The way you speak to your team reflects the kind of culture you lead, and fostering inclusive communication in the workplace helps ensure everyone feels valued. Not everyone absorbs information the same way. Some need more clarity, more time, or different formats, and that doesn’t make them any less capable. It often means they bring a perspective you haven’t heard yet.
Your quietest employee might be sitting on your most brilliant idea, but if they don’t feel safe, supported, or seen, you’ll never hear it.
Respect isn’t passive. Acknowledgment isn’t optional. If you want to attract and retain the best talent, you have to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, where voices aren’t just welcomed but truly heard.
Please speak to your people the way they want to be spoken to. Meet them where they are. That’s how you build trust. That’s how you lead. If you’re not actively building inclusive communication into your culture, you’re already at risk.
Seventy percent of employees say they don’t feel included at work. Nearly 40% have turned down jobs because they didn’t believe the workplace was inclusive. The people most often excluded are women, racialized employees, junior staff, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities.
This isn’t about hiring quotas. It’s about what happens after someone joins your team. If your daily communication doesn’t make people feel seen, respected, and valued, the damage starts immediately.
Inclusive communication isn’t a buzzword. It’s a strategy that drives tangible business outcomes: higher retention, stronger innovation, better performance, and more trust. It’s also the most human part of leadership.
Here’s how to start embedding inclusive communication into your work culture:
There’s no quick fix. True inclusion is woven into everyday interactions. The following steps can help you begin building a more inclusive culture from the inside out.
1. Create awareness around inclusive language
Before you introduce new policies or expectations, focus on education. Explain what inclusive communication is really about: making sure all employees feel welcome, safe, and respected. A message from leadership is a powerful place to begin.
2. Assess your current reality
Look closely at where you stand. Are there outdated or exclusive terms being used? Is access to internal communication equal across teams? Are communication tools inclusive of different abilities and languages? Gather anonymous feedback, host listening sessions, and work with ERGs to understand what’s working and what’s not.
3. Provide clear guidelines for inclusive language
Most people want to do better, but they don’t know how. Offer practical guidance and examples. Avoid gendered terms like “chairman” or harmful phrases like “blacklist.” Encourage plain language and respectful phrasing. When in doubt, ask people how they prefer to be identified.
4. Make communication accessible to all employees
Not all employees work from desks. Use tools that reach off-site, frontline, and hybrid workers equally, ideally platforms that support mobile access and multilingual capabilities. No one should be left out of critical updates.
5. Model the behaviour at the top, but involve everyone
Leadership must lead by example, but inclusive communication can’t be a top-down initiative. Managers, HR teams, internal comms professionals, and every employee play a role in making inclusive behaviour the norm.
6. Review your job descriptions and hiring practices
Language shapes perception. Remove gendered or coded language in job ads and make application processes accessible to candidates of all abilities. Make sure neurodiverse applicants aren’t at a disadvantage during interviews.
7. Offer flexibility in communication styles
Not everyone engages in the same way. Some people process information better in writing, while others need time to prepare before speaking. Provide meeting agendas in advance, allow alternative ways to participate in discussions, and respect different preferences.
8. Make accessibility the default, not the exception
Don’t wait for employees to request accommodations. Offer captions for video calls, share content in multiple formats, and design with cognitive diversity in mind. Minor adjustments can make communication more equitable for everyone.
9. Seek regular feedback and act on it
Ask employees, especially those from underrepresented groups, about their experiences with workplace communication. Use surveys, suggestion boxes, and ERG conversations to surface insights. Then show employees that their input leads to change.
10. Train managers and employees continuously
You can’t shift behaviour without support. Offer regular training sessions on inclusive language and accessible communication. Make it part of onboarding. Reinforce it consistently, not just during DEI month or once a year.
Overcoming Common Barriers:
Change isn’t always easy. You may encounter resistance or challenges, including:
- Cultural differences across international teams
- Language barriers
- Unconscious bias
- Remote work limitations
- Skepticism around ‘changing how people talk’
These are real, but not insurmountable. With empathy, clarity, and persistence, you can shift the culture. Start by showing why it matters, not just to the company’s success, but to the dignity and well-being of every person in it.
Inclusive communication isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being intentional. It’s about creating a culture where everyone, from the most senior leader to the newest hire, knows their voice matters. If you’re serious about inclusion, this is where the work begins.
