Why DEIBA is the New DEI

It’s true that a workplace should include team members of different races, creeds, and sexualities, but there are many more elements to creating a socially successful organization than the population game. We’re here to talk about these elements through an acronym called DEIBA: Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Belonging, and Accessibility.

Each letter represents an aspect of working environments that people-leaders need to prioritize. Running your company with a firm grasp on DEIBA is the key to creating a great office culture, increasing engagement among your employees, reducing turnover, and generally being a better leader overall. Plus, you may find yourself enjoying some increased profit margins along the way.

So what exactly do Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Belonging, and Accessibility mean?

Let’s take a look.

Diversity

More than just an assortment of ethnicities, diversity is the welcoming of folks with all sorts of identities. Gender, sexuality, age, ability, and even professional experience are all factors that you should consider when managing your staff. A diverse workplace not only creates a more welcoming environment, but the intersectionality of such a staff inherently opens up new points of view and experiences from which everyone can learn. These points of view can often help your operations directly.

Equity

Equality and equity will always be a pair of words that get conflated. In a management context, equity is the act of making sure your treatment of your team members results in the same outcome, such as pay, leadership roles, and performance review. Equity gives those with systemic disadvantages an intentional boost to make sure they end up at the same level as those with systemic advantages.

Equality, however, is a broader term that doesn’t reach any further than “treating everyone the same.” This doesn’t account for advantages based on race and social standing and ends up contributing to those same systemic differences.

Inclusion

To develop an inclusive culture, you must ensure employees from all backgrounds are respected, valued, and have equal access to opportunity, in terms of both their talents and their perspectives. Take action to attract, hire, and retain diverse talent, while making sure your workplace is a welcoming environment to everyone and anyone.

Belonging

This doesn’t necessarily refer to differences in racial/gender identity, but rather, the way your team treats one another. Every employee wants the ability to be their authentic selves at work while fitting in with their peers, whether at the lunch table or in the boardroom. Feeling like you belong and maintaining interpersonal relationships is always crucial to building a healthy and engaged culture.

Accessibility

When we think of accessibility, we’ll often primarily think of wheelchair ramps and parking spaces for those with physical disabilities. Of course, these are essential—make sure you’ve got them! However, there are also the differences in ability that aren’t visible on the surface, such as attention deficit disorders. These team members are no less valuable or capable, but they may need extra provisions for certain tasks. Be conscious of those that need extra help.

So we’ve covered what DEIBA is, but why does it matter at your organization and how can you implement initiatives effectively? Check out our latest eBook with HelloTeam to learn how DEIBA can improve both your company’s culture and profit.