Why equity is more important than equality

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace have been a big agenda item for most businesses for a good many years now, but increasingly D&I – or I&D, for the many who believe diversity can only be achieved in organisations that are already inclusive – is being replaced by DE&I.

So, what does the ‘E’ stand for?

It’s a good question. The assumption, generally, is that it represents equality, a word that has long been synonymous with diversity, especially as it relates to race.

But increasingly, it is not equality that business leaders are concerning themselves with, but equity.

Many people think the two words are interchangeable, but of course they’re not – and I’d argue that equity should always be a higher goal than equality, since equity is the process of demonstrating equality.

What’s the difference between equality and equity

An easy way to think about it is this: imagine you’re the coach of a 4-person relay team. Equality is making sure everyone has a pair of running shoes, but equity is making sure each individual has shoes that fit.

In this sense, then, equity is about shaping your diversity and inclusion work so that the outcomes you achieve are tailored to the specific individuals who work within your organisation.

So, in order to have equity employers need to be seen to recognise that each individual within the organisation has different needs that enable them to thrive, to belong, and to succeed in the work they do.

Without this fundamental understanding and acceptance, there is a greater likelihood that there will be inequality within the workplace, because equity is the enabler in any process where equality is the desired outcome.

What do equality and equity mean in practice?

This depends on the context in which they are applied. But broadly speaking, we can break most employee-facing HR activity down into three key areas:

1.      Recruitment

2.      Reward

3.      Flexibility

Recruitment

In an ideal world, the team involved in a hiring process should itself be diverse, and every member of that team should have an input into determining the selection criteria.

At the very least you should ensure that every member of the team has been trained to recognise the inherent bias that is naturally present in most recruitment projects and also been trained in techniques to eliminate this from any process. In the end, we all have some degree of bias – it’s human nature – but the object is to actively find and remove it.

This proactive and intentional approach to diverse recruitment is the foundation upon which every equitable working environment is built.

Reward

Equal pay is not the same as equitable pay. The objective of equal pay is, at its core, the commitment to ensure equal pay for equal work. In other words, if two people do the same or broadly similar job, they should be paid the same salary, regardless of any other factor (e.g., age, gender, etc.)

Pay equity is a little more complicated. a bit more complex. If white employees or men hold all the senior jobs and people of colour or women are in all the junior jobs, you don’t have pay equity.

Yes, you may well have people in the same jobs being paid the same salary, but your role structure – and therefore your salary structure – is not equitable.

To solve issues around pay equity, it’s important to look at systemic issues within your company policies and processes. What are the factors that are stopping you from achieving an equitable reward structure?

Flexibility

It’s necessary to make what is known as ‘reasonable accommodations’ to create a level playing field for individual employees.

People with disabilities, mental health conditions, or language barriers often need more and different accommodations to other colleagues.

However, if you only make flexibility or accommodations available to those who qualify, you are only achieving equality, not equity, in the sense that a policy is being applied equally to all.

Equity is about shaping flexibility to specific needs, so they are able to succeed and thrive. For example, one member of staff may need to work flexibly to allow for medical appointments or childcare – but that flexibility is not necessarily appropriate to anyone else.

Equity is based on specific, individual needs, but equality is the desired outcome.

Equality and equity are closely related because a working environment can’t be wholly inclusive or fair unless both are present.

Achieving equity (and, consequently, equality) does take time, commitment, and investment – but the outcomes are almost always worth it in greater employee engagement, higher productivity and improved profitability.

If you’d like to find out how Constantia Consulting can help you to create an equal and equitable workplace, please get in touch. We’d love to talk to you.