Across North America, DEI programs are under increasing scrutiny — often shaped by shifting political and social pressures. While some organizations are stepping back, others are evolving their approach. At Staffbase, we’re focusing on what matters most: building inclusive cultures that endure.

Let’s be real: in moments of crisis or uncertainty, policy alone can’t make people feel like they belong. Culture isn’t built in workshops. It’s how people act, connect, and feel — every day. So what does creating an inclusive culture look like in 2025? With inspiration from Paradigm CEO and civil rights lawyer Joelle Emerson, we’ll explore the shifts companies need to make. Then, we’ll take a candid look at what culture at Staffbase means in practice.

Culture isn’t a buzzword — it’s a behavior

DEi at Staffbase image showing several people in a professional setting

Although the term DEI has become politically charged in some contexts, its foundation is human. The principles — diversity, equity, inclusion — aren’t just initiatives. They’re the building blocks of healthy, high-performing workplaces. Our culture at Staffbase reflects these principles.

A culture of inclusion requires:

  • Diversity: Welcoming a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
  • Equity: Ensuring access and opportunities are fair across the board.
  • Inclusion: Making people feel heard, respected, and safe to contribute.

In the best organizations, this isn’t a standalone program — it’s a cultural strategy. One that impacts how you hire, retain, promote, and lead. And in today’s climate, it’s not just a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have.

Why culture gaps matter now

According to the 2025 Employee Communication Impact Study created by Staffbase in partnership with YouGov, communication gaps are widening. And they’re not just logistical — they’re cultural. The consequences? Disconnection, disengagement, and churn.

Here’s what the research found:

  • Only 10% of non-desk workers in the US say they’re “very satisfied” with the communication they receive.
  • Just 19% of employees feel their employer fosters strong social connections at work. 
  • 58% of employees who are considering leaving their jobs cite poor internal communication as a contributing factor.

These aren’t just communication breakdowns. They’re signs of cultural misalignment. And the cost of ignoring them is both emotional and financial: burnout, attrition, and a damaged employer brand. Consider this: disengagement is estimated to cost companies between 18% and 34% of the disengaged employee’s annual salary. Ignoring company culture has major costs.

What does culture mean in 2025?

Culture today is about more than what’s written in a company mission statement — it’s what people live, model, and reinforce every day.

An inclusive workplace culture is visible in how:

  • people are treated during layoffs and transitions.
  • hybrid and remote teams stay connected.
  • values influence real decisions, not just slide decks.
  • leaders show up when things get hard.

And more than ever, culture now includes the outcomes DEI programs have always aimed for: fairness, connection, and belonging. This is why building a strong culture — at Staffbase and beyond — means:

  • hiring practices that prioritize fairness and reach.
  • feedback systems that include every voice.
  • leadership that reflects the workforce.
  • recognition that goes beyond performance metrics.

In short, culture is what you do — consistently — not what you claim.

Joelle Emerson at VOICES Virtual: Resetting the narrative

VOICES Virtual Joelle Emerson

At VOICES Virtual 2025, civil rights lawyer and Paradigm CEO Joelle Emerson offered a powerful reframe: “We’re not talking about less inclusion — we’re talking about more effective culture.” Her keynote focused on navigating the changing landscape without losing sight of the mission.

  • Adapt to the climate: Language may change, but the mission — fair, inclusive workplaces — stays the same.
  • Use data to drive culture: Metrics like engagement, belonging, and turnover are essential.
  • Empower internal comms and HR: These teams shape the daily culture story from the inside out.
  • Make the business case: Belonging increases job performance by 56%, reduces turnover risk by 50%, and boosts engagement 10x. For a company of 10,000, that’s a potential $52 million annual impact.

Her takeaway was clear: This isn’t the end of DEI — it’s the beginning of a more integrated, strategic cultural shift.

Best practices for creating company culture

Inspired by Joelle Emerson’s guidance and broader industry research, here are five practical steps any company can take to build a culture that work for everyone:

Define your culture in action

Values shouldn’t live and die in slide decks — they should shape how your company operates. A strong culture makes values visible in leadership behaviors, decision-making processes, and the daily interactions between employees. From how you approach hiring to how you navigate hard conversations, culture is defined by what people consistently see, not just what they’re told.

Start with trust

Trust is the foundation of any healthy culture. And it’s built through clear, consistent communication — not one-off messages. When employees know they can rely on leadership communication to be transparent and fair, they’re more likely to stay engaged, speak up, and bring their full selves to work. Trust fuels connection, and connection fuels performance.

Equip your people leaders

Managers are the frontline of company culture. Yet many feel underprepared to lead conversations around inclusion, feedback, or team dynamics. Invest in training and development that helps people leaders build the confidence and competence to foster inclusive, high-trust environments. When they grow, the entire culture strengthens.

Use employee insights

You can’t fix what you can’t measure. Go beyond surface-level surveys and use tools like anonymous feedback, pulse checks, and culture analytics to understand what’s really going on. And just as importantly — act on what you learn. Culture isn’t built on data alone. It’s built on how it’s responded to.

Celebrate accountability, not perfection

Culture work isn’t about getting everything right — it’s about what you do when things go wrong. Encourage teams to own mistakes, ask hard questions, and learn in public. When people see that accountability is respected — not punished — they’re more likely to engage and grow. That’s how culture evolves, and how trust deepens.

Culture at Staffbase: What it really means

At Staffbase, we believe that culture doesn’t just happen — it’s built with intention. It’s shaped by how we lead, how we communicate, and how we show up for one another every day. That’s why we don’t treat inclusion as a standalone initiative. It’s embedded in everything we do — from our onboarding experience to our leadership principles to how we navigate change.

Inclusion lives in how we:

  • communicate clearly and consistently, so people always know where they stand.
  • make space for different voices, perspectives, and lived experiences.
  • align our values with our behaviors, especially when it’s uncomfortable or high stakes.
  • prioritize transparency, so trust can grow in every direction.
  • celebrate growth and learning, not just outcomes.

Our commitment to culture is also a commitment to connection. We want every employee — regardless of role, background, or location — to feel trusted, seen, and supported in doing their best work. Culture at Staffbase is built for everyone, not just the majority.

Culture at Staffbase: Empowering employee communication

Just as we embed inclusion into the way we work, we also build tools that help other organizations do the same. Because creating cultures that work for everyone doesn’t just take intention — it takes infrastructure.

Staffbase’s platform is designed to close communication gaps, build trust, and support inclusive practices across every kind of workforce. That means empowering not just leadership, but every communicator — from the C-suite to the shop floor — to reach people in ways that resonate.

Here’s how we help companies bring an inclusive culture to life:

  • Mobile-first access ensures that deskless and frontline employees aren’t left behind. Everyone gets the same information, in real time thanks to Staffbase employee apps and Staffbase SMS alerts.
  • Multilingual and location-based targeting makes communication relevant and accessible across geographies and languages with support from Staffbase Intranet.
  • Leadership communication tools help managers and executives connect more personally with their teams — through video, newsletters, and personalized leadership messages.
  • Employee feedback tools like surveys, comments, and polls give people a voice and help companies act on what they hear.
  • Smart analytics show what’s working — and where you still have room to grow — so you can make culture measurable and meaningful. Check out the new Staffbase Email.

We know that when communication works for everyone, culture does too. That’s why we’re building technology that empowers inclusive storytelling, real-time transparency, and trust at scale. In 2025 and beyond, culture isn’t a side conversation — it’s a strategic lever for trust, alignment, and growth.

Why we still need an inclusive culture

In uncertain times, it’s tempting to scale back on cultural efforts. But the cost of doing nothing is far greater. Here’s what we know:

  • Inclusive communication builds trust.
  • Trust builds engagement.
  • Engagement drives performance, innovation, and retention.

Investing in culture isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a smart business move.

It’s time to reframe the narrative. Not by softening the message, but by strengthening the strategy. Culture at Staffbase means everyone belongs. And everyone understands they belong — not in spite of who they are, but because of it.