Mikaela Cohen - cnbc.com

As companies scramble to attract and retain talent, a growing focus on how to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives is gaining strength.

However, there are key differences between diversity, inclusion and belonging, Erin Thomas, head of diversity, inclusion and belonging at Upwork, at the recent CNBC Work Summit in October.

“We like to think of belonging as a feeling, fit, or enablement, to show up authentically at work in a safe environment,” Thomas said. “Inclusion is a practice, talking about decisions made on a microscale, who’s invited to a meeting, and on a macroscale, who’s getting promoted and getting pay increases.”

Diversity is about representation, she added. This is where companies look at representation across levels and commit to bringing in employees that represent all demographics.

“All of these things swirl together to shape culture and to shape workplaces. You can’t have one of these without the others,” Thomas said.

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