Have we “achieved” DEI? Not yet, but it’s also the wrong question

Have we “achieved” diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplaces?

Many argue that we have. We’ve reached our destination. Yay!

And, they add, because we have adequate DEI now, programs to promote it are no longer needed.

So while the argument seems positive on its face – “look how far we’ve come!” – in practice, it’s part of a societal backlash against inclusion efforts. It’s a justification to wind down programs that have helped many people and organizations, and that are still sorely needed.

To see why, let’s break down what DEI stands for.

Diversity is about who’s in the room. Organizations should reflect the communities they serve. Hearing different perspectives from diverse life experiences boosts creativity, productivity, and the quality of decisions.

Canadian employers have made significant strides toward diversity in recent years, but there’s more work to be done. For example, in a recent study of 574 Canadian public companies, only 29% of board members were women. That’s a significant increase from a decade ago when the figure was 11%. But if women are half the population, why don’t they have about half the board seats? And why have only 8% of these companies chosen a woman as their board chair? If we reject, as we must, the sexist assumption that women are less qualified, then something must be limiting women’s opportunities. We’re not seeing the gender diversity we would expect.

Equity is about giving everyone the opportunities they need to succeed. Where equality treats everyone the same, equity removes the unique barriers some groups face, to provide a truly level playing field.

For example, maybe there are fewer women on corporate boards not due to outright sexism, but simply because fewer women choose to pursue the high-powered career paths from which board members are recruited. Even if that’s the case, it’s not the end of the story. Do women pursue different career paths voluntarily, or are there barriers that make their progress toward board seats an uphill climb instead of a level playing field?

We can easily imagine strategies that would provide greater equity. Encouraging young women to pursue traditionally male occupations, and young men to pursue traditionally female ones, to overcome stereotypes. Incentivizing fathers to share more equally with mothers in taking parental leaves and in other childcare work that traditionally falls disproportionately on women and affects their career progress. Implementing hiring processes that control for unconscious biases, such as blind screening of applications. Offering high-quality, affordable childcare. Improving women’s access to mentorship and informal networking opportunities to be equal to men’s. And none of this would hurt men! It would only level the playing field.

Inclusion goes a step further. It’s about everybody feeling like they belong. It’s about treating everyone with equal dignity. It’s about respecting differences and championing the strength that diversity and equity bring us.

When women not only have a level playing field to compete for board positions (equity) and are fairly represented on boards (diversity), but are also treated by their colleagues as valuable team members whose voices are respected, that’s inclusion.

So have we “achieved” DEI?

As the above examples illustrate, we’ve made progress on both diversity and equity, but we’re not there yet. More progress is needed, and we can achieve it if we invest in it.

But with inclusion, “have we achieved it” is the wrong question. Inclusion is about dignity, respect and belonging, and these aren’t end points or destinations. We can never say, “Good news, everyone belongs now. Our work here is done!”

We can always learn to be more respectful of one another. We can always promote deeper and more robust feelings of belonging. We can always learn more about our colleagues’ experiences, relate to each other with greater dignity, and better recognize our common humanity. And we can always strive to make our work environments more productive, healthy and enjoyable for all the diverse people who come through them. Inclusion isn’t a destination. It’s an ongoing journey. We may never fully “achieve” it, but we should never stop striving. Programs to promote DEI will never be obsolete.