Who Put the BA in the DEIBA

Brady Hitchcock
07/19/2023
Find Talent

“Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp?

Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?

Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?

Who put the dip in the dip da dip da dip?”

Singer/Songwriter Barry Mann asked these classic doo-wop-inspired questions more than sixty years ago in the song, “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)?”.

More recently, we have been wondering, “Who put the BA in the DEIBA?”

While Mr. Mann’s lyrics were largely nonsensical, adding belonging and accessibility to diversity, equity, and inclusion is a perfectly logical progression. Some may say such additions are redundant, any ONE of these words is sufficient, you businessfolk just can't get enough GD acronyms!

We do love acronyms, it’s true, but the concept of DEIBA is more intricate than a single word; and the actual implementation into your hiring practices and workforce is even more complex. So, let’s start by breaking down one of our ATFAs (all-time favorite acronyms), DEIBA.

Diversity is a reality.

Equity is a decision.

Inclusion is the path.

Belonging is the goal.

Accessibility is the result.

Diversity happens. Yup, even in Utah. The demographics may be a bit less varied here but diversity exists naturally and inherently in nearly every social setting, nearly everywhere. Diversity goes beyond gender and race, referring to the presence of individuals from all sorts of backgrounds, with differing experiences, perspectives, and identities. People are inherently unique and bring various attributes to any group or community. Our great state is no exception and, in case you hadn’t noticed, people are flocking here from all over the world, creating more diversity all the time. Also, in case you’re unaware, we all now live in a global economy so it’s easier than ever to tap into TOP TALENT from around the globe.

Equity is up to us. It’s about fairness and ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities, resources, and support. Whereas equality treats everyone exactly the same, equity recognizes that individuals have divergent needs and barriers to overcome. Equity emphasizes the importance of providing additional support to marginalized and disadvantaged groups. It’s all of our jobs to help level the playing field and create equal opportunities for success, for everyone.

Inclusion is proactive. It goes beyond the mere idea of diversity by actively involving and embracing people from wide-ranging backgrounds, ensuring that their voices are heard, valued, and respected. In the workplace, inclusion requires deliberate, intentional actions to create environments in which everyone feels welcome, regardless of their differences. It involves actively fostering a culture of respect, openness, and collaboration.

Belonging is the aim of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Belonging happens when employees feel accepted, valued, and connected to the company and its mission. When people feel like they belong, they are more engaged, motivated, and committed to their community and their work. They feel a deeper connection to their peers, leadership, and organization, which leads to a strong sense of loyalty. Belonging encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to the workplace, promoting an environment where they can express ideas, opinions, and perspectives. All of this leads to increased productivity, creativity, and overall employee satisfaction.

Accessibility is the ultimate outcome of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. When organizations prioritize DEIBA, they create a setting where everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, has equal access to opportunities, resources, and support. Accessibility ensures that employees have the tools, conditions, and accommodations necessary to thrive. It involves breaking down walls that hold certain individuals or groups back and prevent them from fully participating, contributing, and succeeding. By actively addressing biases, providing reasonable conveniences, and offering multiple pathways for advancement, companies can promote accessibility and enable all employees to reach their full potential.

Fortunately, more and more, companies are implementing processes to assure inclusive hiring practices (yes, also in Utah), and it’s about time! People are realizing these aren’t just buzzwords. Diversity in the workplace boosts business, increases productivity, and inspires happier employees overall. DEIBA hiring leads to more innovation, creativity, and wider skillsets within the company, which lead directly to increased revenue. So, even if you’re not interested in doing the right thing, just think of all the money you’ll make!

Seriously though, diversifying workforces is not always an easy task. Especially in Utah. There are often systemic and institutional challenges to overcome as well as an executive disconnect at the top of many corporations. Luckily, that is not the case for us here at Spectrum Recruiting Solutions as our agency was founded with the idea of shaking up the traditionally homogenous workforces within manufacturing and engineering.

How do we do it? How are we different? So glad you asked…

On every single search we launch, our team is expected and trusted to put forth every effort and use each resource and tool we have to locate perfectly qualified, wildly diverse candidates. As if their passion wasn’t enough, our recruiting teams are financially incentivized to engage and introduce opportunities to a diverse candidate pool. When we recruit and present such talent right out of the gate, our placement success rate is higher and we start building more distinct teams. Over the past several years, more than a third of our placements have been DEIBA candidates, with monthly highs over 50%. Heck yeah, in Utah!

This is our mission, our vision, it’s why we do what we do and we can help you do it too! Times change, trends become standards and companies must adopt new strategies to adapt to new situations. That is absolutely the case right now when it comes to DEIBA. Your company must get with the times or you’ll all drown in the past.

We have all seen ‘sink or swim’ in action more than we’d like in recent years. Many individuals and organizations have been happy to get by treading water. Spectrum Recruiting Solutions is here to help you not only swim but wriggle up onto shore, grow some legs, and truly start to evolve.