An inclusive workplace can make a measurable difference to a company’s financial performance when it is built into how teams operate and decisions are made. Businesses that draw on a broad range of skills, experiences and perspectives are better equipped to tackle complex challenges, attract the right talent and adapt in a fast-changing market.
While there has been recent discussion about a perceived scaling back of formal DEI initiatives, many organizations are continuing to invest in their people—just with less fanfare. According to a survey by Resume.org, only 19% of companies have reduced funding in this area. In reality, most organizations are holding steady or increasing their focus on inclusion and culture, even if they are choosing not to label it as such.
Why Inclusion Still Matters
Research consistently shows that employees—particularly younger generations—are more likely to stay with organizations that foster a sense of belonging and fairness. A report from diversity.com found that 76% of Gen Z employees are more likely to remain at companies with active inclusion-focused initiatives. Meanwhile, senior leaders continue to warn that removing these efforts altogether can create reputational, operational and legal risk.
These themes were discussed at ChannelCon EMEA during a panel that explored how inclusive thinking supports innovation, especially in an era increasingly shaped by AI, automation and data-driven decision-making.
The discussion, moderated by Hannah Lloyd, co-founder and CRO at enhanced.io, featured Tara Rummer, chief community and ecosystems officer at ImmyBot, and Hollie Whittles, information security and HR director at Purple Frog Systems. The panel examined how drawing on different lived experiences and ways of thinking can deliver tangible business benefits—and why this should not be a taboo subject.
Embracing Different Perspectives
Whittles said her firm consciously embraces different perspectives and welcomes the differences that a diverse workforce can bring. “We actively look at people with different qualities. We are looking for complex problem-solving abilities because we need to work with data analytics, machine learning and AI,” she said. “We make sure we have people from different backgrounds, cultures, genders and experiences, because what we find is that it gives us a greater spectrum of ideas, and helps us make better business decisions.”
Rummer agreed. “In the beginning nobody asked for DEI,” she said. “I think because there is a stigma and taboo around it, everybody forgets that their team is already diverse. You don’t see every diversity, just like you don’t see every disability, color, gender or race.” She said innovation can come from harnessing people’s different skill sets, some of whom may have been diagnosed with ADHD or autism. “Yes they may be disabilities, you need accept the fact that they are, but you can find the strong points,” she said.
Lloyd added she had been diagnosed with ADHD and comes from a background of neurodiversity. “We all have different strengths and weaknesses, we are all different,” she said. “But being able to look at the elements of neurodiverse people, they have such amazing skills. Many people with neurodiversity are barristers, surgeons, top-level professionals, and they are the best at what they do. It is the same in the tech space.”
Making Inclusion Part of How You Work
Lloyd said the key is harnessing all the differences into a common goal to get the best out of people. “It is about bringing all those differences together and saying ‘yes, people can be different, we are all different.’ But it is not about making people feel different from each other it is about how you get the best out of people when you have a team,” she said.
Whittles said it takes the whole company to get it right. “It is not just about writing a DEI policy, it is about how you embed it into the workplace,” she explained. “That is something all of us have to take an active role in, whether you are an employee or a leader. It is about shaping how a business operates, how the workplace operates, what you need or the team needs. It is about building that shared commitment and inclusive workplace.”
Rummer said the key to retaining key talent is making sure they are comfortable in their place of work. Many don’t ask for much. “Ask your teams what they need from you. Ask ‘How can I help you?’,” she said. “Ask, ‘What can I do to improve your work environment?’ We see it as part of our culture to make sure everyone’s needs are met so we can build a really positive culture together. And we have managed to achieve that.”
ChannelCon EMEA │ 9-10 November │ London │ Register Now
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