By J.D Ndungu
Equity and equality are often used interchangeably both in conversation and practice. However, this confusion can lead to mediocre consequences which is rarely ever the intention of organizations. While equality aims to provide the same resources to everyone, equity goes a step further by addressing systemic barriers and ensuring that all individuals have the support they need to thrive in the workplace.
In our previous article on inclusion, we highlighted the significant effort required to cultivate environments where everyone feels valued and respected. However, achieving equity demands an even deeper commitment to dismantling barriers and fostering a truly inclusive workspace. Before we move forward, it’s important to point out that the pursuit of equity does not equal the pursuit of profit or the guarantee of success; equity is a deliberate and dedicated effort to build an inclusive business environment for all who interact with your business.
Equity vs Equality
The above image is a great representation of the difference between equality and equity. While the sentiment of equality is something we all understand and mostly agree with, we can clearly see why the pursuit of equity and not equality, is the ideal path to establishing a sustainable business environment. It is also in the image above where we come across the first real hurdle when creating an equitable workplace – what are the ‘boxes’ we need to setup?
Causal factors
Causal factors are major unplanned and unintended contributors to an incident. A common place where causal factors occur in the workplace is during the onboarding process. You can have a documented process that all employees are taken through, but there are several examples of how new employees perform tasks incorrectly that their supervisor/onboarding buddy must reteach them. Of course, it would be impossible for any business to eliminate all causal factors, but when it comes to trying to develop an equitable workplace, here are two key causal factors that can be considered:
- Leadership and their preferences
The leadership of any organization is key to ensuring an equitable space. We all have our preferences, some of which to us can be seemingly insignificant. However, something as small as a business owner wanting to live within 10 minutes of their place of business or having their own idea about what a ‘good’ employee looks like for their business can have unintended consequences on a pursuit to being equitable.
- The organisation’s mindset
An organization’s mindset is much like an individual’s and will drive its approach not only to its customers, but to its employees. Led by the executive, but adopted by the employees, how an organization ‘thinks’ has a significant influence on several factors in how it treats employees and customers. Following on from the point about leadership preferences, if a leader considers a good employee to be a young, single professional, the hiring managers/HR may display a bias against hiring anyone who doesn’t fit that description.
So, what are some steps your organization can take to becoming equitable?
- Understanding the purpose of becoming equitable
Becoming equitable is not just about correcting something that is going wrong; it is about pursuing a better standard for your business. Becoming equitable as a business opens up diverse thought, which naturally exposes your business to new ways of doing things and new clients you could have been ignoring.
- Acknowledge existing disparities
Whether you agree with it or not, disparities exist within your current workspace. Being able to accept that these disparities exist requires an honest assessment of hiring practices, promotion rates, pay gaps, and representation across various demographics. While it is noble to believe this could be an internal process, it is highly unlikely that the process would be objective. That is why partnership is essential.
- Partnership
It can be hard to make the first step once you’ve identified that there is a problem. That is why partnering with organizations that offer equity focused services & programs can be crucial in your journey to becoming more equitable. Organizations such as SightSavers (a sight-oriented charity) can support your organization by providing a neutral, future forward view on how you can make the necessary improvements within your organization to become more equitable.
- Talk to your teams and customers
Effective communication with both internal teams and external stakeholders is essential for building an equitable workplace. Soliciting feedback, asking probing questions, and actively listening to concerns can help identify areas for improvement and foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Acting on those issues first will ease the process of developing equity as you would directly address the issues affecting your employees rather than what you assume needs to be addressed.
Therefore…
Effective communication with both internal teams and external stakeholders is essential for building an equitable workplace. Soliciting feedback, asking probing questions, and actively listening to concerns can help identify areas for improvement and foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Acting on those issues first will ease the process of developing equity as you would directly address the issues affecting your employees rather than what you assume needs to be addressed.
