What’s the difference between equality, diversity and inclusion?

In summary, the difference between equality, diversity, and inclusion is that equality means making sure everyone can access the same opportunities, whereas diversity means valuing the differences between people, and inclusion is a measure of how safe and welcome people feel in their environment.

Although diversity, equity and inclusion are often used interchangeably, it’s important to define them in order to implement them effectively. Below, we expand on their meanings and differences. 

Diversity at work means taking into account the differences between people and placing value on those differences. Think about it as the presence of differences in any given setting.  When considering diversity, we’re thinking about representation from people of different backgrounds, identities, and abilities. This includes visible and non-visible characteristics.  At People Insight, we measure this through an employee’s ability to be their true self at work.  

On the other hand, inclusion is defined as an environment where everyone feels welcome, of valued, with the ability to contribute. This concept puts emphasis on the way people feel.  At People Insight, we measure this through the employee’s sense of belonging. 

Finally, equality means making sure that everyone has access to the same opportunities. But this is not to say that you treat everyone in the exact same manner. Some groups or individuals require more treatment and support to get them to an even playing field. At People Insight, we measure this through an employee’s perceived ability to succeed at work.  

Related: How to manage age diversity in the workplace

What’s the difference between Diversity and Inclusion? 

 We hear it all the time, but what do we mean by diversity and inclusion? To understand how these two concepts work cohesively, it is important to first understand the difference between diversity and inclusion and what they mean for your organisation and culture.  

By definition, diversity is the condition of having different elements. In the workplace, diversity can apply to colleagues of different races, ethnicities, and cultures. Being diverse can also apply to other aspects of an individual such as age, gender, religion, and disability. 

It also extends beyond what people look and sound like. We call these non-visible characteristics. For example, factors like sexual orientation, education, socio-economic background, and neurodivergence.  

A truly diverse environment, in fact, is one where people of different backgrounds, identities and abilities gain respect and experience interactions free from bias. Diversity, furthermore, is something to be celebrated and valued and is proven to have a positive impact on aspects of business performance.  

Presently, organisations tend to be diverse through headcount (e.g., geographical representation). But this does not necessarily occur by design (active recruitment from underrepresented groups). 

Introducing a D&I programme? Read our article: Building the business case for diversity

What is Inclusion?

Inclusion, in contrast, is typically seen as an organisational effort that provides individuals with a sense of belonging and promotes working inclusively. In addition, inclusion requires that each employee’s contributions and opinions are given both:

• value and also;
• incorporation into the company’s culture.  

An inclusive culture, in essence, is one where employees feel that there are no barriers to being open and true to themselves. The goal is for employees to feel a sense of involvement and the ability to contribute to company-wide discussions and projects.  

For diversity and inclusion to be successful within your organisation, you must understand that diversity without inclusion is useless, especially when the voices from diverse groups are not heard.

While many believe that being diverse means that you are inclusive, it is not always the case. In fact, new data about inclusion suggests that action needs to be taken to create more welcoming and inclusive places to work.

As Robert F. Smith puts it,

“You have to create a workforce process and a workforce environment that makes people feel not just invited to the party, but also asked to dance.”

What is Diversity and Equality? 

Once you are comfortable with the concept of diversity, it is important to then look at what we mean by equality, often referred to as equal opportunity. Workplace equity stems from treating employees without discrimination.  

Equality in the workplace means that every individual receives the same and fair treatment as everyone else (the homogenous group). When equity is present, people have equal opportunities across the board. This can ultimately open opportunities for both employers and employees. It can also be celebrated in an organisation’s employee value proposition.  

With this in mind, organisations can implement more equity into their workforce and bring more opportunity for individuals to succeed regardless of their background or identity. One example of equity at work is using blind screening when reviewing candidates for hire or promotion. Another example is making sure that everyone understands how your rewards & recognition programme works, and clearly communicating why someone has received a reward and how others can too. A key objective is removing bias from processes and behaviours.

Related: Watch our webinar on diversity and inclusion in the workplace

What is Equity vs Equality? 

It is also important to highlight the difference between equality and equity. Equality is ensuring that everyone gets the same opportunities for success. However, there are circumstances where not everyone is at the same level due to race, gender, income, sexuality, or another defining factor.

Both equity and equality promote fairness. However, equality achieves this by treating everyone as the same, whereas equity does so by treating people differently dependent on their need. In order to achieve equality, equity is needed to give everyone the same chance of getting there.

As activist DeRay Mckesson says:

“The difference between equity and equality is that equality is everyone gets the same thing and equity is everyone gets the things they deserve.” 

How Can You Measure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I)? 

Best practice assessments of how employees are feeling are typically done via anonymous surveys. An Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey gives an accurate picture of how inclusive and fair people feel your culture is, why they feel like this and what you can do to improve things. It also tells you how the experience differs between your chosen demographic groups. 

People Insight’s organisational psychologists have designed a set of diversity and inclusion survey questions to assess Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. These questions apply to organisations of all sizes and sectors. You can also adapt them to suit your organisation. For example, to align with your D&I strategy; measure a specific aspect or develop a baseline to track progress from. 

Diversity and Inclusion surveys are based on People Insight’s BELONG model. Learn how BELONG could help you measure D&I at work. 

Survey questions to measure equality, diversity and inclusion

People Insight recommend using quantitative and qualitative diversity and inclusion survey questions to understand how employees experience your workplace culture and highlight priority areas for action.  

Quantitative diversity and inclusion survey questions could include the following questions, to be answered using a Likert scale:   

• People with backgrounds like mine are able to succeed here.  
• If I raised a concern, I feel confident that I would be treated fairly and taken seriously.
• Everyone here has an equal opportunity to develop. 

To provide space for employee comments and suggestions, we also recommend including 1-2 open-text questions in your ED&I survey. For example, you might ask: 

• What types of behaviour or acts make you feel included? 
• What do you like about the company culture and what do you wish you could change? 

Help to measure and improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion  

The difference between diversity, equity and inclusion is significant and important to recognise. Diversity relates to having a unique workforce built of different individuals, equity relates to fair treatment, and inclusivity relates to the feeling of belonging. By understanding these, you can build more diverse and inclusive workplaces and create a culture where everyone feels connected, involved and respected. 

People Insight help organisations of all sizes and sectors measure ED&I and carry out diversity and inclusion surveys to create a more inclusive workplace. 

Fast and flexible D&I surveys  

• Real time actionable employee survey results in our easy-to-use dashboard so your organisation can rapidly respond to feedback.  

Pivot between all your survey insights in one platform  

• Assess your organisation’s health effortlessly including Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion, Wellbeing or other ad hoc surveys from the People Insight Platform.