DEIA | What is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access?

Columbus Chamber
The Columbus Chamber provides connections, resources and solutions that help small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises grow Central Ohio's economy.

November 11, 2021 Posted in: Press Releases

Here at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, we’re taking our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) to the next level. As we share our strategic plan with various members, we are learning that it’s important to articulate what DEIA means to us. Here are the definitions.

Term Definition
Diversity Seeking to ensure a range of people with various racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic, cultural, sexual orientation, age, lifestyle, access, experience, and interest backgrounds are represented across our Chamber and community
Equity Seeking to ensure fair treatment, regardless of equality of opportunity, and fairness in access to resources and information to all
Inclusion Seeking to build a culture of belonging by actively inviting contribution and participation
Access Seeking to expand access to work with business, community, government leaders, and others to create multifaceted value in the way employers evolve in how they leverage diversity, instill equity, and lead with an inclusive lens.

Now that we’ve defined each term, here are a few tactics to consider.

Term Definition
Diversity
  • Use attrition as an opportunity to align your team’s gender and racial / ethnicity demographics to mirror that of the people your organization serves
  • Ensure job description and job posting language is inclusive
  • Use valid and reliable personality assessments to measure a candidate’s personality traits, motivations, and skills
Equity
  • Make job descriptions and postings assessable to all employees
  • Offer equitable benefits (e.g. same-sex medical benefits, benefit programs aligned to the needs of your workforce demographics)
Inclusion
  • Create safe spaces for courageous conversations
  • Enable collaborative work environments where it makes sense
  • Gather input from diverse, cross-level employees when making decisions that impact their day to day work
Access
  • Provide access to development opportunities relevant to an employee’s desired career path
  • Provide access to people in your organization who can help employees accomplish their career goals

We invite you to institute one of the practices and share the results with us.

Sherrice Thomas
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access