Imagine you are designing the world's first race track, and we want everyone to have an equal chance of winning. To make it fair.
At first glance, it makes sense to have the racers start side by side in the same place, considering they will end in the same place, right?
However, having everyone start at the same place doesn't take into account the longer distance the runner on the outside of the track will have to run. To be fair, racers are proportionately staggered at their starting points.
This is equity.
What Is Equity in the Workplace?
Equity in the workplace means giving every employee fair opportunities based on their individual needs and context, rather than treating everyone identically. It accounts for the different starting points people bring to work, such as education, access, and experience, so that everyone has a real chance to succeed.
Equity vs. Equality at Work
The key difference between equity and equality is how they frame fairness.
In equality, fairness is defined as treating everyone equally. Everyone gets the same opportunities. Everyone has access to the same resources.
In equity, fairness is dependent on social and historical context. Equity takes the context of a situation into account before determining what is fair and equal. For a look at how this plays out for leaders, see our guide to equity in leadership.
Everyone Has Different Advantages and Disadvantages at Work
Let's take this a step further and consider minorities.
Historically, minority groups have had a longer race to run.
Consider underfunded schools in minority neighborhoods disadvantaging those who are trying to get an education.
Consider the higher arrest and conviction rates within those communities that then damage future prospects in schooling and employment.
With this in mind, consider how difficult it would be as a minority person to get a job when the decision is potentially based on your disadvantaged education and public record.
Also take into account that you're dealing with a level of implicit bias toward your community that exists in all of us, including hiring managers and leaders throughout organizations.
Now, none of these are necessarily universal experiences for minorities, but together they paint a picture I would not call a testament to fairness and equality.
So, how do we create and maintain an equitable environment in our organizations, teams, and leadership?
How to Build Equity at Work
Model Equity in Your Organization
The first step is assessing our hiring practices as we work toward building a more diverse and inclusive work environment.
According to an article written by Forbes Council Member Jim Link, attracting diverse talent is usually accompanied by the kind of diversity you can quantify, such as different ethnic backgrounds, genders, and ages at all levels within an organization.
Building a more diverse work environment provides many advantages.
Studies have shown that a diverse workforce increases creativity, productivity, performance, and global impact.
Research also shows that by building a diverse workforce, organizations increase their talent pool, lower their turnover rates, and capture a greater share of the consumer market.
As we build diversity into our organizations, we need to ensure that internal practices such as hiring, promotions, and opportunities are also well distributed.
Model Equity in Your Team
The second step is creating a culture of inclusion through building a psychologically safe work environment.
Employees need to feel empowered to bring their unique thoughts and ideas to the table.
As a leader, you need to encourage your team to share their contributions and make employees feel valued with positive reinforcement and clear outcomes.
Also, look into other ways to build equity within your team, such as providing learning and development opportunities and opportunities for growth and promotion.
Model Equity in Your Leadership
The third step is acknowledging the context of each person's experience, including your own.
To be equitable, a leader must first be empathetic.
The best thing you can do to create equity in your team is to educate yourself and communicate with your team members.
Only through taking responsibility for how we are part of the problem by educating ourselves on racism and prejudice can we then be part of the solution.
Good leaders model the way and show others what is possible through an open perspective.
As you begin to take responsibility and share vulnerably with your team, remember to work on building relationships where you understand and empathize with each other's backgrounds.
Partner with your team as you work to make your organization more equitable.
How to Measure Equity at Work
Equity is easier to build when you can see where the gaps are. Start with the data you already have: pay, hiring, and promotion records can show whether opportunities are well distributed across groups.
Then add the human side. Employee surveys and manager feedback reveal how fairness actually feels day to day, and where people believe the barriers are. Review both regularly, and treat any gap as a prompt to look at the practice behind it, not just the number.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is equity in the workplace?
Equity in the workplace means providing fair opportunities to every employee based on their individual needs and circumstances. Instead of giving everyone the same thing, equity accounts for different starting points, such as education, access, and experience, so each person has a real chance to succeed and contribute.
What is the difference between equity and equality at work?
Equality means giving everyone the same opportunities and resources. Equity considers social and historical context first, then provides what each person needs to have a fair chance. Think of a race track: equality starts every runner at the same line, while equity staggers the starting points so the outside lane runner is not disadvantaged.
What are examples of equity in the workplace?
Examples include transparent, equitable pay, flexible hours for different needs, accessibility accommodations, and fair access to learning and promotion opportunities. Leaders can also hire for skills rather than degrees and review hiring and promotion practices to make sure opportunities are well distributed across the organization.
How can leaders build equity on their team?
Start by creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel empowered to share ideas. Recognize contributions with positive reinforcement and clear outcomes, and offer learning and growth opportunities to everyone. Then educate yourself on each person's context and communicate openly, so you understand and respond to what each team member actually needs.
How do you measure equity in the workplace?
Track whether opportunities are distributed fairly by reviewing pay, hiring, and promotion data for gaps across groups. Pair that data with employee surveys and manager feedback to learn how people experience fairness day to day. Repeat the review regularly so you can spot and close gaps before they affect retention.
Ready to build a workplace where everyone has a real chance to succeed? Explore the CARE framework to see how DX Learning helps leaders model equity every day, or get in touch to bring it to your team.
