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Equity
Merryn Roberts-Ward
June 2024
In my career as an HR professional, one of the most significant lessons I’ve learned is that fairness doesn’t always mean treating everyone the same. Equity, not just equality, is the key to creating truly inclusive workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
After working in the HR industry for years, I’ve seen firsthand how equity leads to better outcomes for individuals, teams, and organizations. It’s about meeting people where they are and giving them the support they need to thrive—because fair outcomes require more than just equal opportunities.
Understanding the Difference Between Equity and Equality
Equality is often held up as the gold standard of fairness. It means treating everyone the same, giving everyone the same resources, and holding everyone to the same expectations. On the surface, that sounds fair. But equality doesn’t account for the different challenges, barriers, and needs that people face. Equity, on the other hand, recognizes that people start from different places, and it’s about providing the resources, support, and adjustments needed to create a level playing field.
In my work, I’ve seen many organizations focus on equality without considering equity. They’ll implement blanket policies designed to be “fair” for everyone, but they don’t always work in practice.
For example, a company might offer the same leadership development program to all employees, but that program might not be accessible to someone with a disability, or it might not take into account the different challenges faced by parents juggling work and childcare. That’s where equity comes in—adapting policies and providing individualized support so that everyone can succeed, no matter their circumstances.
![[Imade description: Two animated figures, one holding a clipboard with the "HR" logo and the other holding paddles. Between them is a large cloud icon featuring the letters "HR" in the center, suggesting the concept of human resources in a digital or cloud-based context. The background is light blue.]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/610fb0_304650fe80204a03bc7042491ea33a71~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_547,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/A%20pale%20blue%20background%20with%20two%20cartoon%20people%20in%20work%20attire%20stood%20beside%20a%20cloud%20shape%20w.png)
[Imade description: Two animated figures, one holding a clipboard with the "HR" logo and the other holding paddles. Between them is a large cloud icon featuring the letters "HR" in the center, suggesting the concept of human resources in a digital or cloud-based context. The background is light blue.]
Why Equality of Outcomes is Fair
One of the most misunderstood concepts in equity is equality of outcomes. Some argue that this isn’t fair because it implies giving some people more help than others. But fairness isn’t about giving everyone the same resources—it’s about ensuring that everyone has an equal chance to achieve success. In reality, achieving equality of outcomes requires addressing the different barriers that people face.
In my career, I’ve seen firsthand how equity-based initiatives can lead to real, meaningful changes in people’s lives. For example, in one organization I worked with, there was a significant gender pay gap, even though the company had policies in place to ensure equal pay for equal work. The gap wasn’t because women were paid less for the same roles—it was because women weren’t advancing at the same rate as their male colleagues.
By implementing equity-focused strategies—such as mentorship programs for women, flexible working options, and unconscious bias training—the company was able to create more equal opportunities for advancement, which in turn led to more equal outcomes.
Equity in Practice: What I’ve Learned
Throughout my career in HR, I’ve had the privilege of working with organizations that genuinely wanted to improve their diversity and inclusion efforts.
But those that were the most successful were the ones that understood that equity was the missing piece of the puzzle. These organizations didn’t just give everyone the same opportunities; they looked closely at the barriers people were facing and found ways to address them.
One example that stands out is a company where we were struggling to retain employees from underrepresented backgrounds. Despite our best efforts to recruit a diverse workforce, we kept seeing higher turnover rates among certain groups.
Through surveys and focus groups, we learned that many employees felt they weren’t getting the support they needed to navigate the organization’s culture and advance in their careers.
We responded by implementing a mentorship program that matched employees from underrepresented groups with senior leaders, offering career development tailored to their needs.
We also reviewed our promotion criteria to ensure they were truly inclusive and took steps to create more flexible working arrangements to accommodate different needs.
The result? A significant improvement in retention and employee satisfaction, and over time, a more diverse leadership team.
This experience taught me that equity is not just about removing barriers but also about actively creating pathways to success for those who have been historically marginalized.
It’s about recognizing that different people need different support to achieve the same outcomes—and that’s not only fair, it’s essential.
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[Image description: The Think Global HR logo on a teal background.]
Equity
Why Equity Works
Equity works because it’s grounded in the understanding that not everyone starts from the same place.
In HR, we often talk about leveling the playing field, but to do that, we need to acknowledge that some people have more obstacles to overcome than others. Whether it’s due to systemic inequality, personal circumstances, or historical disadvantages, equity ensures that we provide the right resources and opportunities for each person to succeed.
The organizations that embrace equity are not just more inclusive—they’re more successful. When people feel supported, valued, and able to contribute fully, they are more engaged and productive. Diverse teams that are empowered through equitable policies drive innovation, improve decision-making, and ultimately create stronger, more competitive organizations.
Moving Forward with Equity
As we continue to move towards more inclusive workplaces, it’s important to recognize that equality alone is not enough. Equity is the path to achieving true fairness and inclusion, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
From my experience, I’ve seen how transformative equity can be. It’s not just about doing what’s right—it’s about creating workplaces where everyone has a chance to thrive, and where the success of individuals leads to the success of the organization as a whole.
For me, equity isn’t just a concept—it’s a practice. It’s a commitment to understanding people’s unique needs and providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to reach their full potential. And when we achieve equity, we’re not only leveling the playing field—we’re creating a future where everyone can win.
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