11 Unique Company Benefits That Support Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Discover innovative ways companies are fostering diversity and inclusion through unique workplace benefits. This article explores eleven groundbreaking initiatives, from perspective panels to community service days, that are reshaping corporate culture. Drawing on insights from industry experts, these strategies offer practical approaches to creating a more inclusive and empowering work environment.
- Perspective Panel Drives Cultural Osmosis
- Ongoing Cultural Competency Training Enhances Care
- Story Sessions Redefine Workplace Culture
- Flexible Roles Bring Diverse Perspectives
- Global Office Visits Foster Cross-Cultural Understanding
- Reflective Room Sparks Innovation and Empathy
- Inclusion-Focused Onboarding Boosts Employee Confidence
- Inclusive Innovation Fund Empowers Employee Ideas
- Thoughtful Disagreement Culture Encourages Diverse Voices
- Community Service Day Celebrates Individual Passions
- Celebration Swaps Honor Cultural Diversity
Perspective Panel Drives Cultural Osmosis
We restructured our onboarding process to include what we call a “Perspective Panel.” During their first two weeks, new hires attend informal Q&A sessions led not by executives, but by staff who represent different racial, cultural, and recovery backgrounds across departments. These sessions aren’t about compliance or company policy; they’re about exposure. A nurse in recovery might discuss how stigma shaped her career, while a support staffer from an immigrant family might share challenges navigating mental health in her community. It’s unfiltered and, by design, not scripted.
The effect has been cultural osmosis. New employees quickly grasp that diverse voices aren’t just permitted; they drive the company’s evolution. It has improved psychological safety, especially among team members who once felt siloed by race, age, or identity. Our retention of BIPOC staff has gone up, and client satisfaction has followed, especially in underserved populations who sense the integrity behind our team. This isn’t a diversity seminar; it’s a lived introduction to who we are.
Tzvi Heber
CEO & Counselor, Ascendant New York
Ongoing Cultural Competency Training Enhances Care
At my addiction treatment center in Ohio, one of the most impactful steps we’ve taken toward supporting diversity and inclusion is offering paid cultural competency training—not just once, but as an ongoing, structured part of professional development. This isn’t a check-the-box training; it’s woven into how we operate, hire, and engage with our community.
Addiction doesn’t discriminate, but access to care often does. We serve people from all walks of life—different races, backgrounds, gender identities, and belief systems. Our staff needs to not only understand those differences but also know how to hold space for them without judgment or assumptions.
What’s made the biggest difference culturally is that this initiative came from within. Several team members spoke up early on about wanting more support around inclusion, and instead of sidelining it, we built it into the DNA of how we grow as a team. That openness created a culture of respect, curiosity, and shared accountability.
It’s not about getting everything right all the time—it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels safe enough to speak up, learn, and belong. And in our line of work, that kind of trust shows up directly in the care we give.
Andy Danec
Owner, Ridgeline Recovery LLC
Story Sessions Redefine Workplace Culture
Instead of traditional diversity training, we host what we call “Story Sessions.” Once a quarter, a volunteer staff member shares a 20-minute narrative about a formative experience tied to identity, whether it’s growing up Afro-Caribbean in a conservative town, navigating addiction as a trans person, or surviving generational poverty. There’s no slideshow, no facilitator. Just a chair, a voice, and the room.
These sessions have redefined our culture. They’ve humanized colleagues in ways surveys never could. We’ve seen staff tear down assumptions, spark unexpected friendships, and even revise client protocols after gaining new insight. Our team now talks more openly about race, disability, faith, and trauma, not because they have to, but because they’ve felt the emotional intelligence it creates. Inclusion isn’t a workshop at Paramount. It’s a seat at the table, and everyone’s voice carries weight.
Joshua Zeises
CEO & CMO, Paramount Wellness Retreat
Flexible Roles Bring Diverse Perspectives
One thing we’ve made a conscious effort to do—especially as we’ve grown beyond pitch decks into full investor readiness and capital strategy—is structure flexible project roles that don’t rely on traditional 9-to-5 availability. We have consultants from all over Europe, some balancing family, others transitioning careers, and a few who bring completely different industry experiences. It’s not just about remote work—it’s about structuring delivery in a way that respects different life situations and backgrounds without compromising quality.
I remember onboarding a consultant who had taken a multi-year career break after working in VC. She brought incredible insight into how investors actually think, but traditional firms had written her off. We brought her in on a part-time scouting role, and she ended up shaping how we identify investor-startup fit. That sort of open setup brings in perspectives we’d otherwise miss.
It’s impacted culture in a very real way—people challenge assumptions more, listen better, and collaborate across different working styles. There’s a certain respect that comes from knowing someone next to you didn’t follow the same playbook, and that’s made us sharper, not softer.
Niclas Schlopsna
Managing Consultant and CEO, spectup
Global Office Visits Foster Cross-Cultural Understanding
One of the best initiatives we are implementing in our company is the ‘Community Connection Program.’ Through this program, our employees receive three paid days annually to visit and work from any global office. This initiative has made a significant impact in unexpected ways.
Teams that previously collaborated only virtually now understand the cultural contexts of their colleagues. The program also naturally creates mentorship relationships across cultural lines that we would never have imagined would form. The impact on inclusion has been measurable. Our employee satisfaction scores regarding ‘feeling understood by colleagues’ increased by 34% in just one year.
Kevin Baragona
Founder, Deep AI
Reflective Room Sparks Innovation and Empathy
Our team introduced a “Reflective Room,” a space designed specifically for clients and staff from underrepresented groups to decompress, engage in cultural dialogue, or simply exist without code-switching. What sets it apart is that it’s curated monthly by rotating volunteers from within the team. One month it may feature Armenian poetry and prayer rugs; the next, a playlist and visual art from Latinx staff. This rotating curatorship is not performative; it’s grounded in the reality that healing and identity are often inseparable.
This space has reframed how we think about belonging. It became a hub not only for empathy but also for innovation. Some of our best program tweaks have emerged from conversations sparked in that room, about misinterpreted client behaviors and about the silence that follows microaggressions. The cultural literacy born in that space now echoes through clinical decisions and leadership discussions. Diversity became something we actively listen to, not just plan for.
Maddy Nahigyan
Chief Operating Officer, Ocean Recovery
Inclusion-Focused Onboarding Boosts Employee Confidence
I have implemented an Inclusion-Focused Onboarding Track to support diversity and inclusion in our workplace. When new hires join the company, they participate in a separate onboarding module specifically designed to highlight our company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This module is led by employees from various backgrounds, each sharing their own experiences, challenges, and contributions to the company. They discuss how we actively support different identities, including race, gender, neurodiversity, and more. It’s a powerful way for new employees to immediately understand the inclusive culture we’re building.
As a result of this initiative, we’ve observed new employees becoming more confident in sharing their perspectives and integrating into the team. For example, one of our recent hires shared in a team meeting how the inclusion-focused onboarding helped them open up about their experiences with neurodiversity. They mentioned that, prior to joining our company, they hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss their needs in previous workplaces. This openness led to a stronger connection with their colleagues and even sparked conversations about how we can improve processes to be more accommodating to others in the company.
Kevin Heimlich
Digital Marketing Consultant & Chief Executive Officer, The Ad Firm
Inclusive Innovation Fund Empowers Employee Ideas
We have included several perks to further diversity and inclusion, such as the “Inclusive Innovation Fund.” This fund is open to any employees, regardless of their background, to pitch ideas and activities that will help us be as inclusive as possible in our company and around the EV world. Whether it be via educational workshops, enabling underrepresented groups in tech, or even issuing bounties to make EV infrastructure more accessible, the fund provides resources to help make these ideas a reality.
This has been very good for our company culture, and it has helped create a bond of belonging and ownership. It has empowered me to come to work as my true self, knowing that my voice is both heard and listened to, and that I have the backing to effect change. The Inclusive Innovation Fund has also catalyzed a wider array of collaborations across departments, resulting in imaginative solutions that have helped us serve our diverse customer base more effectively.
Rob Dillan
Founder, EVhype.com
Thoughtful Disagreement Culture Encourages Diverse Voices
One unique benefit we offer that supports diversity and inclusion is our culture of “thoughtful disagreement.” Everyone on the team—regardless of title or background—is expected to speak up, challenge ideas, and participate in decisions. This isn’t just encouraged; it’s built into how we operate. It forces us to listen to different perspectives and back up our arguments with facts, not egos.
The result is a more inclusive and resilient company culture. Because of this approach, we’ve experienced better decision-making, stronger creative output, and fewer blind spots.
You attract people who want to grow and contribute when you create an environment where the best ideas win, not the loudest voice. This approach raises the bar for everyone.
Andrew Peluso
Founder, What Kind Of Bug Is This
Community Service Day Celebrates Individual Passions
One unique benefit we offer is a paid “Community Service Day,” where team members can volunteer with any local organization of their choice. I’ve seen colleagues use this to serve diverse groups—whether helping at youth sports camps or supporting local shelters—and it’s really brought our team closer by celebrating each person’s passions and backgrounds. It’s made our culture more inclusive and connected because everyone feels valued for the unique ways they give back.
Parker McInnis
Owner, Speedy Sale Home Buyers
Celebration Swaps Honor Cultural Diversity
We recently launched ‘Celebration Swaps’ last year, and it’s been a phenomenal change for us. Instead of the standard American holidays, employees can swap official holidays for days significant to their cultural background or identity. Someone can work on Christmas and take Diwali off instead, or trade Independence Day for Juneteenth. The beauty is in its simplicity: no approval needed, just a simple swap in our HR system. To be honest, the impact has been amazing.
Stefan Van der Vlag
AI Expert/Founder, Clepher