Tips for Making Meaningful Changes in Inclusion

Inclusion isn’t a one-time initiative or a single program—it’s a continuous commitment that must be embedded across every stage of the employee lifecycle. By taking deliberate steps, organizations can create workplaces where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. Here’s how we can make a meaningful impact at each stage: 1. Attract Build inclusive employer branding and equitable hiring practices. Ensure job postings use inclusive language and focus on skills rather than unnecessary credentials. Broaden recruitment pipelines by partnering with diverse professional organizations, schools, and networks. Showcase your commitment to inclusion in external messaging with employee stories that reflect diversity. 2. Recruit Eliminate bias and promote fair candidate evaluation. Use structured interviews and standardized evaluation rubrics to reduce bias. Train recruiters and hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices. Implement blind resume reviews or AI tools to focus on qualifications, not identifiers. 3. Onboard Create an inclusive onboarding experience. Design onboarding materials that reflect a diverse workplace culture. Pair new hires with mentors or buddies from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to foster belonging. Offer inclusion training early to set the tone for inclusivity from day one. 4. Develop Provide equitable opportunities for growth. Ensure leadership programs and career development resources are accessible to underrepresented employees. Regularly review training, mentorship, and promotion programs to address any disparities. Offer specific development opportunities, such as allyship training or workshops on cultural competency. 5. Engage Foster a culture of inclusion. Actively listen to employee feedback through pulse surveys, focus groups, and open forums. Support ERGs and create platforms for marginalized voices to influence organizational policies. Recognize and celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures, and contributions in the workplace. 6. Retain Address barriers to equity and belonging. Conduct pay equity audits and address discrepancies to ensure fairness. Create flexible policies that accommodate diverse needs, including caregiving responsibilities, religious practices, and accessibility. Provide regular inclusion updates to build trust and demonstrate progress. 7. Offboard Learn and grow from employee transitions. Use exit interviews to uncover potential inequities and areas for improvement. Analyze trends in attrition to identify and address any patterns of exclusion or bias. Maintain relationships with alumni and invite them to stay engaged through inclusive networks. Embedding inclusion across the employee lifecycle is not just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic imperative that drives innovation, engagement, and organizational success. By making these steps intentional, companies can create environments where everyone can thrive.

🌍 DE&I Initiatives: Tokenism vs. True Impact DE&I as a brand has been associated with too many tick-box exercises. Inclusion is more than just a box to tick—it’s a culture to build. Too often, DE&I initiatives fall into the trap of looking good on the surface without creating real change. Here’s a look at 5 tokenistic DE&I measures vs. 5 impactful strategies that drive meaningful transformation. 👇🏾 Tokenistic DE&I Measures 🚫 One-Time Diversity Training – A single, isolated training often doesn’t lead to lasting behavioral change or deeper understanding. Public Statements Without Action – Leadership statements on diversity are valuable, but they need tangible actions to back them up. Unfunded ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) – Forming ERGs without budget, leadership support, or influence can make them feel tokenistic and sidelined. Hiring Quotas Without Inclusion Efforts – Bringing in diverse talent without creating an inclusive culture leads to high turnover and disengagement. Celebratory Events Without Systemic Change – Cultural events are great, but without addressing structural inequities, they risk being surface-level gestures. Measures That Make Real Impact 💡 Ongoing Education & Training – Embed regular, in-depth DE&I training across all levels, with follow-ups and reinforcement to encourage sustainable change. Accountability & Action Plans – Move beyond statements by setting measurable DE&I goals, tracking progress, and holding leaders accountable. Empowered, Supported ERGs – Fund ERGs and give them a voice in decision-making, showing that diverse perspectives shape the organization’s direction. Inclusive Culture Building – Train managers to foster a culture where all voices are valued, and diverse employees feel they truly belong and can grow. Systemic Change Initiatives – Address equity in areas like pay, promotion, and representation in leadership to tackle root issues beyond symbolic gestures. True inclusion requires more than optics; it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels they can be themselves, contribute, and thrive. Let’s commit to the kind of DE&I work that goes beyond tokenism and creates genuine, lasting change. 🌱 #DEI #InclusiveLeadership #CultureChange #Diversityandinclusion #Leadership

"Inclusion" is often just a great sounding word or intention that doesn't translate to practice Real inclusion is not achieved by simply inviting people to the table. It happens when every voice is genuinely heard, respected, and acted upon. For too many organizations, inclusion stops at gathering ideas. But what happens next? Do employees ever hear back about what was discussed? Are their ideas prioritized, acted on, and followed up with feedback about the impact? Without these steps, “inclusion” is just a hollow promise. Here’s what it really takes: 👉 Gathering Ideas and Feedback. Inclusion isn’t just a checkbox; it’s about understanding people’s experiences and listening through surveys, focus groups, and team discussions. 👉 Providing Feedback on What’s Heard. Too often, feedback goes nowhere. Showing appreciation and sharing what was heard builds trust and shows that every voice matters. 👉 Prioritizing Ideas Together. Inclusion isn’t about saying “yes” to everything—it’s about focusing on what can make the biggest difference and working collaboratively to prioritize ideas...keeping everyone in the loop! 👉 Developing Action Plans with People. Many think inclusion is something leaders "give." But it’s about empowering people to co-create solutions that matter to them. 👉 Delegating Authority for Implementation Real inclusion is about valuing people for their ability to go and take charge of the actions. 👉 Providing Feedback on the Impact. Inclusion doesn’t stop once changes are made. Closing the loop by sharing results and celebrating success is essential to keeping momentum alive. THIS is the essence of respecting people. #Inclusion isn’t about saying the right things—it’s about doing the right things, consistently, until everyone feels they truly belong.

Your inclusion plan goes out the window the moment your leaders say "let’s pow-wow," or your Zoom meetings still open with "long time no see!" I wish I could tell you that real inclusion lives on a nicely designed deck. Wouldn't that be super easy? But, no, that's not how it works. Real inclusion, the one that makes your talent want to stay at your company, lives in the tiny choices you make every day. And the choices you don't make, too! Real, tangible, and meaningful inclusion lives in the way you schedule meetings, communicate, share feedback, build docs, and send invites (among many other things!) So, let me share 7 small but very intentional inclusion steps you can take to start making a difference: 🟣 Add cultural and religious holidays to your calendar so you don't schedule meetings when your team's supposed to be OOO (there are plugins for this!) 🟣 Ask your team how they want to receive feedback: in 1:1 meetings? In writing? In public? Everyone's different! 🟣 Turn on captions and transcripts for every video call so all your team members can access the information that was shared 🟣 Run an accessibility check on all your decks and docs (Canva and Office have these options!) 🟣 Add context to calendar invites to minimize anxiety 🟣 Remove phrases like "long time no see," "pow-wow," "shoot me an email" from your vocabulary 🟣 Stop assuming everyone had a "great" weekend or holiday. Breaks aren't joyful, fun, or even restful for everyone. No, these actions won't solve all your Inclusion issues, but they're definitely a good starting point! What would y'all add to this list?

Are you an organization that would like to create a work environment that welcomes and allows everyone, including those with both visible and invisible disabilities, to thrive in 2025 and beyond? Here are 10 best practices for creating a disability-inclusive work environment: 1. Cultivate an inclusive culture: Foster a culture of respect, acceptance, and belonging where disability inclusion is championed by leadership and embraced by all. 2. Offer accessible hiring opportunities and processes: Ensure job postings, applications, interviews, and onboarding processes are fully accessible, with accommodations available upon request. 3. Provide disability awareness training: Educate employees and leaders about disabilities, inclusive language, and the importance of accessibility to reduce stigma and build understanding. 4. Ensure physical and digital accessibility: Design workplaces, tools, and technologies to be accessible, including ramps, assistive technology, and screen reader-compatible software. 5. Offer flexible work arrangements: Provide options like remote work, flexible schedules, and individualized accommodations to support diverse needs. 6. Create clear accommodation policies: Establish a transparent and responsive process for employees to request and receive workplace accommodations. Ensure the process of requesting and receiving reasonable accommodations is consistent, transparent, inclusive, interactive, and timely. 7. Engage disability employee resource groups (ERGs): Support and empower ERGs to provide insights, foster community, and advocate for inclusion initiatives. Ensure there is one (or more) ERG that advocates for accessibility and disability inclusion. 8. Incorporate universal design principles: Apply universal design to create environments, systems, and processes that benefit everyone, including people with disabilities. 9. Measure and monitor inclusion efforts: Track progress on disability inclusion initiatives through metrics like hiring rates, retention, and employee feedback. 10. Involve employees with disabilities in decision-making: Include employees with disabilities in policy development, product design, and workplace decisions—“Nothing About Us Without Us.” #DisabilityInclusion #Diversity #2025 #Accessibility #FutureOfWork #DEI #DEIA #Disability #Neurodiversity #Equity Image Text: Employees with disabilities can be productive and successful when the workplace is designed for everyone. @AsieduEdmund

If you're setting goals to create a more inclusive workplace in 2025, my experience may save you time, money, and unmet expectations. ✅ Quick Wins (low effort, high impact) Start with team psychological safety. Inclusion is felt most in everyday team interactions—meetings, feedback, problem-solving. 👇 Use tools like: 1. The Fearless Organization Scan to uncover blind spots and team dynamics. 2. Debrief session with an accredited facilitator to discuss results openly and set clear, actionable improvements. 3. Action plan with small shifts in behavior, like leaders modeling vulnerability, asking for input first, or establishing "speak-up norms" in meetings. These micro-actions quickly build team inclusion and unlock collaboration. 🏗️ Big Projects (high effort, high impact): To create sustainable change, invest in structural inclusion. 👇 Focus on: 1. Inclusive hiring & promotion practices: build diverse candidate pipelines and train interviewers on bias mitigation. 2. Inclusive decision-making: ensure diverse perspectives are integrated into key business decisions. 3. Inclusive leadership: train leaders to actively foster diverse perspectives, intellectual humility, and trust in their teams. Empower leaders to align inclusion with business goals and make it part of their day-to-day behavior. 🎉 Fill-ins (low effort, low impact): Awareness events (like diversity month) are great for building visibility but should educate, not just celebrate. 👇 For example: 1. Pair cultural events with workshops on how diverse values shape workplace communication. 2. Use storytelling to highlight how diverse perspectives lead to tangible business wins. 🚩 Thankless Tasks (high effort, low impact): Avoid resource-heavy initiatives with little ROI. 👇 Examples: 1. Overcomplicated dashboards: focus on 2–3 actionable metrics rather than endless reports that don’t lead to change. 2. Unstructured ERGs: without clear goals and leadership support, these often become frustrating rather than empowering. 3. One-off training programs: A two-day training on unconscious bias without follow-up or practical tools is a missed opportunity. 💡 Key Takeaways 1. Inclusion thrives where it’s felt daily—in teams and decisions. 2. Start with quick wins to build momentum and tackle big projects for systemic change. 3. Avoid symbolic efforts that consume resources without measurable outcomes. 🚀 Let’s turn inclusion into a tangible, strategic advantage that empowers your teams to thrive in 2025 and beyond. _____________________________________________ If you're new here, I’m Susanna—an accredited team psychological safety practitioner with over a decade of experience in DEI and inclusive leadership. I partner with forward-thinking companies to create inclusive, high-performing workplaces where teams thrive. 📩 DM me or visit www if you want to prioritize what truly works for your organization. 

Something I’m asked a lot is how to engage with senior leaders on disability issues and get their buy in for change. In my current and previous roles, I’ve been privileged that I’ve worked with senior leaders nearly every day. Every single one of them has been committed to disability inclusion, but have looked to me for advice and guidance on making lasting change. Over time, I’ve realised there’s no magic formula - but there are definitely a few things that make those conversations easier and more effective. Here are my top 5. 1. Be specific with lived experience. Sharing lived experience is powerful - it helps people see the human side of an issue and the impact it’s having on people. But the real impact comes when you make it specific. Instead of saying “disabled colleagues are struggling with recruitment”, say “the job site doesn’t work with screen readers” or “there’s nowhere to ask for adjustments”. That’s when it clicks for people - when they can see exactly what needs fixing. 2. Come with ideas, not just challenges. It’s completely fine to highlight what’s not working - that’s part of the job. But it helps if you can also bring something that might move things forward. Even small, practical ideas. You don’t have to have all the answers, but it shows you’re thinking about solutions, not just pointing out the gaps. 3. Be bold, but keep it real. Senior leaders appreciate honesty. Be clear about what you’d like to see happen, but also what’s actually achievable. It’s ok to say “this is where we could get to, but here’s what we need first”. It shows you understand both the ambition and the reality of how things work. It’s also ok to say if something is too big a challenge at that point. If there’s one ‘big’ thing that can really help, talk about it. But - as per point 1 - be specific. 4. Make it concrete and actionable. Don’t leave a meeting with just good vibes and nods of agreement. Try to pin down what’ll actually happen next - who’s doing what, by when. It doesn’t need to be formal, but clarity makes it much more likely things will move forward. That’s what makes a meeting productive. 5. Keep the conversation going regularly. Follow up, share updates, thank people when they do something helpful. Most importantly, agree with your senior leader how often they’d like updates and what the key information is that they’d like communicated (and in what format). It keeps things on their radar and shows you’re serious about making progress. That’s what I’ve found works best. It’s not about perfect presentations or buzzwords - it’s about being clear, specific, and human. In any large organisation I’ve worked with, doing each of these things has really helped me get senior level buy-in and support. I’d love to hear how others do this, or how you (as a senior leader) think this approach works / what’s missing? #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

OUTRAGE DOESN’T SECURE INCLUSION SUPPORT AND FUNDING, IMPACT DOES The other day, I came across a social media post of the kind that elicits applause and praise from passionate and frustrated people: It highlighted a dramatic moment that put an embarrassing spotlight on the lack of representation at the top of an organization. It was powerful social commentary. It stirred emotion. In a speech to the right audience, it would surely get a standing ovation. However, here’s the hard truth: this approach won’t secure corporate inclusion leader funding or executive backing. And, as a result, no social good will be achieved. Why? Because it frames inclusion as a moral indictment—outrage at what’s wrong—rather than a business case for what’s possible. Executives don’t invest in someone’s outrage. They invest in results that drive growth and secure the company's future. So, how do you ensure that you avoid moral appeals and instead focus on business impact? Here are some easy steps: 1.    Start with the Business Needs– What opportunities or challenges is the company facing? 2.    Identify Where Inclusion Can Have Impact – Where and what specific inclusion actions can you undertake to seize opportunities or reduce or remove challenges? 3.    Quantify the Impact – Model potential cost savings or revenue growth in hard dollars. Replace feelings with forecasts. 4.    Build ROI-Based Cases – Compare the cost of acting versus the cost of standing still. Executives care about payback and scale. 5.    Express Your Goals In Business Language – Talk in terms of EBIT, revenue growth, market expansion, and risk mitigation—not only representation or awareness. That’s how inclusion leaders shift from being seen as idealists to being funded seriously as business strategists. That’s how you get work done, which, as a byproduct of benefiting the business, also grows career and market opportunities for the underserved. So, if you want your DEI work to survive, thrive, and deliver results, stop letting the well-meaning but misguided convince you to sell outrage and start focusing on proving impact. The inclusion leaders who master this shift will not only win resources, but they’ll also secure a seat at the table as true business drivers who produce social good as a byproduct. #InclusionStrategy #BusinessImpact #DEILeadership #CFOReady #DEI #CDO #Equity #Inclusion

72% of European Fortune 500 companies mention disability in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports. In the U.S., it’s a bit lower - 65% of Fortune 500 companies do this. But only 3 in 10 disclose actual workforce disability participation rates, and that gap matters to investors (Disability:IN). I’ve been looking closely at what investors care about when it comes to disability inclusion, and I prepared a list of the 10 things every company should be tracking: 1️⃣ Workforce composition data Who’s on your team? Track employees with disabilities, their level in the org, retention, and trends over time. 2️⃣ Recruitment and hiring practices Is hiring accessible? Partner with disability organizations, set clear goals, and make accommodations easy to request. 3️⃣ Workplace accessibility Can everyone do their job? Check physical and digital accessibility, how accommodation requests are handled, and whether budgets support real change. 4️⃣ Pay equity Are disabled employees paid fairly? Look for pay gaps, ensure equal pay for equal work, and maintain transparency. 5️⃣ Career development and advancement Do disabled employees get a fair shot at growth? Track promotions, leadership representation, training access, and succession planning. 6️⃣ Employee experience Do people feel they belong? Measure engagement, voluntary disclosure, accommodation satisfaction, exit interviews, and support Employee Resource Groups. 7️⃣ Governance and accountability Who drives the agenda? Ensure board oversight, executive incentives tied to diversity goals, dedicated budgets, and disability representation in leadership. 8️⃣ Risk management Are you covered legally and operationally? Track litigation, compliance, accessibility complaints, risk assessments, and insurance considerations. 9️⃣ Supply chain and vendor diversity Does inclusion extend beyond your walls? Measure spend with disability-owned businesses, set accessibility standards, and audit your value chain. 🔟 Product and service accessibility Can customers use your products easily? Apply inclusive design, run accessibility testing, resolve complaints efficiently, and tap into a sizable market. Why investors care is simple: ignoring disability inclusion comes with real risks - losing talent, legal exposure, reputation damage, and missed revenue. The upside is even clearer: Unilever: 33% of global consumers buy from brands doing social or environmental good. New Standard Institute: 94% of Gen Z prioritize companies supporting social and environmental impact. Accenture: Companies leading in disability inclusion earned 28% more revenue, twice the net income, and 30% higher profit margins. See the illustrations below for more detail on the 10 areas investors are focused on, and let's talk about it in the comments. #ESG #DisabilityInclusion #InclusiveWorkplace #WorkplaceAccessibility