What the Top 100 Inclusive Employers 2024 Really Tell Us

Private sector, are you actually trying?

When the National Centre for Diversity published their list of the Top 100 Inclusive Employers 2024, I did what I always do.

I scrolled for familiar names. Looked for anyone new. Then I paused and counted. Who was actually showing up?

This isn’t just a ranking. It’s a mirror. And what it reflects tells us more than we might want to see.

The numbers paint a picture

Here’s the sector breakdown:

• 37 private companies
• 34 education providers
• 15 charities
• 7 public sector organisations
• 7 housing associations

At first glance, private businesses look like they are leading the charge.

Look a little closer and the story shifts.

The private sector: present but patchy

Most of the private companies in the Top 100 are in construction, engineering, or safety-driven fields. These already live with governance and structure, so inclusion has somewhere to sit.

But where are the industries that touch daily life?

• No supermarkets
• No media networks
• No banks or insurers
• No tech giants
• No law firms or big consultancies

That silence is loud. These are the places many people work. The places shaping norms, policies, and futures.

If they’re not showing up on inclusion lists, it’s not because they’re above them. It’s because the work isn’t landing where it counts.

Education is quietly doing what the rest of us talk about

Colleges and training providers show up consistently, despite everything stacked against them.

Overworked. Underfunded. Constantly audited.

Yet they build practice that goes beyond policy. Neurodivergent students aren’t a problem to fix. They’re part of the ecosystem. That shift matters.

Charities are carrying more than their share

Fifteen charities made the list. Often small. Often crisis-driven. Still, they embed inclusion for clients and staff. That’s leadership by choice, not budget.

The public sector: where’s the leadership?

Seven. That’s it.

For a sector with legal duties around inclusion, seven is thin. If it isn’t visible in culture and lived experience, is it really happening, or is it just paperwork?

What this list actually tells us

• Inclusion isn’t tied to money or headcount
• Culture beats strategy
• Quiet sectors often do the loudest work
• The big players still aren’t stepping up

The sectors with the most power are the least represented. That’s a red flag.

So… what now?

If you made the Top 100, good. Why? What changed? What made the difference?

If you didn’t, what’s stopping you? Fear of getting it wrong? Time? Or is it just not a priority?

I don’t care about awards. I care about belonging. Accessible hiring. Managers who know how to support different brains. People feeling safe enough to be honest at work.

Inclusion doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be real.

Let’s make this more than a list

Ask your staff what they need. Make space for honest feedback. Stop waiting until it’s comfortable.

We don’t need more policies. We need presence. And the will to be seen doing the work.

Get in touch

If something here made you pause or feel seen, reach out.

Coaching, workplace training, or just a real conversation about neurodivergence. I’m here.

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