identity groups, helping all employees to feel included and like they belong within the space, which, in turn, facilitates their best work within working hours.
Thus, DEI-B is essential to the function of really any workspace, no matter the industry. In fact, it is essential in all aspects of one’s lived experience in which they interact with other people on a large scale, specifically in their education, for ensures the best experience possible for all peoples–not just regardless of their background but rather taking their background into account to inform the decisions of the systems in power to make sure everyone has a bright future,
