Diversity vs. Inclusion: What’s the Difference?

In our recent blog How Strong is Your Diversity and Inclusion Strategy?, Luke Bishop discusses the importance of having a strategy in order to strengthen company culture and performance, but what is the difference between diversity and inclusion, and how can we ensure that we are using them to their fullest potential?  

What is diversity in a population versus an organization? 

Population Diversity 

Diversity, like its meaning, comes in all shapes and sizes. Counting diversity or internal diversity  refers to the empirical aspects of population diversity such as age, ability, race, gender identity, and ethnicity. Many of these internal types of diversity are protected under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  

In addition to these internal kinds of diversity, it is crucial to recruit and promote external or a person’s acquired diversity. This kind of diversity includes any circumstantial or experiential characteristics like socioeconomic status, education level, religion, and location. Especially in the age of hybrid and remote work, companies have the opportunity to expand the geographic and cultural reach of their employees. 

Lastly, we have a person’s worldview diversity, which is often a culmination of the previous kinds of diversities. Worldview diversity includes political views, values, or philosophies and can be subject to change and growth over time. While sourcing this kind of diversity directly can be a challenge, creating a workforce that has external, internal, and organizational differences will naturally result in a rich pool of worldview diversity. 

Diversity within an organization 

In addition to internal, external, and worldview diversity, companies should strive to recruit and foster organizational diversity.  Organizational or ‘functional’ diversity refers to the ways in which your organization hires and groups individuals of different seniorities, skills, industries, and so on. Fostering organizational diversity is one of the most overlooked but essential kinds of diversity, as it challenges the way teams problem-solve and opens organizations up to exciting new collaborations.  

What is inclusion? 

While the two terms are often conflated and used interchangeably, diversity and inclusion are quite distinct initiatives. While you can hire a diverse workforce that includes members of different races, genders, sexual orientations, worldviews, etc.—you cannot guarantee that this will automatically result in a cohesive and accepting workplace. Moreover, if employees do not feel included, then you run the risk of them leaving. This is where inclusion initiatives come in.  

One of the best ways to promote inclusion and tell your diversity story is to publish content through the lens of your employees! Amplify the voices in your community during holidays and events like Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month.  

How do I measure inclusion?  

Over 1,600 CEOs across the U.S. have signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, but knowing how to measure the success of inclusivity initiatives can be a challenge. What does “good” look like and which metrics should you be tracking? Take a look at our latest report: The New ESG Agenda for examples of inclusivity reports and initiatives from the globe’s ESG leaders.  

More Diversity & Inclusion Resources 

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion 

Employee Retention: How Businesses Can Win the War for Talent 

Why Empathy is Important in Business 

Contact Investis Digital  

Ready to showcase your Diversity and Inclusion story? Connect with us, here.