How to Become More Inclusive at Work: The Real Talk Nobody's Having

Connect with us: SB Nation Community | Managing Madrid Forums | Arrowhead Pride | Medium Blog | Quora Discussions

---

The day I realised I was part of the problem was during a team meeting about "cultural fit" at our Brisbane office. There I was, nodding along whilst the hiring manager explained why the candidate "just wouldn't gel with our team culture." It took me exactly three seconds after that meeting to understand what had actually happened.

We'd just excluded someone based on unconscious bias. And I'd been complicit.

That was seven years ago, and it completely changed how I approach workplace inclusion. Not because I suddenly became some woke warrior – far from it – but because I finally understood that inclusive workplaces aren't about ticking boxes or avoiding lawsuits. They're about creating environments where everyone can do their best work.

The Problem With Most Inclusion Training

Here's what drives me mental about most workplace inclusion programs: they're designed by HR departments who've never actually managed a team of tradies, sales reps, or call centre staff. They come in with their PowerPoints and their role-playing exercises, and within five minutes, half the room has mentally checked out.

I've seen inclusion training that focuses more on what you can't say rather than what you should do. That's backwards thinking. When you lead with restrictions and fear, people just become more careful with their words – they don't actually change their behaviour or thinking.

The most effective communication training I've delivered always starts with practical benefits, not moral imperatives. Because let's be honest, most business owners care about results first, social justice second. That's not necessarily wrong – it's just reality.

What Actually Works (And What Doesn't)

After working with over 200 Australian businesses on inclusion strategies, I've noticed some clear patterns. The companies that succeed at this stuff share three characteristics:

They treat inclusion as a business strategy, not a compliance exercise. Companies like Atlassian and Canva didn't become more inclusive because they had to – they did it because diverse teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones. When you've got people from different backgrounds solving problems together, you get better solutions. It's that simple.

Second, they focus on behaviour change, not awareness raising. Awareness is fine, but it doesn't pay the bills. I can make someone aware that interrupting colleagues is problematic, but unless they actually stop interrupting people, nothing's changed.

Third – and this might be controversial – they acknowledge that some resistance is normal and expected. Not everyone's going to embrace change immediately, and that's okay. The goal isn't to convert every skeptic into an inclusion champion overnight. The goal is to create systems and processes that support inclusive behaviour regardless of individual attitudes.

Some managers think inclusion means treating everyone exactly the same. That's rubbish. Treating everyone the same when they start from different positions just maintains existing inequalities. Real inclusion means recognising that people have different needs, different communication styles, and different barriers to success.

The Three-Step Approach That Actually Works

Step One: Fix Your Recruitment Process

Before you worry about including people better, make sure you're actually hiring a diverse range of people in the first place. This means looking at where you advertise jobs, how you write job descriptions, and who's involved in the interview process.

I worked with a Sydney engineering firm last year that couldn't understand why they only attracted male candidates. Turns out their job ads were full of military metaphors and aggressive language. "We're looking for rockstars who can crush targets and dominate the competition." No wonder they weren't attracting diverse applicants.

We rewrote their ads to focus on collaboration, problem-solving, and growth opportunities. Applications from women increased by 180% within three months. Same company, same roles, different language.

Step Two: Create Psychological Safety

This is where most businesses get it wrong. They think psychological safety means being nice to everyone and avoiding difficult conversations. Actually, it's the opposite. Psychologically safe workplaces are places where people can disagree, make mistakes, and ask questions without fear of punishment or humiliation.

I remember working with a mining company in WA where the culture was so macho that asking for help was seen as weakness. Mental health issues? Forget about it. Different perspectives? Not welcome. The result was a workplace where people kept their heads down, followed orders, and never suggested improvements.

After implementing professional development training focused on psychological safety, their injury rates dropped, productivity increased, and employee satisfaction scores went through the roof. Turns out when people feel safe to speak up about problems, those problems get fixed before they become major issues.

Step Three: Measure What Matters

You can't improve what you don't measure. But most companies measure the wrong things. They count heads in diversity photos and track attendance at inclusion workshops. Meanwhile, they ignore the metrics that actually matter: promotion rates, pay equity, retention rates, and engagement scores across different demographic groups.

One retail client was proud of their 50/50 gender split in their workforce. But when we looked deeper, women made up 70% of front-line staff and only 20% of management. Their inclusion problem wasn't about hiring – it was about advancement.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Resistance

Let me tell you something most inclusion consultants won't: resistance isn't always about bigotry. Sometimes it's about fear. Fear that their experience and expertise won't be valued anymore. Fear that they'll say the wrong thing and get in trouble. Fear that change means their way of doing things was wrong.

I've worked with plenty of old-school managers who initially resisted inclusion initiatives. Not because they were terrible people, but because they genuinely didn't understand why change was necessary. "We've always gotten along fine," they'd say. "Why fix what isn't broken?"

The breakthrough usually comes when they see the business benefits firsthand. When the team with diverse perspectives solves a problem that's been plaguing them for months. When customer satisfaction improves because their staff better reflects their customer base. When they stop losing good people to competitors who offer more inclusive environments.

Making It Stick

Here's where most inclusion efforts fall apart – implementation. You can have the best policies in the world, but if your middle managers don't buy in, nothing changes. Middle management is where inclusion initiatives go to die.

I learned this the hard way with a Melbourne logistics company. The executive team was fully committed, the policies were solid, but nothing filtered down to the warehouse floor. Why? Because the supervisors felt like inclusion was just another corporate fad they had to tolerate until it blew over.

The solution was involving them in designing the process rather than imposing it on them. When people help create something, they're more likely to support it. Revolutionary concept, I know.

The ROI of Getting This Right

Let me throw some numbers at you that might surprise people who think inclusion is just feel-good nonsense. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to outperform their peers financially. Companies with diverse executive teams are 70% more likely to capture new markets.

But here's what really gets business owners' attention: inclusive companies have 67% lower staff turnover. In today's tight labour market, that's worth its weight in gold. When you consider that replacing a good employee costs anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary, the business case becomes pretty compelling.

I've seen companies reduce their recruitment costs by 40% simply by creating more inclusive environments that people actually want to work in. Word travels fast in tight-knit industries. When you're known as a good place to work for everyone, the best candidates come to you.

The Stuff That Doesn't Work

Before I wrap up, let me save you some time and money by telling you what definitely doesn't work:

One-off training sessions. Inclusion isn't something you can download into people's brains in a four-hour workshop. It's an ongoing process that requires consistent reinforcement and practice.

Generic solutions. What works for a tech startup in Sydney won't necessarily work for a manufacturing plant in Townsville. Context matters. Industry culture matters. Local demographics matter.

Forcing it. You can't mandate inclusion any more than you can mandate creativity or innovation. You can create conditions that make it more likely, but heavy-handed approaches usually backfire.

Ignoring the economics. If your inclusion strategy doesn't make business sense, it won't survive the next budget review. Sorry, but that's reality.

Where To From Here?

Look, I'm not going to pretend this is easy. Changing workplace culture is like trying to turn a cruise ship – it takes time, effort, and patience. But the alternative is worse. Companies that don't adapt to Australia's changing demographics and social expectations are going to struggle to attract and retain talent.

The businesses that get this right aren't doing it because they're more virtuous than their competitors. They're doing it because it gives them a competitive advantage. In a globalised economy where the best ideas can come from anywhere, the companies that can harness the widest range of perspectives are the ones that will thrive.

Start small. Pick one area where you can make a meaningful difference and focus your energy there. Maybe it's reviewing your recruitment process. Maybe it's improving communication training for your managers. Maybe it's just creating space for people to share different perspectives without being shot down immediately.

Whatever you choose, remember that inclusion isn't a destination – it's a journey. And like any journey worth taking, it starts with a single step.

The question isn't whether your workplace needs to become more inclusive. The question is whether you're going to lead that change or get dragged along behind it.

Your call.