Workplace communication as a catalyst for inclusion and racial equity

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in partnership with Race Excellence we hosted a powerful conversation exploring how communication can drive inclusion and racial equity in the workplace.

The session offered valuable insights into the role communication plays in creating fairer, more inclusive environments – where everyone feels heard, respected, and empowered.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

Make space for timely conversations

Having open, honest conversations at the right time matters. When significant events happen – globally or within your own organisation – your team are affected. Proactive communication helps people feel supported and creates space for reflection, empathy, and action.

Bring the right voices into the room

Involving senior leaders, subject matter experts, and individuals who can influence others ensures conversations lead to action. To create meaningful change, the right people need to be in the room – especially those with the authority to make decisions.

Prioritise active listening

Sometimes the most powerful part of a conversation is the silence. Good communication isn’t just about what you say – it’s also about how well you listen. Give people space to think. Avoid jumping in with answers. Create opportunities for reflection and let quieter voices be heard.

Choose your channels carefully

Communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. Consider how best to reach your audience – whether it’s workshops, one-to-ones, shared documents, or live conversations. Be thoughtful about the tools and platforms you use.

Keep your messaging clear and constructive

Whether you’re talking about policy change, allyship or team culture, everyone should leave the conversation knowing what comes next. Avoid jargon, lead with clear questions and make sure conversations end with actions.

Maintain respect

Respect should sit at the heart of every conversation. Even when opinions differ, it’s possible to challenge constructively and keep doors open. Communication that focuses on shared goals, solutions and unity is far more effective than blame or defensiveness.

Communication shapes inclusion

Words matter, so when language is restricted or policed, the impact can be exclusion, disconnection, and fractured identities. In many workplaces, race is still seen as too complex or risky to talk about – leading to silence, self-censorship, and missed opportunities to understand each other.

Communication done well, though, can flip that script. It can become a tool for liberation – making space for lived experiences, validating identity, and giving employees permission to bring their full selves to work. Inclusion doesn’t come from silence, it comes from stories, language, and meaningful dialogue.

Telling isn’t enough

Workplace communication often defaults to telling – issuing updates, sharing top-down messaging, or rolling out policies. But simply telling people what to do or believe isn’t enough to create change. It can even do more harm than good if it overlooks how people are really feeling.

To make a real impact, communication needs to do more than inform. It needs to listen, educate, inspire, and reassure. It needs to raise awareness in a way that connects with people’s emotions – not just their inboxes. It needs to make space for difficult conversations, reflection, and vulnerability.

Say the thing. Don’t dodge it.

One of the biggest communication challenges in DEI is avoiding “the elephant in the room.” Whether it’s a disbanded ERG, a delayed strategy, or an external event that’s affecting your teams, silence creates space for mistrust and disengagement.

Filling that silence with open, honest, human communication – even when the message is tough – builds credibility and trust. Employees are adults. Treating them as such by being transparent about decisions, even when there’s no perfect solution, goes a long way.

Surface the human library

Your organisation is full of unseen stories. These lived experiences are powerful, personal, and valuable. When people share them, they create connection, understanding, and culture change. But those stories don’t surface on their own. You need to make space for them, and ensure people feel safe and supported to speak up.

Culture and communication go hand in hand

If you want honest conversations, you need a culture that supports them. That means:

• Being clear on the purpose of conversations
• Making sure the right people are in the room – especially those with decision-making power
• Building psychological safety so people feel confident to speak up
• Leading with questions, not assumptions
• Ending with action, so people know what’s changing and why

When we use communication intentionally, we create momentum. When we pair that communication with inclusive culture, we create change.

We’d like to thank Ann and Gifford from Race Excellence for sharing their insight. Race Excellence partners with organisations to embed diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into the heart of their business – supporting CEOs, Boards, employee networks and HR leaders to take a sustainable and innovative approach to inclusion. Learn more about Race Excellence.

If you’re looking for support with harnessing the power of communication to create a more equitable workplace, then talk to us.

Watch the webinar: Communications – a catalyst for inclusion and racial equity