FAQs

inc.lude offers targeted service packages that combine needs assessment, consulting, training and content creation. Each package is tailored to a company’s specific needs, as well as to the size, sector and maturity level of each organisation. Of course, every service can be provided either as part of the relevant package or on a stand-alone basis.

Our services are designed to serve a wide range of companies and organisations across all sectors of the market, as they are built around needs that arise from specific processes. Over our team’s 14 years of experience, we have worked successfully with multinational companies, large Greek organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises, companies undergoing transformation, non-profit organisations and public services alike. Based on our experience, our services prove most valuable for:

• Multinational companies that need to implement international DEI strategies and adapt them to the local ecosystem
• Large businesses that are required, for the first time, to comply with European regulatory frameworks
• Businesses that are preparing for or managing mergers and acquisitions
• Fast-growing companies that need to adapt their processes, infrastructure and practices to a larger workforce
• Companies of any size with a strong vision for their culture and impact, but limited resources 
• Companies with a strong incentive to attract employees and/or customers from younger generations
• Businesses that need to reconcile the needs and capabilities of employees from four or even five generations within their workforce.
• Companies with a cluster structure that build multicultural teams, which often collaborate remotely.
• Non-profit organisations that need to assess the impact of their work against diversity and equal access criteria.
• Companies that wish to optimise the quality of their customer experience and service, especially when addressing a diverse audience
• Start-ups seeking funding
• Public bodies and services undergoing modernisation or transformation

Whatever the sector your organisation operates in, you can contact us so that we can map the needs of your team or of your entire business.

inc.lude’s service packages are designed to meet the needs of professionals across all departments and hierarchical levels of a company. More specifically:

• HR / Recruitment / Talent Acquisition / Procurement / Employee relations
• Learning & Development
• Team Leaders / People Leaders / C-level executives
• ESG / Compliance / Legal
• Communication / CSR / Marketing
• Customer Service / Customer experience
• Software & Product development

Whatever department you work in, you can contact us so that we can map the needs of your company or team. 

Inclusion means actively ensuring that every person has equal access to opportunities, resources and the chance to contribute, and that they can participate and grow without having to hide parts of their identity. Inclusion describes whether a company’s structures, processes and culture allow everyone to contribute meaningfully, regardless of their characteristics. This is why inclusion cannot be limited to statements and good intentions; it needs to be translated into practice

Diversity describes how different from one another the people represented within an organisation are. Diversity needs to be managed effectively so that it contributes meaningfully to creating an even more productive, safe and truly inclusive working environment.

Workplace inclusion is the application of inclusion to the everyday life of an organisation: recruitment, promotions, pay, leadership, communication and psychological safety. It is not only about the composition of the workforce, but about the processes and behaviours that determine who truly has access to opportunities. In practice, workplace inclusion is measured by whether every employee has an equal chance of progression, whether feedback reaches all teams in the same way, and whether people feel safe to speak up, disagree or report an incident. In other words, it is measurable, and that is why it can be improved.

Investing in inclusion today responds simultaneously to four pressures that companies and organisations are facing.

• New European regulatory frameworks on pay transparency, due diligence, non-financial reporting and more, which turn inclusion from a choice into an obligation, with specific deadlines and deliverables.
• The expectations of investors, customers and younger employees, who now also assess organisations against these criteria.
• The growing diversity of their internal and external audiences, driven by globalisation, migration, technology, organisational structures, and social and demographic change.
• The need to attract and retain talent in a market where culture carries at least as much weight as pay.

Organisations that begin this investment before it is required of them build a strategic advantage, with more time, less pressure and controlled costs.

Workplace inclusion is assessed using specific qualitative research and data analysis tools, depending on the particular aspect that concerns each company or organisation. For this reason, inc.lude recommends that every project begins with a needs assessment. The needs or impact assessment is a project phase that aims to explore where the business currently stands on the inclusion issues that concern it (recruitment, promotions, pay, leadership, communication, psychological safety, etc.) and how it can improve its position in these areas.

For the needs assessment, inc.lude uses internationally recognised assessment tools and frameworks to identify the organisation’s strengths in diversity management, as well as the opportunities for improvement that lie ahead. We then draft a comprehensive report with the relevant findings and additional sections that may include:

• Recommendations for the measurable improvement of the current position
• Materiality analysis of strengthening inclusion for the organisation
• Benchmarking research to map the wider ecosystem in which the organisation operates
• Examples of good practice 

Depending on the training topic selected, participants in our training programmes develop – among others – the following skills:

• Understanding and analysing the core concepts and dimensions of equal access, diversity and inclusion, as well as specific aspects of diversity
• Using data to address challenges related to diversity management and inclusion
• Inclusive leadership
• Inclusive communication
• Managing unconscious bias
• Preventing and combating violence and harassment in the world of work
• Active listening
• Giving inclusive feedback
• Cultivating trust and psychological safety
• Cultural, emotional and social intelligence
• Non-violent conflict resolution
• Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce
• Complying with regulatory frameworks on equality and non-discrimination

…and much more.

inc.lude offers a range of training sessions, workshops and learning programmes that respond to the specific needs of each company. The categories of training programmes we provide are:

• In-house Trainings: training sessions and workshops across a variety of thematic cycles, designed to support the inclusion strategy of specific companies and organisations
• inc.lude Schools: open, stand-alone thematic cycles of specialised training in the form of 8-hour workshops, bringing together professionals from different companies 
• inc.lude Talks: free training workshops and events that foster dialogue and share good practice on inclusion in the workplace 

Following the completion of inc.lude’s training programmes, participants gain practical tools and plan the steps needed to integrate what they have learnt into their day-to-day work. In longer training programmes, they also have the opportunity to co-create specific action plans that support the sustainability of positive change within their teams and the organisation. Upon completion of each training programme, inc.lude can provide additional support in the form of:

• Creating multimedia material that reinforces the integration of new knowledge and strengthens organisational memory
• Organising follow-up sessions to explore specific topics in greater depth and address challenges
• Building a supportive community among trained employees to sustain long-term change

Senior management’s understanding of the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for every aspect of an organisation’s operation and growth is critical for long-term planning, the consistency of actions and the success of any related strategy or initiative. This effort often meets obstacles that take the form of:

• resistance to change among members of senior management
• limited understanding of the ROI of such initiatives
• treating DEI issues as a “luxury”
• reluctance to allocate time and budget to such initiatives
• a lack of up-to-date knowledge on the subject

To overcome these obstacles, the inc.lude team designs and delivers initiatives specifically tailored to the needs and constraints of senior leadership teams, with the aim of developing their skills on DEI issues. You can book a free meeting with us so that we can map your team’s needs and plan the next steps.

inc.lude’s training sessions vary in duration and delivery format, depending on their objectives and the needs of the organisations, teams or individuals they are designed for. More specifically:

• In-house Trainings: one or more hours, spread over a reasonable number of days. In person and online.
• inc.lude Schools: 8 hours in one day. In person only. 
• inc.lude Talks: 4 hours in one day. In person only.

To select the best training programme for your company, you need a clear picture of your company’s level of readiness, as well as an understanding of the objectives, budget and availability of the teams who will attend it. inc.lude can support you in shaping all of the above, even before you select a specific training programme. Contact us to book a free consultation so that we can clarify the prerequisites and expected outcomes of the programmes you are interested in.

The number of participants in inc.lude’s training programmes depends both on the company’s needs and on the type of programme. More specifically:

• In-house Trainings: The number of participants is determined by the company’s needs, the length of the training, the composition of the group of participants and the delivery format.
• inc.lude Schools: Up to 35 participants. A company can book individual places for the people directly interested or get in touch with us to organise the corresponding training specifically for its internal audience. 
• inc.lude Talks: Up to 60 participants. Participation is free of charge with prior registration.

To choose between an in person or online training, you need to consider factors such as:

• the number of people who need to attend
• the geographical spread of participants
• the available budget
• any time or space constraints
• participants’ familiarity with technology
• the organisation’s level of readiness and its learning culture
• the complexity or sensitivity of the topic in question and the level of trust that already exists among participants
• any external conditions related to the time of year, the environment, the weather, and public health

inc.lude delivers interactive and impactful awareness-raising and training initiatives both online and in person. The final choice of delivery format is best made after a meeting, where we can consider your needs and constraints in greater detail.

inc.lude does not design e-learning programmes or asynchronous training material. Through our many years of experience, we have observed that the most effective way of training on inclusion-related topics is through interactive workshops. That is why, when there is a need for asynchronous training, we propose tried-and-tested methodologies such as: 

• Train-the-trainer and ambassador programmes
• Training the organisation’s people leaders,
• Dissemination of microlearnings through the company’s existing communities
• Longer blended programmes 

Inclusive leadership development programmes (often personalised) include, in addition to training, tools such as coaching and performance reviews, to facilitate the transition towards a more inclusive model of managing teams and organisations. This is because, especially for executives who have gained most of their experience in more traditional or conservative organisational environments, this change can get “stuck” on challenges and resistance at many points along the way. In these cases, as training alone is not enough, we propose a holistic programme that supports individuals and organisations in a sustainable and practical way, at every step of the process.

Yes, inc.lude designs inclusion initiatives at every step: from needs assessment and design to implementation and impact evaluation. Each initiative is designed based on where the organisation stands today and where it wants to go so that it is not a one-off initiative but part of a coherent strategy. Indicatively, we undertake:

• equality and inclusion action plans, with timelines, roles, and monitoring indicators
• mentoring and reverse mentoring programmes
• support structures and policies for employees with caregiving responsibilities
• policies and mechanisms for preventing violence and harassment at work
• inclusive recruitment, evaluation, and career progression processes
• internal employee communities, events and awareness-raising campaigns

Contact us so that we can design together the initiatives that best suit your organisation’s needs and resources.

Yes, inc.lude delivers mentoring and reverse mentoring programmes supporting you at every stage: design and goal-setting, matching pairs, training mentors and mentees, support throughout the programme and impact evaluation. We design each programme around a specific objective, for example the progression of women into positions of responsibility, the onboarding of new joiners, the transfer of know-how ahead of a retirement, or bridging generations through reverse mentoring, where younger people mentor more experienced executives. We also make sure to create the framework that keeps such a programme alive: clear collaboration agreements, a regular rhythm of meetings and a robust feedback mechanism. Contact us so that we can design the programme that suits your team.

Yes, inc.lude creates support structures for employees with caregiving responsibilities. Most employees take on caregiving responsibilities either because they become parents or guardians of minors, or because they take on the care of sick or elderly people within their family and social circle.

The most common structures we create to support these employees are:

• Support programmes for parents and caregivers (e.g. parenting schools, parent coaching, information sessions for caregivers)
• Peer support groups for employees with caregiving responsibilities within the organisation
• Creative activity programmes for employees’ children
• A system for reassessing and improving work–life balance policies, with a focus on people with caregiving responsibilities

Contact us so that we can design the structures that suit your team.

Yes, inc.lude organises both events and initiatives on equality, diversity and inclusion. Our team can support you in every step, from design to delivery and evaluation, in order to ease the workload of departments that often take on this responsibility alongside other diverse and demanding duties in their day-to-day work.

Contact us so that we can plan events and initiatives that will capture the interest of your teams or audience and leave them not only with memories, but also with meaningful knowledge and skills.

Yes, inc.lude creates inclusion-related content for organisations’ internal communication. Most often, we produce:

• Newsletters or intranet posts on one or more aspects of diversity, addressed to the company’s workforce with the aim of informing them and raising their awareness
• Micro-learning material that complements live training and awareness-raising initiatives
• Handbooks that strengthen organisational memory and the sustainability of change

Contact us so that we can design together the strategy and content of your organisation’s internal communication on inclusion.

Yes, inc.lude collects feedback from every partner organisation, every member of its network and every person who takes part in its programmes or initiatives. Even in small-scale initiatives, such as one-off training sessions, we gather feedback from participants and always ask the working group that led the project on behalf of the organisation to evaluate our services.

Yes, inc.lude sets KPIs for each of its programmes and initiatives, particularly in larger-scale projects. In these cases, we set from the outset the indicators against which we will evaluate the project’s progress and effectiveness at different points in time, always in relation to the organisation’s wider strategic objectives.

inc.lude’s core team has 14 years of experience in consulting and training projects related to the wider field of corporate culture, and is continuously trained by international organisations such as the UN and the ILO, as well as by renowned educational institutions, in the tools, trends and methodologies being developed in this field. inc.lude’s network of associates consists of individuals and organisations with long-standing experience and thorough expertise in specific aspects of Diversity and Inclusion, who continuously invest in developing their skills, including through our own very active community.

Yes, inc.lude can also provide services internationally. All our services are provided in Greek and English and, of course, we can work with professional translators and interpreters to adapt materials into other languages. For projects delivered to companies outside Greece, we dedicate additional consulting time to fully understand the regulatory framework and the specific culture of the country, and to ensure that every training session, action plan, initiative or piece of content responds to the sensitivities and needs of the audience in question.