The Fabric of Belonging: How to Weave an Inclusive Culture | Bain & Co.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continue to be a priority for many organizations. However, DEI efforts often fall short of their desired outcomes. As firms seek to make meaningful progress in their DEI initiatives, many are turning to the (I)nclusion component of DEI and creating and fostering an inclusive culture. Inclusive cultures are often described as one where people feel they belong, are treated with dignity, and are encouraged to participate as themselves fully. But as noted in this 24-page report, helping everyone feel included is deceptively difficult, especially given the various factors that drive feelings of belonging. Still, the report notes there is overlap in people’s description of what being included looks and feels like. As noted in Figure 8 on page 12, when looking at 72 enablers of inclusion across 18 populations spanning seven countries, one common denominator boosts inclusion for virtually everyone: opportunities for growth and transparent feedback. The report also looked at how various enablers might influence feelings of inclusion differently based on geography, demographics, and seniority. If you missed it, you could check out ADP Research Institute’s report, Measuring the “I” in DEI. This 63-page report provides a metric for measuring employees’ sentiment of inclusion via a 12-item index comprising three distinct feelings of connection.