Zineb Araqi Houssaini, Global BBA student at ESSEC Business School, digs deep into the shift in the approach to diversity and inclusion over recent years and explores the value and effectiveness of when inclusion becomes part of “how we do things here.”

No Labels Required: Rethinking inclusion for the next generation of work by Zineb Araqi Houssaini.

In recent years, the corporate landscape has seen a shift in how companies approach diversity and inclusion. While the principles behind Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) remain essential, many organizations are now seeking to embed these values in a more organic way—quietly weaving them into culture rather than highlighting them with acronyms.

This evolution is less about abandoning DEI and more about ensuring that inclusion becomes a natural part of business operations, felt rather than announced.

Some companies have already taken steps in this direction. UnitedHealth Group removed DEI language from its website, replacing it with a new focus on a “Culture of Belonging.” Similarly, Kohl’s changed the title of its chief DEI officer to Chief Inclusion and Belonging Officer. These shifts reflect a wider trend: a move away from formal labels and towards creating inclusive environments without always naming them as such.

Following the social justice movements of 2020, DEI hiring surged. In 2021 alone, 94% of new roles in S&P 100 companies went to people of colour. Among Fortune 500 firms that disclosed demographics, less than a third of new hires were white. Gender diversity also received attention: Textron reported that over half of its new hires were considered diversity hires, and Eversource Energy noted that nearly two-thirds of its external hires were women or people of colour.

These figures illustrate that DEI goals, when taken seriously, can drive meaningful change. But where does inclusion go from here?

The Shift from Formal DEI to Organic Inclusion

JPMorgan Chase offers an interesting case. The firm recently rebranded its DEI program as “DOI,” replacing “Equity” with “Opportunity.” In a memo to employees, COO Jenn Piepszak explained that the company has always understood equity as equal opportunity—not equal outcomes.

By decentralizing its initiatives and integrating them into broader units like HR and Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan has taken a clear step toward embedding inclusion into everyday business. These adjustments reflect a maturing view of DEI, one that aligns more closely with how companies operate and make decisions.

This evolution also speaks to a growing body of thought that favours integration over segmentation. Researchers like Thomas and Ely have long advocated for moving beyond representational diversity and toward learning cultures that value differences as a source of strength. When inclusion is baked into processes—hiring, product development, leadership training—it becomes more durable. It’s not a box to tick; it’s a mindset to live by.

The Core of Inclusion: Leadership and Values

At the heart of every truly inclusive workplace is leadership. Not just leaders who endorse the values of inclusion, but those who live them. Microsoft and Accenture, for instance, have tied executive bonuses to inclusion outcomes. This kind of alignment between performance and principles sends a clear message that inclusion isn’t an afterthought.

True inclusion cannot thrive without intentional leadership and deeply rooted values. When inclusion is treated as a core organizational principle—rather than a separate initiative it transcends slogans and becomes embedded in the culture. Leaders are not just responsible for setting diversity targets; they shape the everyday experiences of employees. Their ability to demonstrate empathy, actively listen, and model inclusive behaviors often determines whether a workplace feels safe, fair, and welcoming. As such, leadership is the linchpin in translating corporate values into lived reality.

The most effective organizations are those where leadership is both accountable and aligned with inclusive values. This means measuring progress not just by representation, but by retention, promotion rates, and employee satisfaction across demographic groups. Companies like Microsoft and Accenture, for instance, have tied executive compensation to inclusion outcomes—an approach that sends a powerful message that inclusion is not a side task, but a business priority.

Beyond metrics, inclusive leadership also involves vulnerability: the willingness to admit blind spots, engage in uncomfortable conversations, and invite differing perspectives to the decision-making table.

Moreover, values-driven inclusion is what sustains progress when external pressures fade. Companies that link inclusion to their mission—rather than media cycles or compliance—are more likely to create environments where all employees feel they belong. Patagonia, for example, weaves inclusion into its environmental mission, seeing both people and planet as essential stakeholders.

This integration allows inclusion to flourish organically: it becomes part of “how we do things here,” rather than a checkbox or a trend. In this way, inclusion led by values and embodied by leadership becomes self-sustaining—and far more impactful than any standalone initiative.

From Policies to Practices: Making Inclusion Invisible yet Tangible

While mission statements and diversity pledges are visible declarations, the real test of inclusion lies in the everyday mechanics of a workplace. Companies leading the way have shifted from performative commitments to embedding inclusion in tangible business practices—often so seamlessly that these efforts feel like a natural part of the workflow. For example, Salesforce has implemented regular pay equity audits across its global workforce.

This policy isn’t headlined as a “DEI program,” yet it effectively ensures fairness by identifying and correcting unexplained pay disparities between employees of different genders or ethnic backgrounds. Over time, such routine interventions become part of the company’s DNA rather than exceptional efforts.

Hiring practices are another space where inclusion can be made tangible without sounding like a diversity campaign. Take Unilever, which redesigned its recruitment process using AI tools to mitigate unconscious bias. Their AI-driven assessments evaluate candidates based on potential and fit, rather than name, accent, or educational pedigree, ensuring a broader and fairer talent pipeline. Likewise, companies like SAP have long pioneered neurodiversity hiring programs, particularly focused on bringing autistic talent into tech and operations roles—not under the banner of charity or DEI, but as part of their innovation strategy.

Even in daily team dynamics, inclusive practices can be subtly powerful. At Buffer, a social media company known for radical transparency, all salaries are publicly shared—helping dismantle inequities that often go unaddressed in opaque structures. Moreover, their flexible work model supports parents, caregivers, and people with disabilities, without labeling them as “diverse needs.”

These examples show that when companies embed inclusion directly into policies—whether through compensation structures, recruitment systems, or work design—it becomes less about optics and more about outcomes. Inclusion, in its most powerful form, becomes invisible because it’s everywhere.

Creating Psychological Safety: The Unsung Hero of Inclusion

Psychological safety is perhaps the most underrated pillar of inclusion—quiet, intangible, yet foundational. Coined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, the term refers to a team environment where individuals feel safe to voice opinions, admit mistakes, and challenge the status quo without fear of embarrassment or retribution. While inclusion often focuses on who is at the table, psychological safety determines whether they feel comfortable speaking. Without it, even the most diverse teams risk falling into silence and self-censorship.

One of the most powerful endorsements of psychological safety comes from Google’s Project Aristotle, a landmark study on effective team performance. After examining hundreds of teams, researchers concluded that psychological safety was the most critical driver of success—more than talent, seniority, or cohesion.

This insight has pushed companies like Google to prioritize open dialogue and feedback loops in team meetings and leadership training. Likewise, Pixar’s famed “Braintrust” sessions allow any employee, regardless of title, to critique ongoing creative work—proving that innovation flourishes when people feel safe enough to challenge ideas.

By embedding psychological safety into leadership development, feedback culture, and performance evaluations, companies move inclusion from aspiration to lived experience. It is not an initiative that shows up in quarterly reports; it is felt in daily interactions—in whether an intern dares to share a new idea, or a manager feels safe admitting they were wrong. It is, in many ways, the unsung hero of inclusion—because without it, even the best DEI intentions remain hollow.

A Future Beyond Labels

As the corporate world reimagines its approach to inclusion, one truth becomes clear: lasting change doesn’t rely on acronyms, but on authenticity. Moving beyond the DEI label does not mean abandoning its principles—it means embedding them so deeply into the organization’s culture, strategy, and everyday behaviors that they no longer need to be spotlighted to exist.

Companies like JPMorgan Chase, Unilever, and Salesforce show that when inclusion becomes part of “how we do things here,” it gains staying power. It stops being an initiative and starts being a norm.

The future of inclusion lies in leadership that embodies values, in systems that elevate fairness without fanfare, and in cultures where psychological safety allows every voice to be heard—not because of a policy, but because of mutual respect. This is not a retreat from DEI, but a maturation of it. As companies internalize the lessons of the past decade, they must resist the temptation to perform inclusion for optics and instead practice it consistently, quietly, and effectively.

So, what does a workplace look like when inclusion no longer needs to be named to be real? Perhaps it looks like a team where ideas flow freely, where identities are acknowledged without being politicized, and where opportunity isn’t allocated—but expected. In a world saturated with branding, buzzwords, and backlash, the most radical thing a company can do may be this: to make inclusion so natural, it doesn’t need a label at all.

Useful links:

• Link up with Zineb Araqi Houssaini on LinkedIn
• Read a related article: Navigating the Maze: The inherent paradoxes of workplace justice in DEI 
• Discover ESSEC Business School
• Apply for the ESSEC Global MBA.

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