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5 companies with inclusive cultures we can learn from

Businesses are making great strides to create an inclusive culture. Here’s what some leading companies have done and how you can do the same.
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Published 14 Apr 2023
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Updated 28 Jan 2025
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10min read
group of diverse employees all putting their hands together in the middle of the table

Don’t you love it when you learn a fun fact about other companies? It’s always so interesting to hear about what initiatives other companies have, and what the purpose of these unique initiatives are.

For example, did you know that Amazon managers spend two days every year attending call-centre training? Yes, even the CEO. It is aimed at helping everyone understand that the customers are at the centre of everything they do.

Similarly, when we think about inclusive workplaces, what comes to mind first? Do you know of any companies that have a great diversity and inclusion initiative? What do they look like?

A truly inclusive company isn’t just about having a diverse group of employees, but also fostering an environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued. From Woolworths Group to Uniqlo, these companies have inclusive cultures that we can all learn from.

So if you’re ready to be inspired and learn from the best, then grab a cup of coffee (or tea, whatever you prefer) and let’s get started!

Why is an inclusive culture at work so important?

Driving a diverse and inclusive environment brings about huge benefits, such as increased employee engagement, productivity, and retention rates.

In fact, a study by Gartner showed that gender-diverse and inclusive teams outperformed gender-homogeneous, less inclusive teams by 50% on average. When employees feel a sense of belonging to the team and the company, they are more engaged and comfortable enough to bring their full selves to work. They are also more likely to be motivated to work and contribute to the overall success of the company.

Secondly, an inclusive culture leads to a more diverse workforce, which can be beneficial for businesses in numerous ways. Diverse teams bring a wider range of perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the table, which can lead to better problem-solving, innovation, and creativity. It also allows companies to better understand and serve a diverse customer base. BCG has found that companies with more diverse leadership teams report higher innovation revenue — further proving this point.

Having an inclusive company culture also helps to reduce discrimination, prejudice, and harassment in the workplace. By promoting a culture of respect, learning and understanding, you create a safer and more supportive environment for all employees.

An inclusive work culture has also become a top priority for many jobseekers. A study by Deloitte showed that 80% of respondents indicated that inclusion is important when choosing an employer, 39% would leave their current organisation for a more inclusive one, and 23% have already left their organisation for a more inclusive one. It’s pretty clear that to attract and retain top talent today, fostering an inclusive culture is key.

What does a diverse and inclusive workplace look like?

group of diverse employees sitting around the table discussing

A diverse and inclusive workplace is one that values all individuals, recognises the unique contributions of each person, and fosters a sense of community and belonging. It’s where all individuals feel welcomed and respected, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or any other characteristic that makes them unique.

Here’s what you should be able to find in an inclusive workplace culture:

  • Diverse representation: A workforce that includes individuals from different backgrounds and experiences creates a melting pot of ideas, perspectives, and skills. It’s also important for the leadership team to have a diverse mix.
  • Equal opportunities: All employees have access to the same opportunities for growth, advancement, and success.
  • Inclusive policies and practices: This includes policies that support flexible work arrangements, parental leave and accommodations for individuals with disabilities, among others.
  • Open communication: Employees feel free to express their opinions and ideas, while managers encourage open dialogue and feedback.
  • Respectful behaviour: Everyone treats one another with mutual respect, and all forms of discrimination, prejudice, or harassment are not tolerated.
  • Commitment to diversity training: Differences are celebrated and opportunities to learn from and appreciate various cultures and backgrounds are provided.

5 companies with inclusive cultures worth learning from

group of diverse employees huddle around a table brainstorming

“Diversity is the mix, inclusion is making the mix work” – Andres Tapia

1. Woolworths Group

Woolworths is a household brand for many, particularly those in Australia and New Zealand. In the 2019 Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Index, it emerged as the top organisation for Asia Pacific, and was recognised for its continued focus on LGBTI inclusion, refugee employment programs, and the launch of the company’s second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

It was also the first retailer to be awarded Gold in the Australian Workplace Equality Index in 2018. ‘Wear it Purple Day’ is recognised across the business — a day where their stores, support offices and sites celebrate diversity and support LGBTI team members. They’ve committed to creating an inclusive environment in the workplace by providing support and guidance in relation to gender transition, which involves tailored support for the transitioning employee, their managers and team members.

That’s not all—they’ve also updated their preferred dress code, removing gendered clothing and introducing Gender Affirmation paid leave (a first for Australian and New Zealand retailers).

As one of the biggest employers of Gen Z in the nation, they are constantly looking for ways to foster a stronger sense of belonging amongst employees. They’ve established the Inclusion Guild, comprising senior leaders and diverse team members to drive changes that will create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and remove any systemic barriers to underrepresented groups.

Woolworths also has more than 3600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members across the Group, has shown public support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and is actively improving processes to empower internal and external Indigenous voices in decision-making.

With regards to ethnic and religious diversity, new store designs have been incorporating multi-faith prayer rooms, and managers have been encouraged to work with Muslim employees to structure their work responsibilities around fasting periods during Ramadan.

2. Mastercard

Mastercard is familiar to everyone—it’s an unmissable logo on all of our debit and credit cards. Did you know that it has been steadily climbing up the ranks, eventually garnering 2nd position in DiversityInc’s list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity?

They’ve also got 9 distinct business resource groups (BRGs) with 130 chapters across 47 locations globally, created to promote a more inclusive culture for all, including people with disabilities, veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, and employees with Asian, Latin, or African descent.

Mastercard is also committed to equal pay for equal work. The company conducts an annual pay equity analysis, and female employees earn $1 USD for every $1 USD male employees earn, globally, while people of colour earn $1 USD for every $1 USD white employees earn.

They also spearheaded ‘Project Oorja’ in India, which is aimed at enhancing the inclusion and empowerment of women. It encompasses initiatives like ‘Return to Work’, to help mid-career female professionals who are on a break re-enter the workplace, as well as other benefits such as financial assistance to all employees for adoption, surrogacy, fertility treatments, and more.

3. Yellow

Yellow is a multi-channel marketing agency in New Zealand. The company has adopted a strategy of putting people at the heart of everything they do, and the first initiative in its equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programme was company-wide unconscious bias training for its small to medium sized business customers.

Partnering with Diversity Works New Zealand, Yellow trained 10 of its employees to deliver a condensed unconscious bias workshop. The chosen group of employees, who have diverse demographics and roles within Yellow, helped co-design the workshop. They were encouraged to share their personal stories and connections with the content as a powerful tool to connect with their customers and spark an interest in EDI.

Through this Human First initiative, Yellow has been able to drive change for a more inclusive and equitable environment both internally and externally. It’s a great way of extending the reach of their inclusion initiatives, by not just focusing on the company culture itself but creating a ripple effect throughout the community.

4. Lenovo

Lenovo is a renowned international PC provider, and has been receiving numerous accolades for its D&I initiatives. It was listed in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) for the 4th consecutive year in 2023, and stood out in several categories such as; building an inclusive culture, having anti-sexual harassment policies, and developing a strong leadership and talent pipeline.

They’ve also been recognised as a ‘best place to work for disability inclusion’ by the Disability Equality Index for the second consecutive year. Additionally, Lenovo is ranked on the Human Rights Campaign’s Best Companies for LGBTQ+ inclusion for the fifth year in a row, demonstrating their commitment towards funding LGBTQ+ programs and employee resource groups, as well as measuring progress around inclusiveness.

Lenovo’s current workforce across 180 markets is 36% women, and they are on a mission to ensure that a third of all candidates presented to hiring managers are women, and 15% come from under-represented backgrounds. They’ve also committed to increasing the number of female executive leadership positions from 21% in 2020 to 27% by 2025, and executives from historically underrepresented ethnic and racial groups to 35% by 2025.

The secret to their accolades? DEI is fully integrated throughout the business, from the diversity and inclusion board (comprising ten senior leaders from Lenovo’s executive committee), to HR teams and company culture. In fact, at Lenovo, HR leaders are trained by the diversity team on the basics of inclusion, such as how to facilitate inclusive and open conversations with managers and employees.

They also understand that empowering employees to shape the company’s culture and decision-making is key. One of the most important strategies by Lenovo is connecting employees to resource groups such as the Hispanics of Lenovo Association (HOLA) and Black Leaders Achieving Success in Technology (BLAST).

5. UNIQLO

Uniqlo is an iconic Japanese clothing brand, known for its affordable and high-quality casual wear. You may have shopped there before, but you probably didn’t know this—UNIQLO hires people with disabilities (PWDs) at its stores worldwide. In 2001, they began actively recruiting PWDs in Japan, and have since set a goal of hiring at least one PWD at every store.

In Japan, over 90% of its stores now employ at least one PWD, and they’ve since expanded this initiative to include their outlets globally. They also provide guidance for store managers and employee trainers, to empower them with the knowledge needed to broaden the capabilities and potential of employees with various types of disabilities.

UNIQLO currently employs 42 PWDs across its 28 stores in Singapore, and 29 PWDs across its 54 stores in Malaysia. They’ve also created a buddy system, which pairs PWDs with store managers to help guide and mentor them in their training.

All employees, regardless of whether they are PWDs or not, have the same set of benefits, compensation, and opportunities for career progression. PWD employees are assessed based on their performance and comfort level, and assigned new tasks accordingly to maximise their capabilities.

The team also pays special attention to the emotional needs of PWDs, to ensure that their experience is a fulfilling and meaningful one. All team members are encouraged to be patient in communicating with each other, and write ‘thank you’ cards to each other to motivate and bond the team.

Tips for creating an inclusive environment in your company

group of diverse employees laughing at something on the ipad

Now that you’ve learnt about these companies, do you spot some similarities across their DEI initiatives? You don’t have to be a multinational corporation to push DEI initiatives — SMEs can do it too! Yellow, as we’ve mentioned above, is just one of the few examples of SMEs doing great work with their racial diversity hiring and inclusion efforts.

If you’ve looking to drive a more inclusive work environment, here are some tips to help you out:

1. Create employee resource groups

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are groups of employees within an organisation who come together based on shared characteristics or interests, such as race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. They play an important role in creating a more inclusive workplace by providing a safe and supportive space for employees who may feel marginalised or underrepresented.

By bringing employees with shared experiences and identities together, ERGs help to foster a sense of community and belonging within an organisation. They can serve as a valuable resource for employees who may need support or guidance in navigating workplace challenges, or issues related to diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, it provides a platform for employees to share their perspectives and ideas with senior leaders, and to advocate for changes that can help to make the organisation more inclusive and welcoming to all. It facilitates open, honest conversations, and helps to shape company culture for the better.

2. Focus on regular diversity and inclusion training

It takes two hands to clap — so whilst you can focus on inclusion initiatives, you have to ensure that other employees are doing their part too. Diversity and inclusion training is an important tool because it helps to educate employees on the importance of diversity, and how to be more inclusive.

Such training opportunities help raise awareness of unconscious biases and stereotypes, which often impacts workplace interactions and decision-making. It can also provide a forum for open and honest discussions about diversity-related issues, allowing employees to share their perspectives and personal experiences.

Not only will it help to reduce the risk of discrimination and harassment, it also demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion to both employees and external stakeholders. It is an important component of creating a workplace culture that values and embraces diversity, and supports the success of all employees.

3. Commit to setting and achieving goals

Without clear goals and objectives, DEI initiatives tend to lack direction and accountability, making it difficult to measure progress or identify areas for improvement. Commitment to setting and achieving goals is important because it helps to ensure that DEI efforts are prioritised and implemented effectively.

By setting specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, organisations can establish a roadmap for creating a more inclusive workplace. Regularly tracking progress and adjusting strategies as needed can help to ensure that goals are being met, and that DEI efforts are having a positive impact. It also signals to both employees and stakeholders that you are serious about creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

4. Evaluate current offering of employee benefits

Is your current employee benefits package comprehensive enough? Are there any potential gaps or inequities that have been identified? Some groups may be left out or underserved by the current offerings.

By conducting surveys or focus groups, you can gather valuable feedback from employees on their satisfaction levels with current benefits, and preferences for new or additional benefits. This helps to ensure that your company benefits are tailored to the needs and priorities of all employees, including those from diverse backgrounds.

For example, offering gender affirmation leave helps employees undergoing gender transition, while healthcare benefits provide coverage for diverse medical needs, such as fertility treatments, mental health therapy sessions, and more. By prioritising inclusion in the employee benefits you offer, you reinforce the fact that all employees are valued and supported, regardless of their backgrounds or identities.

5. Celebrate inclusive behaviour

All successes and progress made in adopting inclusive behaviours should be celebrated, no matter how small they are. Give them a shoutout, a small reward, or some form of recognition during a team meeting or all-hands meeting—and allow them to share their stories and experiences. It’s a great way for employees to learn from each other and encourage a positive attitude towards diversity and inclusion efforts.

Learn more about diversity and inclusion

Want more tips on managing diversity and inclusion in the workplace? We’re here to help.

Diversity and inclusion benefits everyone—and you don’t need to be a global corporation to kickstart initiatives. With the right structures and processes in place, you’ll be making a significant difference to your organisation and boosting employee engagement.

We’ve also got lots more D&I resources available:

For more helpful tips, download our Diversity and Inclusion Handbook below.

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Diversity and inclusion handbook

Carissa Ng
Content Marketing Manager - Employment Hero
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Diversity and inclusion handbook
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