Stop Writing Inclusion Policies. Start Writing Inclusive Policies.

The question is coming up over and over again. It came up once more just last week in an inclusion networking group I run and my answer is always the same. What do I need to put in my inclusion policy?

Most organisations today have an inclusion policy, it might be a full document, a statement or a page of inclusive intent on their website. And yet many of those same organisations still struggle with demonstrating true inclusion.

That’s because inclusion isn’t something you can isolate into a single policy. It’s something you either embed everywhere…or nowhere at all.

Inclusion isn’t its own department but it has quietly been boxed into HR, DEI teams, or a standalone strategy document. But I’ll say it again…real inclusion doesn’t live in one place.

It lives in:

• how you recruit
• how you promote
• how you communicate
• how you design benefits
• how you define “performance”
• how decisions get made

If inclusion isn’t present in every policy, then it really is a performative box ticking exercise.

So I challenge you to ask yourselves something simple but possibly uncomfortable, instead of ‘’Do we have an inclusion policy?’’… ‘’Are our policies inclusive?’’.

Interrogate your policies from every angle. Who does this policy benefit? Who might it disadvantage? Does it unintentionally exclude certain groups or identities? Whose perspective is missing from this? And who is able to access this and who isn’t?

Let’s dive into recruitment. On paper recruitment policies are there to make things ‘fair’, but that isn’t always the case if you dig a little deeper. Who even knows the role is open? Have you advertised in places accessible to diverse candidates? What does the application pool look like? Do you have underrepresentation even before the interview round begins, if so why? Is there any unconscious bias in short listing, does your criteria exclude certain groups unnecessarily? What about the process itself, is it flexible, accessible?

We don’t need to treat everyone the same, its about recognising that these systems that we have built are not neutral and redesigning them intentionally.

Why This Matters: The Business Case

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a moral argument, although it is a pretty big argument. It’s a business one too.

Research consistently shows that diverse and inclusive organisations outperform others:

• Inclusive companies are 1.7x more likely to be innovative and generate 2.3x more cash flow per employee
• Diverse teams can deliver up to 60% better results and make better decisions in 87% of cases
• Companies with diverse teams see 19% higher innovation revenue
• Diversity enhances problem-solving and productivity by bringing different perspectives together

Why?

Because diversity without inclusion is noise. Inclusion turns that diversity into better thinking, better decisions, and better outcomes. While homogeneous teams tend to agree faster, diverse, inclusive teams tend to think better. Inclusion drives problem solving with a vast wealth of combined experience and perspective. Assumptions get challenged and blind spots are exposed, increasing creativity and resulting in more robust and innovative solutions. It is no longer a ‘’Nice to have’’ its necessary for survival.

And I don’t want to be negative but continuing without diversity and inclusive policies comes with a cost. Missing out on talent that can’t access your opportunities, reduced performance from disengaged employees, resulting in reduced retention, poorer decision making and missed innovation.

For inclusive policies to work, they must operate in both directions. Top-down with leadership setting expectations, accountability and providing resources. And bottom-up with employees able to challenge and improve policies through sharing their lived experiences.

Inclusion is not a statement, it’s a system. And systems are built through policies.

So, my answer to the question 'What do I put in my inclusion policy?' is actually a question right back at you. Do you need an inclusion policy if all of your policies are inclusive?

AND Can inclusion be seen in every decision you make?