When organisations face uncertainty, diversity, equity and inclusion can easily slip down the priority list. Budgets are reduced, programmes are rebranded and businesses become quieter on issues that once demanded visible action.
But for Ian Tomney-Bell, Head of Talent, Culture and Inclusion at Giffgaff, silence is not a neutral position. It risks allowing progress to go backwards.
Speaking at Engage Employee Summit, Ian shared how Giffgaff is moving from passive participation to active, inspired inclusion — and why organisations need to put equity, allyship and lived experience at the heart of business decisions.
Ian described the current DE&I landscape as one of constant change. Organisations are reconsidering job titles, reducing investment and sometimes stepping away from visible support for initiatives such as Pride.
While these decisions may be driven by caution, they can also send a damaging message to employees and communities.
“When we go quiet, we’re allowing louder voices to take over,” Ian explained.
For him, disruption means challenging the status quo and making radical, meaningful changes — not simply maintaining existing activity or delivering initiatives because they are expected.
DE&I should be about making equitable choices that create a better future for everyone. That means moving beyond performative activity and embedding equity into everyday business decisions.
Ian described equity as the heartbeat of inclusion. It should be present from the beginning of every project, policy and strategic decision — not added as an afterthought.
At Giffgaff, this means listening to diverse voices early and involving people who may be directly affected by a decision. It also means creating equity advocates throughout the organisation who can challenge assumptions and keep inclusion visible.
The process is not always straightforward. Some ideas will fail, objections will arise and not every solution will work immediately. But Ian’s message was clear: failure can be part of progress.
The important thing is to keep testing, learning and adapting rather than accepting “no” as the final answer.
Giffgaff’s approach is structured around three stages:
This final point is particularly important. Inclusion is never a one-off project. As organisations evolve, new challenges emerge — from changing workplace expectations to the impact of artificial intelligence.
The work must therefore continue.
Ian challenged the idea of the “armchair ally”: someone who says they support inclusion but is unwilling to take action.
Active allyship does not mean being the loudest person in the room or trying to fight every battle. It means being willing to speak up when it matters — whether that means challenging a microaggression, questioning a policy or asking whether a project has considered accessibility.
Ian shared the example of Giffgaff rebuilding its app with accessibility considered from the outset. Without that early intervention, the organisation could have reached the end of the development process before discovering that the product excluded some users.
A single active ally asking, “Have we considered accessibility?” could help prevent costly changes later.
The lesson is simple: inclusion needs to be part of the initial question, not a last-minute correction.
Giffgaff has created a network of affinity and wellbeing groups designed to reflect the different experiences and needs of its people.
These include communities focused on:
The purpose is not to create more activity for activity’s sake. It is to give employees a meaningful voice and create spaces where they can access support, share experiences and shape change.
This approach also recognises that inclusion is closely connected to wellbeing. Employees are more likely to participate in the DE&I journey when organisations acknowledge the realities affecting their lives — including caring responsibilities, financial pressures, mental health and the shift towards hybrid working.
Ian also warned against losing the human side of inclusion as businesses increasingly adopt AI.
AI can help organisations develop strategies, analyse information and plan activity. But it cannot replace lived experience, storytelling or human connection.
That distinction matters. Inclusion is not simply a process to automate or a set of policies to publish. It is about understanding how people experience the workplace and creating the conditions for them to feel respected, heard and psychologically safe.
Technology may support the work, but people must continue to lead it.
One of Ian’s strongest challenges was directed at DE&I professionals and advocates who may be working quietly behind the scenes.
If senior leadership has not heard about your plans, progress and challenges, it is time to get in front of them.
That means presenting the business case as well as the human case. Senior leaders want to understand the impact on engagement, performance, retention and profitability. DE&I professionals need to make that connection visible through clear data and evidence.
But the responsibility does not sit solely with specialist teams. Leaders also need to bring colleagues into the conversation — particularly those who may not see DE&I as part of their role.
Ian encouraged attendees to invite people outside the usual DE&I networks to events and conversations. Hearing lived experiences and understanding the challenges first-hand can disrupt assumptions and encourage broader ownership.
Measuring inclusion only at an organisational level can hide important differences between teams.
Ian encouraged leaders to examine inclusion within individual teams and departments. When people feel included in their immediate team, they are more likely to feel psychologically safe, contribute ideas and challenge existing thinking.
That is where inclusion becomes tangible.
It is not enough for an organisation to describe itself as inclusive if employees do not experience that inclusion in their day-to-day working relationships.
DE&I cannot depend on a small group of people carrying the conversation forward. It needs active participation across the organisation — from executive teams and people managers to individual colleagues.
The most effective approach is not necessarily the loudest or most visible. It is the one that creates consistent, meaningful change:
Ian’s central message was a powerful one: organisations should not settle for what they have always done.
They should disrupt it, demand attention and keep moving towards a more equitable future.
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