Top tips for Getting ready for National Inclusion Week 2023

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Top tips for I&D leaders and HR professionals

Celebrating your own National Inclusion Week can take much preparation and require substantial support from all team areas. There can be difficulties along the way, resistance to progress and challenges achieving whole team buy-in.

Below are some top tips to support colleagues to make the best of the week!

1. Prepare early

National Inclusion Week can be as big or as small as is within your capacity as an organisation, but in any case, preparing early what you’d like to do, how you’d like to do it, and who you need to involve ahead of time, will allow your week to run more smoothly and show your team that this has been given the due care and attention it deserves.

2. Involve and include everyone

National Inclusion Week is for everyone! So, be sure to include anyone keen to show their commitment to inclusion and ensure your plans and activity for the week and accessible and inclusive for everyone in your organisation to take part. Also, consider who you speak with and what matters to them in your organisation most, depending on their job role or position. If they are in finance, give them information on how inclusion will increase profit and reduce cost. If they are in HR, how will it impact recruitment and retention, etc? This will help you increase engagement and create the business case for I&D by involving more departments. Goals or targets can also be added to performance reviews to allow everyone to have a chance to make progress in the organisation.

3. Start small and don’t overload

If you are at the start of your organisational journey and feel overwhelmed by the idea of running your own National Inclusion Week, try by starting to plan just a couple of activities for the week and some comms. You have to start somewhere. Additionally, think about where your organisation is in their inclusion journey. If you dive right in with the complexities of gender identity, you may find that some people feel alienated and like “inclusion is too much for them”. Inclusion is for everyone, the aim is for all employees to understand the complex topics, but it’s best to start with overarching themes such as equality, diversity, inclusion, discrimination, etc. Build the foundations before you build the house.

“Don’t let the uncomfortable topics go undiscussed, focus on creating a safe space for one another to have these discussions.”

Use the bitesize inclusion toolkit to facilitate conversations

4. Evaluate after the week and share widely

This will inspire and motivate the overall team and demonstrate to leadership that investment in inclusion is important and impactful! Use real life examples (if you don’t have permission remember to fully anonymise) and relate inclusion to your business objectives, community outcomes or customer satisfaction. When colleagues can see how inclusion makes their lives better or easier, they are more likely to change their behaviour. Sharing stories of the diverse people in your organisation can really resonate, consider how you can share these role models across your business.

5. Collaborate with colleagues to develop ideas and actions to support others in your organisation

If you know you’d like to do something but are not sure what or how, why not ask colleagues to collaborate on a project with you? Bringing your ideas together to create something for the whole team to take part in/use and benefit from will make your workplace safer and more inclusive for everyone, including yourselves.

6. Be prepared to be uncomfortable

The subject of inclusion can often bring up uncomfortable feelings. Topics such as racism, transphobia, and islamophobia can be difficult to talk about, but that is often a good thing. Don’t let the uncomfortable topics go undiscussed, focus on creating a safe space for one another to have these discussions. For example, set ground rules and discuss in relaxed environments where people can sit on sofas with a cup of tea. Unpack together why certain topics make people feel certain ways and be open to listening.

Grow your team

When you become an Inclusive Employers’ Member you grow your I&D team.

Your account manager works with you to understand your goals, your challenges and achievable next steps.

Do you need more support for your inclusive culture to thrive?

Learn about membership today

Keep taking action on inclusion

Group of workers of a mixed age range working happily together

April 30 2024 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Top tips for getting ready for National Inclusion Week 2023

Grow your team

Top tips for I&D leaders and HR professionals

1. Prepare early

2. Involve and include everyone

3. Start small and don’t overload

“Don’t let the uncomfortable topics go undiscussed, focus on creating a safe space for one another to have these discussions.”

4. Evaluate after the week and share widely

5. Collaborate with colleagues to develop ideas and actions to support others in your organisation

6. Be prepared to be uncomfortable

Grow your team

Keep taking action on inclusion