Workplace inclusion is not just about policies or large-scale initiatives. Often, it’s the small, everyday actions that make employees feel welcome, heard, and valued.
Yet, many companies unknowingly create barriers that hinder inclusion. Consider these familiar situations:
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An employee disengages in meetings because they don’t feel comfortable sharing their input.
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New colleagues struggle to navigate the organisation’s unspoken rules.
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Team members from different backgrounds work side by side but don’t truly collaborate.
A study by HR service provider Bright Plus reveals that 11% of Belgian employees struggle to understand their colleagues who speak a different language. As a result, 15% limit their contact with them, and 5% avoid them altogether. This negatively impacts productivity, collaboration, and team spirit.
How can HR managers remove these barriers?
In this blog, you’ll discover five practical tips to create a more inclusive workplace.
Clear communication: accessible for everyone.
Jargon, lengthy emails, and complex language can make it difficult for some employees to stay fully engaged. This can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, and even mistakes.
By communicating clearly, you ensure that everyone has access to the same information and feels included:
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Use simple, clear language in both written and verbal communication.
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Avoid technical terms and abbreviations unless they are widely understood.
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Provide visual aids such as icons or bullet-point summaries.
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Offer key information (such as safety instructions) in multiple languages or with translation tools.
Inclusive meetings: giver everyone a voice.
In many teams, the same people tend to speak up, while others remain silent. This may be due to insecurity, language barriers, or cultural differences.
Inclusive meetings ensure that all talents and ideas are heard, making the team stronger:
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Give everyone a chance to contribute—for example, by doing a “round of input.”
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Use a hybrid approach: allow written contributions via chat or notes alongside verbal participation.
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Actively ask for perspectives that haven’t been shared: “Does anyone have a different point of view?”
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Schedule meetings at times that are feasible for everyone, considering diverse schedules.
Feedback and recognition: everyone counts.
Employees don’t always feel comfortable sharing their opinions or may feel undervalued, which impacts motivation and engagement.
When employees feel appreciated, their commitment increases, and they are more likely to stay with the company:
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Create a safe environment where giving and receiving feedback is encouraged.
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Use anonymous surveys to assess and improve inclusion and diversity.
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Celebrate successes and acknowledge everyone’s contributions—regardless of role or language skills.
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Train leaders in inclusive leadership and raise awareness of unconscious bias.
Sociale interaction: connecting across differences.
Colleagues from diverse backgrounds sometimes stick to their own groups, preventing genuine collaboration and connection.
By encouraging interaction beyond daily tasks, teams build stronger relationships:
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Organise diverse team activities (e.g., lunch walks, coffee breaks—not just after-work drinks).
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Ensure corporate events cater to different backgrounds (e.g., halal and vegetarian options, no alcohol as the default).
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Introduce a buddy system to help new employees settle in more quickly.
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Foster informal conversations by making shared spaces inviting.
Make inclusion visible and measurable.
Inclusion can feel abstract. Without clear goals or feedback, it’s hard to assess whether efforts are working.
What gets measured gets improved. By actively tracking inclusion, you make it an integral part of the company culture:
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Set concrete inclusion goals: “Within six months, we want at least 90% of employees to feel heard in meetings.”
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Regularly ask employees about their inclusion experiences via pulse surveys or one-on-one talks.
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Explicitly mention inclusion in your company values and highlight it in internal communication.
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Share success stories to show progress, no matter how small.
Small actions, big impact.
Inclusion is not a one-time project but a process of small, intentional actions. By communicating clearly, fostering social interaction, and making inclusion measurable, you can create real change—without large investments.
Do you need additional support to make your organisation more inclusive? Is language training needed to break down barriers? Get in touch and discover how we can help!
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