Building a Culture of Equity & Inclusivity

In 2018, 20,000 Google employees walked out to protest the handling of sexual harassment claims in the workplace. That headline-grabbing protest and related appeals have extended into this year. We know Goggle pledges to strengthen its commitment to equity and inclusion, which helps the company build well-accepted products for its users and the world. This case implies that without a supportive culture, equity will not be sustained and will not help retain the best talent in the workplace.

After my previous articles on equity in the workplace pivoting on the rationale of equity, its implication, and programmatic practices, I believe it is worthwhile to discuss the cultural dimension of equity—building a culture of equity and inclusivity.

Characters of a culture of equity and inclusivity

A culture of equity and inclusivity exemplifies the value, purpose, policy, practice, and behavior that ensure that all people have fair and equitable support and opportunities to learn, grow, and advance, including, but not limited to, those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, country of origin, or religion.

Although technology may be pervasive in the post-pandemic and digital era, ultimately, a culture of equity and inclusivity will have the most imperative and formative impact on the business world.

Some key traits of this culture include the following:

• Having a level playing field for everyone
• Offering fair access, opportunity, resources to learn, development, advancement
• Providing psychological safety, so all employees can bring their whole selves to work and contribute
• Nurturing a strong sense of belonging, uniqueness, and fairness
• Respecting the individual and treating each one with dignity
• Celebrating difference and building on commonality

This culture underlines empathy, humanity, and trust as a capstone of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It differentiates a genuinely diverse and inclusive organization from those that are not because it taps the benefits of a diverse workplace and ensures that a wide range of perspectives and experiences are heard, valued, and embraced.

A plurality of professionals (32%) surveyed by Korn Ferry said they plan to leave because they disliked the culture at their organization. We all heard that culture eats strategy for breakfast. No matter how robust our strategic plan is, if our people do not share an ethical culture, its efficacywill be held back because the people implementing the plan are the ones that make all the difference.

To be continued...