Employees six times more likely to leave less inclusive cultures, new research reveals
In workplaces where inclusion scores are low, employees are six times more likely to plan to leave within a year.
London, UK – 22 October – According to Onvero, those in workplaces rated very inclusive expect to stay with their organisation for 7.2 years on average, compared with 4.3 years in workplaces rated not at all inclusive.
The report, State of Inclusion in the UK: How culture is driving performance, also reveals a gap between the culture that leaders believe they are creating and what employees experience day-to-day. While two-thirds (67%) of organisations have a defined culture strategy, only 22% of employees describe their workplace culture as highly inclusive. The findings suggest that organisations’ ambitions for culture are not consistently reflected in leadership decisions or employees’ everyday experiences.
Additional findings from the report
Poor leadership is a more common reason for leaving in less inclusive workplaces: 40% of employees in workplaces that score low for inclusion cite poor leadership as a reason to leave, compared with 19% in highly inclusive cultures. Meanwhile, 30% cite poor culture, compared with 12%, and 31% cite a lack of recognition, compared with 17%.
Culture strategies are not consistently embedded: Only 32% say their culture strategy is fully embedded throughout the organisation. Leaders are more likely to rate their workplace culture highly, with 69% scoring it four or five, compared with 55% of employees. Employees are also around twice as likely as leaders to believe their organisation should do more on inclusion: 44% versus 21%.
Psychological safety is linked to a better employee experience: In very psychologically safe workplaces, 85% of respondents feel valued and respected, compared with 9% in workplaces rated not at all safe. Similarly, 85% are happy to work for their organisation, compared with 10% in the least safe workplaces, while 81% feel fulfilled in their role, compared with 13%.
Amid complex political landscapes around the impact of diversity and culture strategies, Onvero’s UK research demonstrates that culture remains a key driver of performance and business growth.
“Leaders need to seriously consider the role inclusive cultures play in business, or risk adverse implications for retaining talent and overall success. Culture takes shape in everyday interactions, from how managers respond to concerns to whether unacceptable behaviour is challenged, so leaders must take responsibility for ensuring people feel respected and safe to speak openly.”
Sandi Wassmer, CEO, Onvero
Genuinely listening to what employees tell them builds trust and gives people confidence in their future with the organisation.
Methodology
Commissioned by Onvero and carried out in partnership with Clusters, the survey was conducted among 300 leaders and decision-makers, partially or fully responsible for DEI, culture, leadership development, HR and people strategy, employee engagement, and learning and development, and 2,007 employees in UK businesses across a range of industries and organisational levels. The research took place in May 2026, and participants were invited to take part in an online survey by email invitation.
The research conducted by Clusters is presented alongside insights from Onvero’s 2026 Inclusion Benchmark. The Inclusion Benchmark is Onvero’s self-assessment evaluation and benchmarking tool developed to help organisations evaluate their inclusion practices and approaches across a range of areas from diversity data monitoring and strategy to inclusive leadership, employee engagement, and wellbeing. A total of 158 organisations from 22 industries across the public, private, and third sectors participated in the 2026 benchmark, providing data insights into how organisations are performing in their inclusion efforts.
About Onvero
Onvero is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation helping employers create great workplace cultures through membership, training, and consultancy. Every great workplace starts with its people. It is built by authentic leaders, psychologically safe cultures, and inclusion people experience every day.
