The Tea on LinkedIn 'DIBs': Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
What are DIBs?
DIBs stands for diversity, inclusion, and belonging. While it’s very similar to DEI (the acronym commonly used for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace), this new acronym takes into account the feelings of the diverse party being included and treated equally, by prompting these thought-provoking questions… Does that person feel included? Does that person feel like they are being treated equally? Does that person feel like they belong?
The Skinny on D&I Initiatives
Here’s the skinny on D&I initiatives in the workplace… Historically speaking, diversity initiatives became a thing at work as early as the 1970s, but it was mainly gender-focused. Then, these initiatives expanded in the 90s, including characteristics like race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, etc. And while “Corporate America” has come a long way since then, we still have some work to do. American activist Verna Myers discusses the need for both diversity and inclusion in an article entitled “Diversity Doesn’t Stick Without Inclusion.” Below is my favorite quote about diversity at work.
“Diversity is being invited to the party.
Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
—Verna Myers
This quote makes so much sense. Just because you create a diverse working team doesn’t necessarily mean that every member of that team will be included and/or treated equally.
Nikki Brown who is now with BlogHer as an Editorial Director recently published this article: “LinkedIn ‘DIBs’ is a Treasure Trove of Resources for Amplifying Your Brand,” which I found on LinkedIn. Brown sums up D&I in a nutshell, tying in LinkedIn’s latest initiative. LinkedIn has certainly proven time and time again that diversity is not just a quota requirement for their company. Read more about LinkedIn’s DIB mission here and learn more about becoming a LinkedIn DIBs partner.
My Thoughts on the Matter
While it’s great to see companies improve their diversity, it seems like so many are just using diversity as a marketing tool, instead of genuinely trying to improve their workplace inclusivity. Human resource and internal communications teams should focus on internal education and creating employee resource groups to foster a community of kindness and support. In a way, clients creating this need for companies to meet a racial or gender-based quota has actually done the movement a great disservice because it’s forced companies to take an inauthentic approach to diverse recruiting. At this point, “diversity” is turning into another buzzword for companies to use in their marketing materials.