Why Equity Matters to Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

On July 10, 2024, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest HR professional society, published a LinkedIn post about changing its approach to inclusion and diversity. The SHRM announcement proclaimed that the organization would immediately adopt “the acronym ‘I&D’ instead of ‘IE&D,’” removing the E for equity. It quoted Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO of SHRM: “We’re going to lead with inclusion, because we need a world where inclusion is front and center.” Interestingly, however, SHRM’s previous use of IE&D was already putting inclusion first, contrary to popular usage. The initialism DEI is widely used because it reflects a common order of objectives: recruit for diversity, create equity in opportunities, and develop a sense of inclusion and belonging for all. SHRM’s decision to relocate equity under its inclusion framework garnered negative sentiment on social media.

Why Does Equity Matter?

Allison Howell, MS, Hogan’s vice president of market innovation, responded by asserting the importance of equity in DEI efforts. “It’s disappointing to learn of SHRM’s decision to remove equity from their language and instead lead with inclusion. Inclusion is the goal, not the starting point,” she said. “Advancing inclusion and diversity in the workplace requires hard work and commitment. Minimizing the importance of equity makes these goals even more difficult to achieve.”

Equity is and must remain central to any successful DEI strategy. Ryan Rush, PhD, consultant, explained that diversity, equity, and inclusion are interrelated but distinct concepts. “While diversity promotes and celebrates differences among employees and inclusion helps them feel accepted, it is striving toward equity that ensures fair treatment, access, and opportunities for everyone,” he said. Organizations that don’t give equity enough consideration could struggle to attract or maintain a diverse workforce. “There is an increased risk that employees will not feel as if they belong,” Rush added.

Equity relates to justice, fairness, access, and opportunity for all people. It includes working to identify and eliminate barriers within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems.ⁱ Howell described equity this way: “Equity is about leveling the playing field so everyone has an equal shot. This does not happen by accident, and employers need to consciously adopt strategies to invite diverse voices to the table.”

Strategies for Promoting Equity

Among the strategies that organizations can engage to promote equity is personality assessment. “Assessing personality is fair and objective because it does not discriminate across groups,” said Alise Dabdoub, PhD, director of product innovation. “With personality assessment, individual differences can be compared equitably.” In other words, scientifically validated personality assessments help prioritize equity in talent acquisition and development by providing unbiased evaluations of performance potential.

Another way Hogan commits to promoting equity is by expanding access to personality assessment through translation. “In the assessment industry, one barrier that often eliminates opportunities for people in local markets and across international organizations is a lack of language options for assessment,” said Krista Pederson, MA, regional director, Asia-Pacific. “Hogan offers assessment in 54 languages and dialects and 39 local norms. This provides greater access for participants to assess in their local languages. In turn, this allows organizations to be confident that our personality assessments are measuring—bias-free—what matters most for selection and development needs: performance.”

In addition to personality assessment, organizations can take many other equity initiatives. From using a structured interview process, to providing employment benefits that support different types of caregivers, to many other equity-focused strategies, organizations can uphold the tenets of equity while improving performance and retention, as well as diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Anne-Marie Paiement, PhD, regional director, Asia Pacific, affirmed that equitable employment and advancement opportunities are integral to fostering diverse, inclusive workplaces. She added, “Equity is essential for true inclusion and diversity. By deemphasizing equity, SHRM is missing the opportunity to define best practices and lead the necessary, tough conversations that further workplace fairness and justice.”

* Article provided by courtesy of Hogan Assessment