Equity and Inclusion

Equity aims to ensure the fair treatment, access, equality of opportunity and advancement for everyone while also attempting to identify and remove the barriers that have prevented some groups from fully participating. Equity promotes justice, fairness and impartiality within the processes, procedures and distribution of resources by systems or institutions. To tackle equity, people need to understand the root causes of outcome disparities in society.

Inclusion builds a culture where everyone feels welcome by actively inviting every person or every group to contribute and participate. This inclusive and welcoming environment supports and embraces differences and offers respect to everyone in words and actions. A work environment that's inclusive is supportive, respectful and collaborative and aims to get all employees to participate and contribute. An inclusive work environment endeavors to remove all barriers, discrimination and intolerance.

The tech industry stands apart from other industries with its promise to build a brand new future. However, as forward-thinking as the industry can be, it also suffers from stagnation in some areas, especially in regards to the demographics of its biggest players. 

Though it has made strides in the last decade, the tech industry remains extremely homogenous — a  revealed that people of color made up only five percent of employees at Silicon Valley tech firms, and women hold around just 28 percent of tech industry roles. If tech companies want to build an industry that truly looks toward new horizons, they need to make DEI a central part of their values.

“We as employers need to make sure we’re including these individuals and that we’re giving them equity,” said Catalina Colman, Director of HR and Inclusion at Built In. “We need to make sure that, not only do they have a job, but they have the same ability to get promoted, to contribute and have the same impact — in the world and in the workplace — as their peers.”

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity is the presence of differences within a given setting. Equity is the process of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. Inclusion is the practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.

Here you’ll learn what diversity, equity and inclusion are and how each plays a role in creating a better workplace. Using insight from Colman, who has over 13 years of HR experience, it provides a foundational introduction to DEI today.

• Equity: The act of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual.
• Inclusion: The practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. This means that every employee feels comfortable and supported by the organization when it comes to being their authentic selves.

If the tech industry wants to truly be a place where innovation and ingenuity thrives, diversity, equity and inclusion has to take center stage. Employers must actively work to create meaningful change in spite of the history of injustice that has marginalized underrepresented groups within the workplace. 

DEI is an ethos that recognizes the value of diverse voices and centers inclusivity and employee wellbeing as central facets of success. To bring those values to life, companies must implement programs and initiatives that actively make their offices more diverse, equitable and inclusive spaces. 

Diversity is the presence of differences within a given setting. In the workplace, that can mean differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age and socioeconomic class. It can also refer to differences in physical ability, veteran status, whether or not you have kids — all of those are components of diversity.

Equity is the process of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. “Equity is why we go to work,” explains Colman. “We want to get compensated fairly for our work, we want to be challenged, to learn and to contribute. People often choose an employer based on those things, which boil down to equity.” 

Finally, inclusion is the practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. This means that every employee feels comfortable and supported by the organization when it comes to being their authentic selves.

“Every employee should feel valued at work, by their peers and their employer,” said Colman. “It’s not about just opening the invitation to everyone — it’s about making sure that every individual knows and feels they are welcome at your organization.”

When we think of diversity in the workplace, we often think of physical, visible differences. However, it’s important to be mindful of diversity of thought.

“From a business standpoint, different perspectives directly influence a product — how it’s made, who it serves, how it functions and so on,” said Colman. “More perspectives make for a better product.” People from different backgrounds with varying life experiences will be able to provide new perspectives that help refine and enhance processes. 

“There’s a level of innovation that diversity contributes to,” said Colman. “People bring a unique framework to the job that enables them to approach problems differently and propose unique solutions. The more diverse voices there are in your organization, the better your outcomes will be, purely from a business standpoint.”

However, Colman urges employers to look beyond the business case. “I believe that if we give people the equitable opportunity to not only be employed, but to have employment with purpose and passion, our society can and will do great things. It’s a measurable good for everyone.

In order to ensure equal circumstances for all individuals across the organization, equity requires that employers recognize barriers and advantages. This is the crucial difference between “equity” and “equality.”

“Equity takes into account the fact that not everybody is starting at the same level,” explains Colman. “Take home ownership, for example. A bank can make the statement that the loan application process is equal and that they will not discriminate based on race, gender or ethnicity. That doesn’t take into account student loans, familial debt, socioeconomic status, what have you. These are prohibitive factors that hold some individuals back from receiving a loan.”

These limitations are what define barriers and give rise to advantages, ultimately leading to an inequitable process. Colman offers a second example of job application rates between men and women — women tend to apply to roles where they meet  100 percent of the criteria, whereas men will apply if they meet just 60 percent. 

“That’s a manifestation of your application process being inequitable,” said Colman. “The solution would be to ask yourself: How can I standardize my job descriptions so everyone has an equal chance to apply? How can I encourage someone who is qualified to submit their application even if they can’t check every box? It’s about leveling the playing field so the barriers to entry are the same for every single individual.”

For example, rather than listing years of experience as a requirement, identify specific areas of experience or scope. Doing so opens the talent pool up to qualified applicants who may be earlier in their career. Instead of “5-7 years of project management experience,” ask for “Experience managing projects autonomously, from ideation to implementation.”

Inequity permeates every aspect of your business, requiring vigilance and swift action. “HR practitioners have to do the work to understand how it is we can go above and beyond to make an equitable organization for everyone,” said Colman. “You’re not going to be able to build diversity if you’re not taking the steps to be more equitable.”

While the workplace does require professionalism and etiquette (i.e. no profane language), an inclusive culture should not bar individuals from being themselves. “Employees should not worry about  code switching or shielding part of their identity,” said Colman. “They should be able to walk through the door without feeling like something about them has to change.” 

Inclusion is what maintains diversity. Without it, employees will simply leave the organization. “If a candidate walks into a workplace and they’re the only woman or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) employee, they’re going to question the employer’s authenticity and values,” said Colman.

“People want to belong, plain and simple,” she said. “And marginalized individuals want to know that they’re not going to be the token person to represent a demographic. They shouldn’t have to worry about that in the workplace; they