Much of the literature on workplace equity focuses on its significance to business success rather than on the individual employee experience. To understand how employees experience, perceive, and define workplace equity, researchers from HGA’s Design Insight Group (DIG) interviewed 19 participants from diverse groups, including BIPOC, hourly employees, and those hired after March 2020. Participants voiced their understanding of workplace equity, made suggestions for enhancing equity, and answered pertinent questions.
That process, along with qualitative research and a literature review, led to an intricate and expanded definition of equity and uncovered key insights. The researchers next tested a successful co-creation process in workshops with an HGA interdisciplinary team. The process transformed the insights into actionable steps to support equity at a particular organization.
Throughout this research three equity constructs resonated the strongest with interviewees:
- Growth: Participants underscored the importance of ongoing learning and opportunities for advancement.
- Purpose: Interpretations of purpose ranged from a sense of purpose tied to the company’s mission, to intellectual stimulation, to revenue generation as a means to fulfill broader life purposes.
- Belonging: This outcome wasn’t exclusively around attachment to the company; rather, around fostering respectful and inclusive social dynamics within the workplace culture.
For more DIG findings and insights, download “Boosting Equity in the Workplace” to learn:
- 20 research-based insights that reveal underlying needs, desires, and challenges around equity.
- 15 workplace solutions for boosting equity through physical space, workflow processes, technological resources, and organizational culture.
- How we used our own firm as a case study to find ways to turn research into actionable steps that organizations can take to foster equity.
- Thoughts on how space interplays with equity as HGA continues to Think Beyond the Building.