Constant change is everywhere, and the workplace is no different. But staying up to date with what’s happening can be tough, especially if you have a bunch of other tasks requiring your attention.

We know this is the case and want to make your life easier, so we’ve brought all the latest details together in this blog. It’s a space for thought leadership, insights and news in the world of Culture and DEI.

What’s Happening With Culture and DEI in the Workplace?

As 2024 gets off to a great start, we consider the challenges, opportunities and approaches leaders should take to ensure culture, diversity, equity and inclusion remains central to your business strategy.

2023 brought political unrest and economic volatility delivering a significant impact on the global workplace. Employee expectations are increasing, resulting in a shift in organisations and the role they play in society. Employees have expectations that employers will take a stand and respond to events and injustices across the world.

At the same time, we see high turnover in DEI roles with headlines of companies divesting in diversity. In parallel, employees expect to work for companies with inclusive cultures with high levels of psychologically safety, trust and belonging. Work and life balance is still a key priority for employees in 2024 as companies grapple with the challenges of flexibility, hybrid working, productivity and innovation.

This is the year we anticipate more investment in digital solutions that help address the people and culture challenges. Each month the inclusio team will bring you insights from our data to help you respond and advance culture and DEI in your workplace.

If you have any comments, questions or ideas, please email us!

- CEO Sandra Healy

The First Sectorial Benchmarking Report

inclusio is delighted to launch the first Sectorial Benchmarking Report; VOiCE for Insurance. This ground-breaking approach sets new standards and unparalleled benchmarks​ in culture and DEI. Established in 2020, the VOiCE initiative represents the voices of employees in insurance in Ireland.​

inclusio captured voices representing 15% of the insurance workforce in Ireland to understand employees experience of workplace culture. The initiative included 125,000 responses, comprising of 67,000 on ‘Demographics and Inclusion in Action’, and 58,000 responses on the ‘Culture of Inclusion’. Together, these voices offer a first of its kind understanding of the sector.​

"Organisations often have good intentions to make real progress in Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), and ESG reporting, however, they struggle to gather employee rich demographic data, measure culture, diversity and inclusion and prove progress.

However, this report shows that it can be done, progress can be tracked and with mandatory reporting being introduced for companies under several EU Directives in the coming years more employers will need to start taking this seriously."

- MEP Frances Fitzgerald on launching the report.

Belonging is the New Engagement

inclusio in collaboration with Ulster University launched this study in the new Research Series which looks at organisational culture, equality, diversity, and inclusion. The first in the series focuses on the sense of ‘belonging’ within organisations and how it relates to other key factors such as engagement, team involvement, problem solving around work related barriers, and levels of organisational commitment. The aims of the study were to understand ‘belonging’ in the workplace culture and how it affects employee performance and wellbeing.

This is the first of the inclusio Research Series published in a cross-border collaboration with Ulster University Business School. The research was undertaken in response to a growing workplace trend that shows employees who feel a sense of belonging are 50% more likely to contribute to their team's success. The evidence suggests that a sense of ‘belonging’ plays an important role in understanding how individuals work in teams and how they work through barriers and problems. More importantly it can have a key role, along with both team involvement and problem solving, in understanding how individuals feel connected or committed to their work.

inclusio in partnership with Ulster University assessed three years of scientific data that inclusio has captured on organisational culture from employees across Ireland and globally; and includes analysis of other published belonging research from across the globe.  

Industry Insights

Hear from the experts what you should include on your HR roadmap for 2024: 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are under fire. Here’s how you can uphold their commitments:

Expert Webinar Series

Get ready for our exciting 6-part expert webinar series starting next month! We'll be diving deep into key topics and priorities for leaders around the world. Mark your calendars for the first session, "Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce," which promises insightful discussions.

Stay tuned for further details, and remember, our team is always happy to answer your questions in the meantime. Just reach out!