It can be a challenge to figure out where to get started, but it's important to narrow things down. Setting clear priorities helps you to focus strategically on the things that matter most so that the team doesn't spread themselves too thin.

When prioritising areas of work for inclusion, don't focus only on overall scores, focus on experience gaps too. Different groups in your company may have totally different perceptions and experiences, which is why we pay attention to the gaps in scores between demographic groups.

For example, you might have a positive overall score for the dimension of Fairness, but when you look closer you might realise that some groups in your company are scoring more positively than others on certain questions.

If you've identified certain areas or questions with large experience gaps, then this is good input for your D&I strategy.

The following areas all impact your Inclusion score within D&I.

The dimension of fairness is all about how employees perceive your processes and policies. If it seems like people get ahead because of who they know, what they look like or where they come from, then your fairness scores will suffer. Implementing equitable and transparent processes across the board will really help you improve here. But there are some extra actions you can take to ensure no one is overlooked or excluded from opportunities.

Belonging means feeling accepted and included by those around us. When employees feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work and feeling part of the team, then belonging will be sky-high. Let's work on this area to nurture a culture of respect and mutual trust so that your teams can thrive.

Having a voice means being both invited to contribute and being listened to. This is important for every employee - whether they're junior or senior, or part of a well-represented or underrepresented group. Building an engaged team means valuing everyone's perspectives and opening up channels of communication. Your recommendations will help you get there.

High-performing teams need psychological safety: it allows them to take risks, innovate, and learn from each other. People may worry that speaking up will lead to trouble, and may worry about reporting issues or making mistakes. To make sure everyone works together more productively, let's build a culture of trust, safety and support.

People may feel that it's challenging to have open and honest conversations, and may struggle to ask for help when they need it. Having an open culture means listening to each other, sharing information and ensuring that everyone has their say. Let's open up communication to boost your scores and empower employees.