December Reflection: Why Modern Inclusive HR Is the Shift We Needed All Along
As 2025 comes to a close, many HR and DEI leaders are reflecting on a challenging year. One marked by polarization, shifting expectations, increased scrutiny of DEI work, and the ongoing demand for workplaces that genuinely support people’s well-being, belonging, and growth.
For many organizations, this year wasn’t just about what DEI work looks like. It was about how it’s done, who it serves, and whether existing systems are truly designed to enable inclusion rather than react to it.
At Canadian Equality Consulting (CEC), we spent this year doing the same reflection. We asked ourselves where organizations need the most support right now and how we can meaningfully strengthen cultures, not just programs. The answer was clear: DEI can no longer live on the sidelines. It must be embedded deeply into the systems, structures, and processes that shape the employee experience.
This is why we expanded our work into modern, inclusive HR recognizing that equitable systems are the foundation of high-performing, future-ready organizations. When DEI and HR work together, organizations become more resilient, more aligned, and more capable of delivering results.
From Programs to Systems: The DEI Shift of 2025
The most notable change this year was the move from isolated DEI activities to embedded, systemic approaches. Organizations are beginning to evaluate:
- How hiring and promotion decisions are made
- How power flows in teams and leadership
- Which behaviours are rewarded and reinforced
- Whether HR policies reflect equity and human rights
- How belonging and psychological safety are supported
- How inclusion shows up in service delivery and community impact
This “systems-first” approach is redefining the work and offering a more sustainable, effective path forward.
And the organizations that lead the way are already seeing the benefits: stronger retention, increased trust, improved team dynamics, and more effective, values-aligned leadership.
Organizations Leading Through Inclusive Systems
Below are three examples: CEC-partnered, Canadian, and global that demonstrate what it looks like when organizations embed equity and inclusion into everything they do.
Case Study 1: Medavie (CEC Partnership)
Building Inclusion Across HR, Leadership & Product Design
CEC partnered with Medavie over several years to embed DEI across multiple systems from HR processes to leadership to service delivery.
A major initiative was an Inclusive Hiring Assessment, which examined job descriptions, interview guides, job boards, contracts, and regional practices across unionized and non-unionized roles. Through an intersectional and accessibility-focused review, CEC identified DEI gaps, legal considerations, and systemic barriers in the recruitment process.
This work included confidential stakeholder interviews, benchmarking against leading organizations, and a final report with actionable strategies to modernize hiring and strengthen equity.
Beyond hiring, CEC delivered customized training for leaders, employees, ERG leads, and a scholarship review panel topics included inclusive leadership, managing bias, cross-cultural competence, health equity, and inclusive language in healthcare.
CEC also partnered with Medavie to integrate DEI principles into product development, ensuring that inclusion informs not only organizational culture, but also the services Medavie delivers to communities.
Medavie’s journey shows how companies can create meaningful, lasting impact when DEI becomes a guiding principle in decision-making, HR systems, and innovation.
Case Study 2: City of Toronto
Embedding Inclusion into HR, Governance & Public Service Systems
Public Reports:
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy → https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/community/equity-diversity-inclusion/
- Confronting Anti-Black Racism Strategy → https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/community/confronting-anti-black-racism/
- Reconciliation Action Plan → https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accessibility-human-rights/indigenous-affairs-office/reconciliation-action-plan/
The City of Toronto has taken a deeply systemic approach to advancing equity and inclusion across the organization. Rather than relying on single trainings or awareness days, Toronto integrates DEI into its hiring practices, leadership expectations, HR policies, community engagement, and decision-making structures.
System-level actions include:
- Embedding equity competencies into hiring, promotion, and leadership evaluations
- Modernizing HR policies to reflect human rights, accessibility, and anti-racism commitments
- Implementing citywide inclusive leadership and psychological safety training
- Establishing transparent accountability through public progress reporting
- Developing a City-wide Reconciliation Action Plan to guide long-term systemic change
Toronto’s whole-of-organization approach demonstrates how municipalities can drive inclusion by aligning strategy, leadership, HR systems, and community needs.
Case Study 3: Salesforce
Integrating Equity Into Talent, Leadership & Performance Systems
Public Reports: https://www.salesforce.com/company/equality/
Salesforce remains a global leader in connecting equity and inclusion to business performance. They have moved far beyond isolated programming by redesigning entire HR and talent systems, embedding inclusion into how people are hired, evaluated, developed, and supported.
Key system-level practices include:
- A public Equality Dashboard tracking representation, promotions, and retention quarterly
- Skills-based hiring and structured interviews to reduce bias and increase consistency
- Annual global pay audits with commitments to close identified gaps
- Inclusive leadership capabilities embedded into all manager performance reviews
- Strategically aligned ERGs (“Equality Groups”) that influence business decisions and culture
Salesforce’s transparency and structural approach show how global organizations can create measurable, sustainable DEI impact when inclusion is woven directly into leadership and HR systems.
What Leaders & HR Teams Should Prioritize in 2026
Drawing from CEC’s DEI and HR reflections throughout 2025, we’ve identified the themes that matter most as we head into the new year. As you look ahead to 2026, these shifts can help you build healthier, more equitable workplaces and the best part is, they’re practical, doable changes that create real momentum.
1. Turn Awareness Into Action Through Structural Change
Awareness days and months can spark important conversations, but the real transformation happens when organizations take a closer look at their policies, processes, and decision-making structures.
Think updated job postings, structured interview guides, transparent criteria for reviews and promotions, and more inclusive conflict-resolution processes.
These are the everyday systems that help people feel seen, supported, and treated fairly and they create consistency employees can trust.
2. Prioritize Psychological Safety as Core to Performance
The teams that innovate, collaborate, and problem-solve the best are the ones that feel safe to be honest, make mistakes, ask questions, and raise concerns.
Psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s now one of the strongest predictors of performance.
Simple practices like leaders sharing their own learning, building in debrief moments, and inviting quieter voices into the conversation can shift the culture significantly.
3. Strengthen Cultural & Religious Inclusion
From Truth and Reconciliation to faith-based observances, the past year has reminded us how important it is to understand and respect the cultural and religious identities on our teams.
This can look like flexible leave policies, thoughtful and meaningful training, inclusive holiday calendars, or checking in with employees or ERGs when planning team events.
When people feel their identity is honoured, not just tolerated, they show up more authentically and are more engaged.
4. Build Inclusive, Modern HR Systems
Inclusion can’t thrive without HR systems that reinforce it.
Organizations making the biggest strides are rethinking their entire employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, promotions, succession planning and compensation.
When these systems are redesigned through a DEI lens, you start to see more equitable access to opportunities, stronger retention, and more diverse leadership pipelines.
5. Expand Leadership Capacity Across the Organization
Leaders need more than one-off workshops. They need ongoing, accessible learning that supports them through real-time challenges.
This can be microlearning (hello, Equality 360!), leadership circles, coaching moments, playbooks, or scenario-based practice.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s helping leaders build confidence, skill, and consistency as they navigate complex people issues.
6. Create Consistent Opportunities for Reflection & Dialogue
Inclusion grows when teams have regular, intentional, and psychologically safe spaces to talk, reflect, and learn together. These moments don’t have to be formal or complicated. What matters most is consistency and intentional design.
Here are a few simple ways teams can build this into everyday culture:
- Add a reflection question to team meetings.
Something as small as “What supported your success this week?” or “What’s one thing we can do to collaborate better?” helps normalize open conversation.
- Hold monthly learning circles or 20-minute check-ins.
Teams can discuss a microlearning, an article, or a scenario. These bite-sized discussions help make DEI feel practical and relevant, not theoretical.
- Use discussion guides after e-courses or webinars. Available on Equality 360.
This helps move learning from the screen into real practice.
- Build reflection moments into onboarding.
Inviting new team members into inclusive conversations early signals that belonging matters here.
- Weave reflection into moments of change or tension.
After a challenging project, a big decision, or a conflict, structured dialogue can rebuild trust and support healthier team dynamics.
What can teams expect when they do this?
- Stronger trust and psychological safety, because people feel heard, not judged.
- Better collaboration, with fewer misunderstandings and more shared language.
- More inclusive decision-making, because diverse perspectives surface earlier and more often.
- Higher engagement and retention, since people stay longer where they feel valued.
- A more adaptive culture, where learning is ongoing and feedback isn’t feared.
The goal isn’t perfect conversations. The goal is consistent conversations. Over time, these small moments build a workplace where people feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and learning alongside one another. That’s how inclusion becomes something the team practices every day, not just something the organization talks about.
These themes will guide organizations toward stronger cultures, engaged teams, and aligned strategies in 2026. Want a quick, shareable summary? Download and share with your team.
Start Your 2026 Inclusive Workplace Journey: Download the Inclusive Workplace Starter Kit
To help organizations begin or deepen this work, CEC has created a free Inclusive Workplace Starter Kit. A practical, actionable resource full of tools to build equity, belonging, and psychological safety.
A hands-on guide to strengthen your culture and support your people.
As you look ahead to your 2026 learning and culture goals, know that CEC will be right beside you. We have something exciting launching in January designed to help you start the year with clarity, momentum, and meaningful action.
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Contact us to learn more: hello@canadianequality.ca