Opportunities for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Beyond Race
In 2020, many organizations committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with new vigor and intention. For many, the murder of George Floyd spurred DEI initiatives surrounding racial equity and a heavy focus on increasing diversity. This effort has led to so many exciting and inspiring examples of how the workplace can be different – it's made me eager to see what else we can do. Here are a few things I’ve been thinking that organizations could consider.
Ability Status.
I’ve noticed workplaces tend to shy away from collaboratively identifying ways to accommodate people with disabilities. On the flip side, I’ve found differently abled people to be the most innovative and creative thinkers. Many people with disabilities are used to thinking outside of the box as they navigate the world without “normal” abilities. Consider how your organization could be more open and accommodating to these folks. You might think about HR benefits and resources, remote work, or adjusting the physical work environment to ensure people with different abilities have the support to make a meaningful impact in their work.
Neurodivergent.
Neurodivergent describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works, which comes with its own unique gifts and challenges. While this term is most often used with folks who are autistic, as a former mental health professional, I find that many people exhibit behaviors that could be a result of neurodivergence. In the workplace, being more inclusive of neurodivergence might include setting and following clear work expectations, less restrictive processes, flexible work times, or reimagining job experience requirements.
Mental Health.
Leaning on my mental health background again and my interactions with teams, whether we can acknowledge it or not, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of all of us. Furthermore, Gen Z is entering the workforce with high levels of stress and mental health issues due to changes in our culture (mass shootings, less social interaction, increased tech use). The current workplace environments are ripe for burnout, which I believe in most cases can be avoidable.
I recently worked with a few Trauma-Informed Care Networks (TICNs) across the state, and they’re doing some really great work supporting groups to implement practices of trauma-informed care into their organizations.
Consider how our organization can support the well-being of staff, employees, and the board. How are we showing our teams that it’s acceptable to have mental health issues (because we all do)? How is our organization setting people up for success and the opportunity to make an impact?
Socio-Economic Background.
Some challenges to being inclusive come from our experiences through our socio-economic background, often labeled as high, middle, and low class. Socio-economic background plays a role in what people have access to but also what they believe is most important. Nonprofits are notorious for having affluent and highly educated boards and staff providing services to people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, we have been conditioned to believe certain stereotypes about the different socio-economic backgrounds that inevitably affect how we interact with each other (re: implicit bias). In the workplace, we might reconsider dress code expectations or how to support people to adhere to the dress code, if necessary. Another consideration would be the qualifications for a job – do we need someone with degrees and experience or do we need someone willing to learn how to get the job done? Are we willing to (financially) support people in gaining the technical skills needed for our organization?
I do believe that commitment to DEI is a commitment to changing the world around us. It’s recognizing that while our culture has valued some human characteristics higher than others, everyone has something valuable to contribute. This shift is no easy task! But I hope that we remain committed together by continuing to figure out ways to be diverse, equitable and inclusive within our culture. I’m very excited about the world we are collectively building.