By Kent Johnson | See more at Authenticity & Connection
The now-widespread focus on “belonging” as integral to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a signal that the time has now come for religion to be included as a full-fledged part of DEI.
Beginning around 2019, “Belonging” emerged as a hot topic in DEI circles. Many leaders began wrestling with the fact that some DEI programs can have a tendency to alienate employees to the point that they feel unwelcome; that they don’t “belong.” This warrants more thought.
Here’s a common Venn diagram from Krys Burnette that seeks to illustrate the interrelations between DEI and Belonging:
The lower center section highlights an important insight, that emphasizing equity and diversity WITHOUT a corresponding emphasis on “inclusion for all” causes disengagement and low retention. If the overall message is perceived as pushing cultural assimilation – a melting pot that disregards distinctives – many employees will feel excluded, diminished and alienated.
Often in the DEI world, “inclusion” is measured predominantly to ensure that people in recognized diversity categories are represented in management, salary scale and “seats at the table” in numbers that mirror the ratios their categories bear to the general population of the community, the country or the world. If a DEI program is seen as mainly dedicated to achieving that mathematical outcome, it can appear to pit employees against one another. It feels like a zero-sum game; “them” against “us.” The “ins” versus the “outs.” Without a concurrent focus on “belonging” for all, the benefits to be derived from proportional representation tend to get lost in the math.
DEI’s adoption of the goal of “belonging” begins to address this matter. Unlike “inclusion,” which often is treated as a fact corroborated by mathematical ratios applied to specific groups, belonging entails a highly subjective element. And it begs a key question: “Belonging to WHAT?”
In this context, I suggest that a concerted focus on RELIGIOUS diversity, done well, can mitigate a zero-sum-gamed ethos and strengthen the sense of belonging for everyone in the organization, without compromising traditional diversity goals.
Over 80% of the global population identifies as “religiously affiliated” and this number is projected to increase to over 85 percent by 2050. It’s clear that the overlap between religious diversity and traditional diversity categories is huge. Many people across the diversity spectrum are religiously affiliated. The reach of religious diversity is even greater if one applies the following common sweeping definition of religion: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” Especially with that definition in mind, a concerted focus on religious diversity avoids the exclusivity of many other diversity categories. It speaks to all of us.
Religious diversity doesn’t seek to advance one group in relation to any other. Its goal, instead, is to serve other celebrated goals of DEI: to free employees, first, to “be themselves,” second, to openly share their richly diverse business-related ideas, views and philosophies, and third, to advance a culture of “full engagement” of all. A purposeful focus on religious diversity promotes meaningful and warm connections across all diversity categories. It welcomes people of all faiths, atheists and agnostics, for the specific purpose of promoting a culture of listening, mutual respect and cross-cultural friendship. And, importantly, belonging.
As can be seen in the following linked summary, companies across the spectrum of industries have eagerly embraced religious diversity, with powerfully positive results. Employee resource groups (ERGs) representing specific beliefs (and atheism) have sprung up, leaving the door open for additional beliefs. In some companies, faith-oriented groups fall under an umbrella diversity category referred to in various ways including “Interfaith,” “Inter Belief,” etc.
Many of these faith-oriented ERGs offer informational sessions to all interested coworkers, describing the relevance of their respective religious views and practices to their work. These sessions often feature multiple faiths, and include discussion of unifying themes, including values they hold in common. These ERGs also engage in joint projects to help communities with food banks, tutoring, elimination of human trafficking and many other positive outreach works. All these activities strengthen participants’ sense of belonging and connection, across sectarian lines. More information about faith-oriented ERGs is available here.
The result is a deep and wide sense of BELONGING – not just belonging to particular diversity groups (though that is important), but, profoundly, belonging to the entire enterprise – the whole of the company’s work.
HR professionals: This is worth pursuing.
