Dr Charoula Tzanakou, Director of CDPRP and Reader in HRM, Oxford Brookes Business School Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice, explains:

“The Inclusion Maturity Curve offers a structured and comprehensive framework that emphasises continuous improvement, accountability, and measurable impact. It provides organisations with a critical starting point to assess their current inclusion status, track and analyse data, identify challenges, and determine which actions need to be developed or enhanced to foster inclusivity. Lastly, the Maturity Curve encourages organisations to align their Inclusion goals with broader business objectives, enabling them to track the impact of equity, diversity and inclusion on overall strategy and outcomes.”

Why take part?

Now in its fourth year, the Inclusion Maturity Curve shows just how far organisations have come in using data and insight to build more inclusive workplaces. The progress is evident, but so is the recognition that inclusion is an ongoing journey. Whatever stage an organisation is at, the Inclusion Maturity Curve offers invaluable clarity for leaders: a grounded view of where they stand today, and the evidence needed to shape future direction and drive meaningful, sustained change.

By completing the Inclusion Maturity Curve, your organisation will be able to:

• Measure the real impact of your inclusion initiatives and strategies

• Benchmark your performance against the wider industry

• Turn insight into action across key inclusion dimensions

• Understand your current state, define your desired future state and build a clear roadmap to get there

• Gain accreditation that demonstrates your commitment to inclusion and strengthens your employer brand

What do organisations say about it?  

Explore the experiences of those who took part in the 2025 Maturity Curve:

“Taking part in the Maturity Curve has really helped us as a business deliver on being

a best-in-class employer.”

Kirstie Loveridge, Executive Vice President, People and Culture, AEG Europe

"What I really like about this accreditation is that it's not too prescriptive. I think you can often go down that route, and it starts to become a tick-box exercise rather than something meaningful for your organisation."

Lauren du Plooy Flowers, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, Bourne Leisure

“We didn’t have anything that looked at inclusion holistically, and this is very much where the Maturity Curve plugged that gap. It really enabled us to look at our efforts and the impact they’re having on inclusion and belonging in the workplace.”

Raj Jones, AI Governance Advisor

How to take part

Companies are provided with access to a dedicated online portal, where they answer questions and provide supporting evidence across five different dimensions relating to areas such as the employee journey, leadership, and stakeholders.

Each participant organisation receives a bespoke report around four weeks after submission and they get access to the real time dashboard which updates every time a new submission is verified. Thereafter, once the portal closes, all the data is pulled for analysis and the industry benchmark is confirmed. Employer accreditation is issued after that.

If you are an existing WiHTL & DiR member, you can access and complete the Maturity Curve free of charge (as part of your membership). We also welcome participation from non-member organisations from the HTL and Retail sectors and beyond.

To find out more, contact maturitycurve@inclusionin.com

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