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HR Insight
Published:
June 22, 2026
Last updated:
June 22, 2026
The HR Industry is always full of new trends to be discussed and implemented. In recent years, the importance of inclusive workplaces have taken front and center of such discussions. And for good reason.
Companies should strive to create a diverse, inclusive and safe workplace where employees feel cared for and respected. Nobody should feel excluded because of their identity and workplaces should be level playing fields for all employees. Incorporating inclusive values in a workplace will not just benefit employees, but the business as a whole as well as the community. A diverse workforce will bring together plenty of refreshing new perspectives, ideas and opinions. Here are some strategies on how to better manage and implement a more inclusive workforce.
In order to implement the right strategies, it is important to first have a firm understanding of what an inclusive and diverse workplace is. While the two are often used interchangeably, they are not necessarily the same thing. Diversity refers to a workplace having a variety of employees of all different backgrounds such as age, race and gender. Inclusivity refers to an environment which is capable of acknowledging these differences and ensuring that each individual feels valued and welcomed for who they are.
The behavior of managers and those in leadership positions have a very powerful impact on the employee experience. The relationship between managers and employees is critical, and can often make a difference in how long an employee decides to stay in an organization.
Managers need to understand the importance of workplace diversity and inclusion, and really buy into the value of making a welcoming environment for all. Managers need to understand how to hire and manage a diverse team in a way that is inclusive to all.
Empower managers with the necessary skills and education to handle these. Key actions would be implementing both cultural and sensitivity training. Reporting structures and employee feedback mechanisms are also useful tools to ensure that managers are effectively leading and guiding their team.
At the same time, it is important to remember that inclusivity and diversity cannot be implemented with just a one-time training. It is something that needs to consistently be reinforced amongst managers and employees.
Facilitating a diverse and inclusive workplace may require one to review their workplace’s current policies and consider revising any if necessary. One may need to amend or implement new policies in order to ensure that all employees feel seen and cared for.
For example, considering allowing employees to take off-days for religious or cultural events that may not be officially observed by the company.
Employee resource groups can also be created to help an organisation grow their talent pools, and allow a safe space for employees to voice out their concerns to managers. Furthermore, this allows for a level playing field for all employees to grow and develop their skills.
Employees are more than just workers with different skill sets who help an organization reach its goals. That is only a portion of who they are. When companies take the time to recognize and celebrate the different aspects of their employees’ various cultural and religious practices they are showing employees that they are cared for and appreciated for who they are as individuals.
Employees are no longer simply working for their paycheck, it is now important for their employers to care for them beyond simply the work that they are capable of doing. By embracing and celebrating differences, companies inspire more innovative and inclusive workplaces.
As said earlier, diversity and inclusion cannot be changed or implemented overnight. There is ultimately no one-size-fits-all approach to this, and not every solution will drive the same amount of change across any given organization. This can be done through anonymous employee feedback surveys to measure the satisfaction of employees overall.
Gartner’s Inclusion Index allows organisations to promote an inclusive environment by testing their initiatives along seven key dimensions, including fair treatment, decision making, trust and diversity.
This is an important step to ensure that the measures and policies implemented by an organization are actually effective in promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Diversity and inclusiveness no doubt should be important aspects of a company’s culture. It is important to note that inclusion is ongoing, and is not a one-off training matter.
It isn’t enough to simply teach employees and managers how to, or what it means to be inclusive. Rather, a workplace’s policies and values should be reflections of it’s dedication to being diverse and inclusive. Only then does real change become possible.
AYP Group specializes in Professional Employer Organization services aimed at bettering both employee training and development.
To learn more about our HR solutions, you can contact our PEO experts.
Research consistently shows that diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams on problem-solving, innovation, and financial performance. In APAC, the business case has additional dimensions: the region itself is culturally diverse, so companies with diverse teams are better positioned to serve diverse markets. McKinsey's Diversity Wins research found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity are 36% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. For companies expanding across multiple APAC markets, building cross-cultural competence into the workforce is a strategic requirement, not just a social good.
In the APAC context, the most relevant diversity dimensions are: national and cultural diversity (teams spanning multiple countries and ethnicities), gender diversity (women remain underrepresented at senior levels across most APAC markets), generational diversity (managing multigenerational workforces where expectations around work norms differ significantly), linguistic diversity (multilingual teams require deliberate communication structures), and neurodiversity (increasingly recognized as a source of unique capability in technical and analytical roles).
Inclusive hiring practices include: writing job descriptions that focus on required skills and outcomes rather than demographic signals, using structured interviews with consistent questions across all candidates (reducing interviewer bias), expanding sourcing beyond traditional channels (to reach candidates from underrepresented groups), setting diverse shortlists as a requirement before extending offers, training interviewers on unconscious bias recognition, and tracking demographic data through the hiring funnel to identify where diversity is dropping off.
Retention-focused inclusion practices include: establishing employee resource groups (ERGs) for underrepresented groups, ensuring promotions and pay increases are based on transparent, consistent criteria (not informal networks), creating mentorship and sponsorship programmes that specifically support underrepresented talent, and building psychological safety cultures where all employees feel able to contribute and speak up. For broader retention strategies, see our guide on how to attract and retain top talent.
Anti-discrimination laws apply in most APAC markets. Singapore's Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) requires companies to advertise jobs locally before applying for Employment Passes and prohibits discriminatory hiring practices. The Philippines' Anti-Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination based on gender, religion, and ethnicity. Malaysia's Employment Act prohibits discrimination in relation to terms and conditions of employment. Companies operating across APAC should understand each country's specific anti-discrimination obligations and ensure hiring and employment practices comply.
Building D&I into multi-country APAC operations requires: setting diversity metrics at the country level (not just globally), adapting D&I initiatives to local cultural context, ensuring that HR and management across all countries understand and are accountable for D&I outcomes, and providing cross-cultural competence training to managers leading distributed teams. For a companion piece on D&I in APAC, see our guide on workforce diversity and inclusion in Asia Pacific. Partnering with an Employer of Record or in-country HR expert ensures compliance with anti-discrimination obligations in each jurisdiction.
