DEI: why you should bring it to your workplace 

June 26, 2025

Diversity, equity and inclusion—or DEI—seems like a kind of buzzword, but it really isn’t. It’s a framework that businesses can use to meet the needs of the United States’ increasingly diverse workforce.  

If your agency or business is not accommodating their needs, then you’re creating a workplace in which they feel unwelcome, leading to turnovers, reduced morale and team fragmentation. It will take time and effort to build a workplace that can meet the needs of everyone, but the benefits outweigh the costs. 

What are some of the benefits? 

Sustained growth. An environment that welcomes and accommodates everyone encourages the continued growth and sustainability of your workplace. You’ll have employees more willing to offer solutions or notice problems that a workplace without this framework would miss.   

Team cohesion. When your workplace feels more open and honest, your employees will feel more comfortable expressing themselves, which will help build stronger relationships among your team. Team cohesion is crucial to build a successful business. 

Everyone benefits. That’s right, these policies can benefit all workers. By providing baseline levels of protection and support for workers or customers who are in marginalized communities, everyone is protected and supported. 

Where can I start? 

As stated previously, building a workplace that focuses on DEI takes time, effort and commitment. If you want to make your office embody these qualities and have it last, 

there needs to be a clear plan of action.  

Create specific, defined goals. This can include implementing new leadership programs for employees who aren’t represented in your agency’s leadership or expanding your service offerings to communities that may be underserved. These are specific goals that can be achieved with the proper amount of planning—changing your hiring practices can be a part of this, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you do. 

Measurable metrics. This can include hiring and employee demographics, employee surveys, offboarding interviews, and promotion rates against demographics and retention. By listening to the feedback provided by your employees and your agency data, you can tailor your DEI strategy to best address the needs of your employees. 

Workplace culture. It’s great that these policies were planned carefully with the concerns of your employees in mind—now it’s time to make it last. DEI shouldn’t be seen as just an end. It takes constant care to make your workplace one in which everyone feels welcome, and everyone can contribute fully. 

Conclusion 

These are just a few of the benefits and steps you can take to start building a workplace that aligns with the principles of DEI. These benefits are tangible, too: the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., found that businesses that embrace gender and ethnic diversity have higher chances of performing above the national industry median.  

Your employees are also likely to be receptive to the idea of implementing these policies. According to PEW Research, 56% of workers consider focusing on DEI is a good thing, with 28% of workers having neutral feelings about it. 

The results are there, and your workers are more likely than not to support these policies. All you need is the will to implement them.  

PIA Northeast |  + posts

Matt McDonough is PIA Northeast's writer, editor and content curator. Matt joined PIA Northeast in September 2023. Before that, he had been an editor for the online entertainment magazine Collider from 2021-23 as a copy editor for its lists section. Matt entered the world of journalism at his alma mater, SUNY New Paltz, writing and reporting for the college's student run newspaper, The New Paltz Oracle. He graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Creative Writing in 2020.

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