How to Foster An Inclusive Culture for Employees from Diverse Backgrounds
Creating an inclusive workplace culture is more than just a buzzword—it's a crucial element for business success in today's diverse world. This article delves into practical strategies for fostering inclusivity, drawing on insights from experts in diversity and organizational management. From cultural roundtables to remote-first onboarding, discover how companies are leveraging diversity to drive innovation and boost team performance.
- Cultural Roundtables Foster Authentic Connections
- Cross-Connections Build Relationships Across Differences
- Perspective Exchange Workshops Drive Business Innovation
- Intentional Inclusion Practices Boost Team Performance
- Diverse Hiring Creates Empowering Work Environment
- Remote-First Onboarding Embraces Global Team Diversity
- Transparent Communication Levels the Playing Field
- Trust and Understanding Support Neurodiverse Employees
- Mentorship Program Enhances Cross-Cultural Teamwork
Cultural Roundtables Foster Authentic Connections
Our organization takes an intentional, ongoing approach to building an inclusive and welcoming culture—and it starts with the belief that inclusion isn't a one-time initiative, but a daily practice rooted in how we listen, lead, and show up for one another.
One specific way we do this is through employee-led cultural roundtables. These are monthly, voluntary sessions where team members from different backgrounds—cultural, racial, gender, ability, or otherwise—share stories, traditions, or experiences that have shaped them. The format is informal, rooted in dialogue, and often tied to heritage months or social issues. What makes these sessions powerful is that they're not lectures—they're conversations. Everyone is encouraged to ask questions, reflect, and connect on a human level.
One memorable session focused on the experiences of first-generation professionals. Several employees shared personal stories about navigating dual identities, family expectations, and workplace norms. It led to tangible changes—like adapting onboarding language, revisiting mentorship pairings, and launching a new internal group focused on supporting first-gen employees.
Beyond the roundtables, we also back our values with policies—like inclusive hiring practices, flexible holiday policies to respect cultural observances, and accountability frameworks to ensure equity in promotions and compensation. But the real impact comes from the everyday culture: managers checking in with empathy, teammates celebrating differences without tokenizing, and leadership making space for voices that haven't historically been heard.
Inclusion, to us, means more than representation—it means creating an environment where people can thrive as their full selves and feel like they truly belong.
Cross-Connections Build Relationships Across Differences
At Zapiy.com, we've always believed that culture isn't something you write on a wall—it's something you live in the small, daily choices. For us, building an inclusive environment starts with creating a space where people feel safe being themselves, not just fitting into a mold. That means actively listening, being intentional about how we communicate, and making sure every voice—not just the loudest one—is heard.
One specific way we put that into practice is through our onboarding and team-building approach. When someone new joins, we don't just hand them a handbook and introduce them to their direct team—we set up what we call "cross-connections." These are short, informal one-on-one meetings with people from different backgrounds, roles, and even time zones, designed not to talk shop, but to talk human. We encourage conversations about everything from what motivates them to how they like to work or what traditions they celebrate. These aren't just icebreakers—they're relationship builders.
This became especially important when we hired team members across multiple countries and cultural contexts. One teammate in particular mentioned how surprised—and relieved—they were that we asked them how they wanted to be recognized in meetings, not just if they wanted to speak. That small moment of choice gave them ownership over their participation, and it helped them open up in a way that a top-down policy never could have.
We also regularly hold retrospectives on how we're doing culturally—not just project-wise. We ask questions like: "Are we making space for different perspectives?" "Who's missing from the conversation?" "What are we not seeing?" These questions aren't always easy to answer, but they keep us honest and evolving.
Creating an inclusive culture isn't about getting it perfect—it's about staying committed, listening closely, and being willing to change. We're not just building software—we're building a team. And for that to work long-term, everyone needs to feel they belong, not by blending in, but by being seen.
Perspective Exchange Workshops Drive Business Innovation
Creating an inclusive culture isn't just the right thing to do—it's a strategic advantage in our industry where complex logistics challenges require diverse perspectives.
Our quarterly "Perspective Exchange" workshops are something I'm particularly proud of. These structured sessions bring together team members from different backgrounds, departments, and experience levels to collaborate on real business challenges. When we noticed our matching algorithm wasn't adequately serving certain geographic regions, instead of having just our tech team address it, we assembled a diverse working group including team members from customer success, operations, and partners from underrepresented regions.
The results were remarkable—we improved our matching success rate by 23% and discovered cultural nuances in warehousing practices we hadn't previously considered. These workshops have become a cornerstone of our culture, with 92% of participants reporting they feel more valued afterward.
We've also implemented our "Partner Diversity Acceleration Program" which extends our values throughout our network. By actively seeking and supporting diversity-owned fulfillment partners, we're creating more equitable opportunities across the ecosystem while reinforcing these values internally.
Our internal diversity council reviews operational procedures quarterly to ensure our practices align with our inclusive values. We've established blind review processes during provider screening and conduct regular team training on unconscious bias in our matching algorithms.
I firmly believe that in logistics, where we're constantly optimizing complex systems, diversity of thought isn't just a moral imperative—it's a competitive advantage. By embedding inclusion into how we solve problems rather than treating it as a separate initiative, we've created a culture where diversity naturally thrives and directly contributes to our success.
Intentional Inclusion Practices Boost Team Performance
I once paused a booking in the middle of high season because I noticed something unusual: our cleaner—a single mom from Oaxaca—had stopped participating in team meetings. That moment reshaped how I lead.
At RentMexicoCity.com, inclusion is not a checkbox—it's a daily practice. We operate in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, and our team reflects that: from a bilingual Gen Z property manager who migrated from Venezuela, to a local maintenance crew that speaks mostly Nahuatl.
The key for us has been intentional inclusion in two areas: voice and flexibility.
Voice: We hold monthly one-on-one meetings where every team member, regardless of their background or title, can speak openly. That quiet cleaner? She eventually told me she felt uncomfortable because a guest had made a classist comment in front of her. That story led us to rewrite our guest etiquette sheet and start pre-arrival education emails to set expectations on respectful behavior—not just check-in times.
Flexibility: We adjust work schedules during Día de Muertos, Ramadan, and even during regional strikes or family events common in some communities. We don't force a "one culture fits all" productivity model. Instead, we build our operations around real human rhythms.
And the impact? Our turnover dropped by 40% year over year, and we've had near-perfect 5-star cleanliness scores across platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. That only happens when people feel seen and safe.
Inclusion isn't just a poster on the wall for us—it's a better way to do business.
Diverse Hiring Creates Empowering Work Environment
At Ozzie Mowing & Gardening, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment isn't just something we talk about; it's something we put into practice every day. With over 15 years of experience working across different teams, suburbs, and communities, I've seen firsthand the value that diversity brings to the table. I've made it a priority to hire people not just for their skills but for the unique perspectives they offer. Whether someone has just come out of horticulture training or they've learned hands-on from family gardens in another country, I make sure they feel supported and respected. Being a certified horticulturalist with experience across both practical and theoretical sides of the industry, I've built a team culture that's about learning from each other and growing together. Everyone has a voice, and we make time each week for open conversations where ideas are shared and listened to equally.
One great example is when I hired a young apprentice who had migrated from Sri Lanka and had no formal qualifications at the time. He told me how he used to help his grandfather in the garden back home, so I gave him a shot. Over time, I mentored him closely, sharing my own horticultural training and walking him through everything from soil health to advanced pruning techniques. Today, he's running his own jobs confidently and even helping newer team members settle in. That kind of growth isn't just good for business; it creates a workplace where people feel valued and empowered. It's proof that when experience and qualifications are used to lift others up, everyone wins.
Remote-First Onboarding Embraces Global Team Diversity
At Clearcatnet, we ensure our culture is inclusive and welcoming by intentionally embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our daily practices, communication, and hiring processes—not just treating it as a checkbox initiative. We believe inclusion starts with representation, respect, and a sense of belonging, and that has to be built into the core of how we operate.
One specific example is how we've structured our remote-first onboarding process. We designed it to be accessible and inclusive for employees across different time zones, languages, and cultural backgrounds. New team members receive a "Welcome Toolkit" that includes not only technical resources but also a cultural guide that highlights how we communicate, celebrate, and collaborate as a global team. We also assign a "culture buddy" from a different team to help them integrate socially, not just professionally.
We've also made inclusivity a part of how we collect feedback. Through anonymous monthly check-ins, team members can safely share how they feel about team dynamics, leadership, and inclusion. This helps us catch and address biases or disconnects early, and it ensures every voice—regardless of seniority or background—has a place at the table.
Ultimately, we've found that an inclusive culture isn't built overnight—it's maintained through intentional systems, active listening, and ongoing action. And that effort has paid off, reflected in our high retention and strong team cohesion across regions and roles.
Transparent Communication Levels the Playing Field
We built Spectup to be lean and fast-moving, but culture was never an afterthought—it's foundational. Inclusivity, for us, starts with how we hire: we actively avoid defaulting to traditional CVs and instead look at the potential behind the paper. I remember one of our earliest hires came from a completely non-linear background—ex-music industry, zero startup experience—but their grasp on storytelling blew every pitch deck we'd seen out of the water.
That kind of diversity of thought is exactly what fuels our edge. Internally, we keep communication brutally transparent and ego-free, and that levels the playing field. One of our team members once called out a process that unintentionally excluded remote contributors from key discussions. Instead of brushing it off, we rewired our decision flow and implemented asynchronous feedback loops. The impact? A quieter team member from Eastern Europe, who used to stay on the sidelines, started driving investor strategy calls like a pro. We're still small enough to course-correct quickly, but deliberate enough to make every change stick.
Trust and Understanding Support Neurodiverse Employees
Speaking in terms of neurodiversity, the company I currently work for has been fantastic.
After a couple of unpleasant past experiences, I now make sure to disclose my ADHD during the interview process. In my interview, the company founders asked insightful questions, showing genuine interest in it. I've been working here for a few months now, and that same keenness to learn has remained.
The thing is, because my managers and colleagues trust me to do what I'm good at, allowing me to utilize my strengths, there has been no need to request support or reasonable adjustments to counterbalance things.
For all the lip service paid to neuroinclusion by some other companies, this demonstrates it's more about culture - it's about kindness, accepting people for both their strengths as well as their challenges, and most importantly, it's about leadership's willingness to learn about and understand others.
Mentorship Program Enhances Cross-Cultural Teamwork
At Talmatic, people foster an inclusive environment through the infusion of diversity across the employee life cycle, from recruitment to career development. We conduct blind hiring to reduce unconscious bias and perform rigorous interviews to assess candidates in a fair manner.
One such example is our mentorship program, where team members with different cultural backgrounds and areas of professional expertise are paired to foster mutual understanding, accelerate development, and improve cross-cultural teamwork.
