Diversity and inclusion are often put together as a single entity. While it’s true that they often go hand in hand, and each one benefits from the other, they aren’t the same thing. The concept behind each one is different.
Diversity is how many different kinds of people are in an organization. Does it have a relatively high percentage of people of color, for instance? The greater variety of people you have in an organization, the more diverse it is – especially if the percentages approach the actual distribution in the population.
Inclusion, on the other hand, is how well those people are integrated into the organization. Are they able to speak up and be heard? Do they get promoted? Are their ideas utilized? Because inclusion isn’t just about numbers, it is much harder to measure. Most will use the makeup of the executives as a yardstick, as that shows whether or not minorities are being promoted.
Key Takeaways:
| Diversity | Inclusion |
|---|---|
| Refers to how many people of different races, genders, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, or disabilities work in an organization. | Refers to whether or not people who were traditionally excluded are allowed to participate fully in an organization. |
| A workplace can be diverse but not inclusive. | A workplace can be inclusive but not diverse. |
| Diversity is easy to measure and is typically represented by the percentage of people from marginalized groups in an organization. | Inclusion is difficult to measure. A common metric is how many people from marginalized groups are in management. |
| The word diversity came into the English language in the 14th century via Anglo-French and Latin. | The word inclusion came into the language in the 15th century directly from Latin. |
What Is Diversity?
Diversity is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements” or “variety.” It is often used to refer to “the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc., in a group or organization.” That means that diversity is the act of having different kinds of people in an organization in terms of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Many organizations seek to promote diversity, and it’s relatively easy to measure. That’s why companies will push to hit certain numbers with diverse hires as a way to avoid accusations of racism or sexism, make use of the full talent pool, and reach a greater audience.
Businesses will work on hiring and promoting:
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Women
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People of color
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Members of the LGBTQ community
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People who weren’t born in the United States.
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People of different ethnicities.
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Religious minorities.
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People with disabilities.
It isn’t meant to simply be diversity for diversity’s sake, either. Having people with different lived experiences leads to a variety of ideas and considerations and being able to communicate with and reach a wider audience.
For example, cell phone cameras struggle to take good pictures of people with darker skin. Facial recognition technology also has more trouble recognizing those who have darker complexions. A major component of this problem is a lack of diversity in the tech industry.
That means that there are limited programmers and engineers of color to test these on themselves as they’re being created. In addition, if the entire staff is white – or near enough – it’s a lot less likely to be an issue that’s prioritized. It may not even be considered.
The word diversity came into use in the 14th century. It was ultimately derived from the Latin diversus, which means “turned in different directions, situated apart, [or] differing.” That was very similar to the Anglo-French diverseté or diversité. Middle English borrowed from both of the languages, ending up with dyversite, which later became modern English diversity.
What Is Inclusion?
Inclusion has several different definitions, some as simple as “the act of being included.” However, when it’s used in terms of business, it refers to “the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability.).”
It’s possible to have a highly diverse workforce that isn’t inclusive. Inclusion refers to whether or not people who were traditionally marginalized are able to actively participate and contribute to an organization. Due to that, inclusion is a lot harder to measure than diversity.
One common metric is to look at how many higher executives are people from traditionally marginalized communities. Your organization may have a high percentage of, say, women working there, but if none of them are getting promoted, it doesn’t speak highly of the company’s inclusion.
The word inclusion first came into the English language in the 15th century in its first definition: “the act of including” or “the state of being included.” The word was derived directly from the Latin word includere.
Diversity vs. Inclusion FAQ
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Why are diversity and inclusion important?
Diversity and inclusion are important because they bring many benefits to a company that properly practices them. Beyond the arguable moral obligation to give more opportunities to people whose ancestors didn’t have them, fostering diversity and inclusion help businesses be more successful.
Having a diverse and inclusive workforce means that you’re utilizing all available talent. If you exclude more than half the population, there are some incredibly talented, intelligent, and gifted people that are being underutilized.
It can also lead to more adaptability, a wider range of ideas, and the ability to reach a wider pool of customers and clients. Having a broader range of ideas from people who have different lived experiences leads to more creativity and innovation as well. This allows you to solve problems faster and more effectively.
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What’s the difference between diversity and inclusion and equity?
The difference between diversity and inclusion and equity is that diversity and inclusion relate to allowing people to be part of organizations, while equity is about giving them equal treatment.
Equity isn’t quite the same as equality. Equality would be if all people were treated exactly the same in terms of opportunities and being listened to. Equity is often used in the sense of “fair and equal treatment.”
The fair part is the focus here – giving someone who starts at a disadvantage the same treatment as someone who doesn’t may be equal, but is it fair?
That’s why equity will be used to refer to accommodations made for someone with a disability or something like helping members of the African American community with assistance towards homeownership, as they were traditionally excluded.
References
- Workplace Policies
- How To Make An Equipment Policy
- Employee Break Laws
- Business Process Management
- Diversity in the Workplace
- Federal Holidays 2023
- Cell Phone Policy
- Attendance Policy
- Dress Code Policy
- Writing a Code of Conduct
- Company Mission Examples
- Putting Values Into Action
- Workplace Etiquette
- How to Reward Employees
- Employee Handbook
- Alternatives To All-hands Meetings
- Workplace Diversity
- Diversity Vs. Inclusion
- How To Outsource HR
- Strategic Planning
- Guide to Remuneration
- Bereavement Leave At Work
- How To Make A Sabbatical Policy
- How To Make A Moonlighting Policy
- How To Make An Open Door Policy
- How To Make A Human Resources Strategy
- How To Make A Vacation Policy
- How To Make A Remote Work Policy
- How To Create A Compensation Plan
- How To Organize Your Desk
- What Is Business Sustainability?
- How To Handle Proprietary Information
- Pets In The Office Policy
- How To Write A Social Media Policy
- How To Write Company Bylaws
- What Is VTO?
- Flexible Work Schedules
Author
Di Doherty
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
