馃帶 Podcast: Equity & Inclusion On A Limited Budget

Written by Beth Taylor | Jan 8, 2026 11:30:00 AM

Join us as we discuss practical strategies and insights on how to foster equity and inclusion without breaking the bank.

Listen to our previous episode, Employee Development On A Limited Budget, here.

We know that many organisations share a common challenge: how to build and sustain a great company culture without the need for major financial investment.

But we believe every workplace, no matter their size or budget, can become a great place to work. In our podcast series, On A Limited Budget, we share tips and insights on how even the most budget-conscious businesses can create a healthy, happy, and productive workforce

In our third episode, we're exploring one key element of this critical challenge: fostering equity and inclusion without breaking the bank. Listen below as Great Place To Work UK Senior Consultant and Wellbeing Lead Sara Silvonen and Consultant Jon Rice dive into ways you can embrace diversity, empower people managers and build inclusive hiring practices.

Key Takeaways

1. Small actions can make a big impact

The most powerful E&I practices often cost nothing. As Jon shared, embedding inclusion prompts into 1:1s and PDPs, encouraging managers to ask the right questions, and creating space for open conversations all help employees feel supported and valued.

These simple behaviours è� active listening, reducing assumptions, and tailoring support to individual needs è� can transform the employee experience. When people feel heard and understood, engagement rises, trust strengthens, and performance improves. None of this requires a large investment è� just consistent, intentional behaviour.

2. Trust breeds inclusion

Inclusion grows in highè憈rust environments where employees feel safe to learn, share, and occasionally get things wrong. E&I conversations can sometimes feel intimidating, but in a supportive culture, curiosity is welcomed, and mistakes become opportunities to learn, as Sara notes:

"A big part of it is just breeding this culture of openness and letting go of that fear of maybe saying the wrong thing because in a high trust environment, you'll just get corrected and you'll be all the wiser."

3. Start early, evolve often

Blind CV reviews, skillsè慴ased assessments, diverse hiring panels and specialist job boards are some of the practical, low-cost ways organisations can make recruitment more equitable.

But inclusion must continue throughout the employee journey. Regular checkè慽ns and open conversations help organisations adapt support as employeesè� needs change over time. Practical actions like rotating meeting facilitators, discouraging interruptions, or enabling flexible working empower managers to create environments where all team members can thrive.

These adjustments cost little, but their impact is lasting.

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