National interdisciplinary design firm, HGA, set out to understand how employees experience, perceive, and define workplace equity. Much of the literature on workplace equity focuses on its significance to business success rather than on the individual employee experience. 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.

The research aimed to: (a) offer an employee centered definition of equity in the workplace; (b) investigate the outcomes, enablers, and barriers of workplace equity; and (c) demonstrate, through examples and ideas, how the research insights into boosting equity can be translated into workplace solutions through physical space, workflow processes, technological resources, and organizational culture.

The 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.

Semi-structured interviews enriched comprehension of workplace equity by humanizing data and allowing for meaningful engagement with employees’ lived experiences, leading to more effective strategies for positive change.

To effectively cultivate equity in the workplace, adopting a nuanced, employee-centered approach is crucial, given the variable interpretations of what equity means across individual and organizational contexts.

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.

Read the full report here: https://www.hga.com/boosting-equity-in-the-workplace/

HGA

HGA

HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology.

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