Embracing diversity is about getting to know and appreciate people of different religions, cultures, ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, or ages. Try something new. Anytime we step outside our comfort zone, we build understanding. Visit a play, concert, or religious service that is outside your norm.
To embrace diversity means to pay attention to who is at the table and then create a diverse table. Leaders need to create conditions where diverse viewpoints are represented, be purposeful in seeking out people who have opposing views, delegate equitably, and proactively identify development opportunities for all.
In a nutshell, it's about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.
It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
“Equality means to me recognizing and embracing diversity. Equality not only means that opportunities should be available to everyone; it means that everyone can have the chance to develop their potential.”
Equity by means is everyone in the company has uncompromised access to the support, resources, treatment, and opportunities they need to succeed in the workplace. While equality focuses on making sure that everyone gets the same access to the same resources, equity emphasizes specific, individual needs.
Tell me about a time when you personally advocated for diversity, equity, or inclusion in the workplace. Employers want to gauge if your actions align with your words and beliefs on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It's important to be authentic here, so give an example where your action had specific results.
Equality – all people will be treated fairly, irrespective of their age, sex or race. Diversity – the range of people in the workforce will be diverse. There will be a good mix of ages, religions, sexual preferences, cultures and disabilities, including both men and women.
In an equality model, a coach gives all of his players the exact same shoes. In an equity model, the coach gives all of his players shoes that are their size.
Increasing diversity in the workplace enhances creativity and innovation. Teams that see the same thing in different ways are more likely to get a wider range of perspectives and an infusion of fresh ideas, improving the productivity of the workforce.
Embracing diversity in the workplace is looked on in a positive way by others and can boost your company's reputation. It may also encourage potential employees to want to work for you if they find out your workplace is friendly, fair and inclusive.
The importance of equity in achieving this is that it creates a level playing field by providing the support and resources based on an individual's needs. Introducing measures to achieve equity will help to eliminate the inherent gaps that exist in society.
Develop empathy and compassion. Listening to other people's stories is essential to embracing diversity. Finding spaces to share experiences and build trust leads to greater empathy. The human experience is most powerful when people discover their shared experiences as opposed to dwelling on their differences.
Good equality and diversity practices make sure that the services provided to people are fair and accessible to everyone. They ensure that people are treated as equals, that people get the dignity and respect they deserve and that their differences are celebrated.
So don't be afraid to find your own language to talk about how and why it's important to you. Your answer might sound something like this: “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three very important topics to me. I believe that diversity means representation across a wide range of traits, backgrounds, and experiences.
Examples of equality and diversity in the workplace
Age is not a restrictive factor in employment (where the person has the skill set to perform the role). Workers should be paid the same if they are doing the same job. Employees have equal rights when it comes to promotions.