Project IncludeEdit

Project Include is a nonprofit initiative focused on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the technology sector by offering practical guidance to teams and companies. Its work emphasizes concrete, evidence-based practices designed to widen participation in tech roles while maintaining clear performance standards and accountability. The organization frames inclusion as a driver of innovation and business performance, not as a mere social obligation.

Across its materials and programs, Project Include advocates for actionable steps that companies can implement without heavy-handed mandates. The emphasis is on practical improvements to hiring, onboarding, retention, and product design, with a strong focus on accountability and measurement. The approach seeks to align inclusion goals with business outcomes, arguing that more diverse teams can produce better products and smarter decision-making, when accompanied by transparent criteria and fair processes. diversity and inclusion meritocracy hiring practices product design.

Project Include operates as a coalition rather than a single, centralized program. It brings together practitioners from industry, academia, and policy to share guidelines, templates, and case studies that firms can adapt to their own contexts. The organization tends to stress voluntary adoption by firms and collaboration with leadership to embed inclusion into standard operating procedures, rather than pursuing regulatory or coercive approaches. This emphasis on voluntary, market-driven reform sits at the core of its philosophy: improve processes, measure results, and let performance drive broader participation. nonprofit organization workplace diversity corporate governance.

Origins and Mission

Project Include arose out of the recognition that traditional diversity efforts in tech often failed to translate into meaningful, durable results. Its mission is framed around three core ideas: inclusive practices should be practical and scalable, they should be grounded in data, and they should improve both the work environment and the quality of outcomes. The organization publishes guidelines, conducts or facilitates audits of hiring and retention practices, and provides support to teams seeking to implement more inclusive workflows. By focusing on concrete changes—such as transparent job criteria, structured interviews, unbiased code reviews, and retention strategies—Project Include aims to raise the standard across the industry without imposing heavy-handed, rigid rules. hiring practices bias in hiring audits.

Key components of its approach include publishing openly available resources, offering consultant-style guidance to firms at varying levels of readiness, and encouraging accountability through public-facing metrics and internal reviews. The philosophy is that inclusion is not a zero-sum game but a pathway to broader talent pools, better products, and stronger retention. data-driven metrics transparent criteria.

Core Principles and Practices

Merit-based hiring with structured, bias-resistant processes: The guidelines encourage clear, objective criteria for recruitment and advancement, paired with processes designed to reduce implicit bias in interviews and evaluations. hiring practices bias.
Inclusive design and product development: Teams are urged to consider diverse user needs in the design and testing of software and services, aiming to avoid inadvertent discrimination or barriers. inclusive design.
Transparent governance and accountability: Organizations are encouraged to publish or discuss their inclusion targets, progress, and lessons learned, while protecting legitimate confidential information. governance accountability.
Practical training and culture work: Training is framed as a way to reduce bias and improve collaboration, not as a vehicle for ideological conformity. The emphasis is on evidence-informed approaches that can be integrated into existing workflows. training culture.
Talent pipeline and outreach: The work includes strategies to broaden outreach to underrepresented groups and to support retention and promotion so that more capable individuals can advance within tech teams. outreach retention.
Collaboration and open resources: Resources are designed to be adaptable by organizations of different sizes, with an emphasis on sharing templates, checklists, and case studies. open resources templates.

Programs, Tools, and Partnerships

Project Include develops and curates a suite of tools aimed at helping teams implement inclusive practices. Typical offerings include: - Hiring and interviewing templates that emphasize clear criteria and standardized evaluation. interviewing criteria. - Checklists for inclusive culture and team practices, to be used by managers and HR professionals. checklist HR practices. - Guidance on performance reviews and compensation practices designed to reduce bias and enhance fairness. performance reviews compensation. - Case studies and benchmarks drawn from participating firms to illustrate what works in real-world settings. case studies benchmarks. - Collaborative workshops and advisory support for tech teams attempting to adopt inclusive practices. workshops advisory.

These resources are intended for broad applicability, from startups to established tech companies, and are often discussed in the context of tech industry and workplace equity debates. case studies startup.

Controversies and Debates

Diversity and inclusion initiatives in tech generate a range of opinions about the best path forward. Proponents of the Project Include approach argue that well-structured, evidence-based practices can reduce bias in hiring and promotion while expanding the talent pool, and that inclusion yields tangible business benefits such as improved problem-solving and broader customer insight. They contend that voluntary, data-driven reforms can achieve meaningful change without sacrificing merit or performance. meritocracy data-driven productivity.

Critics contend that some inclusion programs can drift toward rigid identity-based criteria or feel like external pressure shaping internal culture. They argue that quotas or overly prescriptive mandates risk tokenism, misalign with local workplace realities, or undermine perceptions of fairness if not implemented carefully. This criticism is often framed as a concern that inclusion efforts should not become a substitute for genuine merit or accountability, and that they should remain flexible enough to accommodate different contexts and industries. quotas tokenism free speech.

Supporters respond that well-designed guidelines do not lock firms into rigid mandates but instead provide a menu of approaches that can improve outcomes when accompanied by clear measurement and oversight. They point to evidence that diverse and inclusive teams can enhance innovation and resilience, provided the programs focus on process improvements, transparency, and the reduction of unconscious bias rather than symbolic gestures. innovation team performance.

From a broader policy perspective, debates often touch on the balance between voluntary corporate action and societal expectations around equity. Proponents of market-led inclusion emphasize that firms are best positioned to determine which practices deliver value, while critics worry about uneven adoption or potential reputational risk for firms that lag behind peers. In this frame, Project Include is evaluated based on its ability to offer practical, adaptable tools that align inclusion with business goals, rather than pursuing abstract ideals. economic policy corporate governance.

Evidence, results, and impact

Assessing the impact of inclusion initiatives can be challenging due to variations across firms and industries. Advocates point to improved retention rates among diverse staff, broader candidate pools, and more diverse product teams as evidence that practical, data-driven inclusion work pays off. They emphasize that transparency in hiring and promotion criteria helps ensure that merit remains central, while expanding the set of capable candidates. retention talent pool.

Critics note that, in some cases, publicly reported metrics may be incomplete or influenced by selection bias, and that the long-term effects on culture and performance require careful interpretation. They also argue that without sustained leadership commitment, even well-designed programs can lose momentum. The conversation thus tends to center on the durability of reforms, the quality of measurement, and the degree to which inclusion efforts are integrated into everyday management. measurement organizational culture.

Notable influence and reception

Project Include has become part of a wider ecosystem of diversity and inclusion resources in the tech industry. Its guidelines and case studies are used by firms seeking to improve their practices without sacrificing accountability or performance. The organization’s emphasis on practical, incremental change resonates with executives seeking to balance talent, culture, and results. It sits alongside other efforts that promote broadening participation in technology while prioritizing business outcomes. industry practices case study.