Four steps to advance equity in a global workplace

Disruption, change, economic and social unrest are the overarching challenges business leaders are facing today.?Additionally, the events of the last few years have spotlighted long-term disparities in access to resources and opportunities, and the growing risks of leaving those gaps unaddressed.

More and more leaders are appreciating the difference between “equity” and “equality”. Equality is about providing everyone the same support and resources but does not always result in equal outcomes. Equity is about recognizing that everyone has different starting points and different needs and that structural and systemic advantages and disadvantages impact a person’s access to resources, how they are perceived and evaluated, and whether they experience a sense of belonging. So, it’s time to reimagine a better, more equitable world where everyone – particularly those facing greater disadvantages and barriers to success – can thrive.

What equity is and why it matters

The idea of equity is certainly not new. What is new, however is the openness and commitment from leaders to talk more about it at work and to translate it into action. This is fueled by new insights from research organizations such as the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) highlighting the heightened impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities.?From the disproportionate effect on women, particularly women of color in the workforce, to the “digital divide ” – exacerbated by the remote learning environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – students and employees who faced barriers to compete and succeed found themselves at an even greater disadvantage than before.

The business case for equity

Research shows that a culture of belonging is closely tied to performance for organizations and individuals across the globe and contributes to higher levels of productivity, engagement, resilience, and a greater sense of fulfillment and personal purpose. But that sense of belonging is inextricably linked to whether employees feel that they have equitable access to key development drivers and milestones in the workplace. That may manifest in new experiences, opportunities for career advancement, or compensation.

Individuals at any organization are likely to have different starting points in terms of backgrounds, opportunities, advantages or disadvantages, and career journeys. As leaders, we need to be open to having conversations that acknowledge those differences and be on the lookout for inequities. This could be anything from historically rooted biases, to language barriers, and from microaggressions to individual preferences. As business leaders, it sounds daunting, but we should consider the changes needed to ensure that each person gets the resources and access to opportunities that they need to succeed.

?And while it can be impactful to implement strategies that empower people to act at an individual level, the real change begins when we start to deconstruct potential systemic barriers. That means taking a closer look at the structures and processes that are sustaining inequities, not only within our organizations but across society more broadly. It also means considering why these structures may exist in the first place.

?As the fierce competition for hiring and retaining talent continues, we’re seeing employee expectations shift. Employees, especially younger people , expect an environment where they feel free to be themselves at work and a strong sense of belonging. There is also less tolerance for gaps between what companies say and what they do.

?Although diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I) programs have become common in the modern workplace, many companies are struggling to create tangible value in performance gains as a result of those efforts. The missing piece? Clearly linking DE&I strategy to talent and business operations, including increased accountability for behaviors that support a more inclusive culture, where differences are not only accepted, but also appreciated as key drivers of innovation and collective growth.

What EY is doing to drive social equity globally

In addition to the ongoing work of the long-standing Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness Steering Committee (GDEISC) – a think and action tank consisting of 30+ EY business and team leaders from around the world, chaired by EY Global CEO Carmine Di Sibio and me – in 2020, we also formed the Global Social Equity Taskforce (GSET) to step up the organization’s focus on social equity. The GSET identified a suite of actions endorsed by the EY Global Executive, the organization’s highest global governing body. The actions identified by this group include:

o??Improving our systems and processes to remove barriers and biases.

o??Upskilling our people in greater inclusive behaviors, since we each have an opportunity to make the workplace more equitable through how we team, assign work, evaluate, make advancement decisions, and how we include more voices at the table.

o??Measuring real progress through the EY Global DE&I Tracker, which tracks progress with consistent diversity and inclusiveness metrics and reporting across the EY organization. This sets a standard of “what good looks like” and helps ensure the organization holds itself more accountable.

o??Using external relationships and platforms to help inspire greater social equity and inclusiveness at clients, suppliers, and communities.

Understanding colleagues’ real, lived experiences is also a crucial step toward creating an equitable work environment. At EY we are raising awareness, engagement, and encouraging conversations about social equity and its impact on our people, day to day. We seek to ignite curiosity across difference and inspire personal learning and even more individual action.

By creating space for greater awareness, understanding, and accountability we believe organizations can more effectively connect people and bridge their experiences. This shift in part starts with recognizing, acknowledging, and surfacing potential biases and ways differences in background and identity may impact individuals’ lived experiences. Ultimately, the aim is for a more equitable working world where everyone can thrive, which means all of us do better.?

The views reflected in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms.