Inclusion Means Everyone – why DEI must be everyone’s business

The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) CEO, Sandi Wassmer gives her view on how and why DEI needs to be part of business culture.

Whatever your organisation does and whatever sector it’s in, whether this be private, public or third, the market out there is competitive. Of course, having a fabulous product or service is key, but what underpins every great organisation is its people. Having a high-performing and wildly productive workforce will give you that competitive edge. 

The UK’s workforce is extremely diverse, and we all know that diversity in all its guises – identity, background, thinking, views, perspectives and experiences – can lead to more creativity and innovation. But, it’s equally important that everyone in your organisation feels included, safe, valued, respected and has a sense of belonging. This is where your DEI efforts come in.

DEI does not stand still

Workplace DEI is ever-evolving, and organisations need to continue to be part of the evolution to stay current and relevant.

Although DEI work is founded on human rights legislation – in the UK – compliance with legislation alone is not enough if you want your organisation to fly. Not only does legislation not cover the multitude of reasons that people are discriminated against; it omits things such as socio-economic background, gender identity, appearance, language, accent, experience of the care system, and experience as a caregiver, to name a few. Compliance is not enough. Compliance without culture change is a box-ticking exercise and only gets you as far as tolerance, which simply connotes ‘to put up with’ or ‘to bear with’. The alternative is to celebrate all of the wonderful things that intersect to make us who we are and to create the conditions for such a celebration.

Start with culture

For DEI work to be sustainable, it must be founded in an inclusive culture. This takes time and an unwavering commitment to providing an environment where everyone is able to thrive and flourish. Unlike many DEI initiatives, this isn’t exclusive to people with protected characteristics or those who may be discriminated against, but is for everyone. It boggles me when I hear about inclusive cultures that leave out those who are not marginalised or may be deemed mainstream. 

An inclusive culture is one where people feel part of a whole, are trusted, valued and respected. It is where they have a voice and are able to shape the decisions that affect their working lives, and this must be led from the top. It is your leaders who set the culture and tone of your organisation, and this work can never be delegated.

Every interaction matters

Although your leaders must exemplify your culture, everyone you employ must live up to it. After all, your culture is only as good as the worst behaviours you are willing to tolerate. Make sure your values are not just things that sit in a drawer and that the behaviours associated with your values are upheld. Being able to give feedback when someone isn’t living into your values, whether this be to a manager, peer, direct report, or someone in another department, should be a cultural norm.

The importance of psychological safety

At the heart of an inclusive culture is a psychologically safe one. For people to feel part of something and have a sense of belonging requires psychological safety. In a psychologically safe environment, everyone feels able to respectfully and appropriately express their views, take risks, put forward ideas, ask questions, raise concerns, and make mistakes and learn from them without fear of judgment or recrimination. It is the foundation for happiness and wellbeing at work and leads to higher performance, productivity, creativity and innovation.

DEI must be integrated and cohesive

So many DEI initiatives are siloed, disparate, and disconnected. They focus on single characteristics and fail to understand the multiple, intersecting dimensions of human identity. 

This leaves many organisations wondering why their initiatives don’t lead to long-term, sustainable change and leads them to doubt the value or efficacy of DEI work.

It’s time to flip DEI on its head. Leaders must understand that DEI is a subset of culture and cannot be relegated to the back room. It needs to be front and centre, led from the top, and cascading throughout an organisation’s everyday activities. After all, inclusion is for everyone.