When the world changed in 2020, so did our perception of work. Offices became optional. Video calls replaced boardrooms, and organisations that physical spaces had once anchored began to stretch their boundaries across continents, time zones, and cultures. 

But with this new flexibility came a new responsibility: ensuring that no one gets left behind.

Inclusivity today is a necessity, and building inclusive workplaces is not just about representation, but about access, opportunity and designing systems where talent from every background can thrive, no matter where they are.

Two companies deeply invested in this mission are Consultport and IMÒ Talent. Though their offerings differ, their impact converges in one powerful goal: shaping the future of work to be more diverse, inclusive, and equitable.

A Wake-Up Call for Inclusion

Before the pandemic, many organisations believed they had done the hard work. They had launched diversity initiatives, created employee resource groups, and updated handbooks with inclusive policies. On the surface, everything looked progressive.

But when the shift to remote work came almost overnight, these same companies found themselves facing a new reality. What once felt like a strong culture of inclusion quickly showed cracks.

Suddenly, proximity-based inclusion, quick chats in the hallway, informal mentorship over coffee, and the serendipitous “watercooler moments” were gone. And with it, so was a big part of how connection and opportunity were fostered.

Reports began to emerge. While some employees thrived working from home, others, particularly women, ethnic minorities, and international team members, felt isolated, overlooked, and disconnected. Without the informal structures of the office, traditional networking vanished, and virtual meetings began to amplify inequities rather than solve them.

This period of disruption didn’t just expose gaps. It awakened businesses to a deeper truth: inclusion isn’t defined by geography or office perks. It’s about intentional design, creating systems that work whether someone is in the same building or across the world.

Thankfully, organisations like Consultport and IMÒ Talent are already doing the hard work of turning inclusion into action.

 Consultport: Making Expertise Accessible and Inclusive

Based in Europe, Consultport is one of the fastest-growing platforms connecting businesses with expert consultants and digital professionals. The platform is reshaping how transformation leaders and heads of corporate development access the right minds for high-impact projects.

But Consultport isn’t just helping companies go digital. It’s helping them become more inclusive. By opening up access to a global network of consultants, Consultport dismantles geographic, cultural, and experiential silos.

When a company searches for talent through Consultport, they’re not just searching for a skill. They’re accessing a network of professionals from different backgrounds, industries, and parts of the world. This doesn’t just make projects better, it makes teams stronger.

Consultport also ensures that diversity isn’t reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet. Their consultants include experts in inclusion and diversity strategies, advising companies on how to build equitable, human-first cultures.

In a remote world, this is especially critical. Remote work can empower flexibility, but it can also lead to exclusion if not managed thoughtfully. Consultport’s on-demand experts help organisations create policies and workflows that foster belonging across screens and borders.

IMÒ Talent: Unlocking Africa’s Global Workforce

On the other side of the remote hiring conversation is IMÒ Talent, a UK-headquartered company committed to connecting businesses with highly skilled African professionals across both tech and business functions.

IMÒ, which means “knowledge” in Yoruba, doesn’t just supply talent, it advocates for it. Their platform exists to ensure that skilled individuals across Africa, particularly early-career professionals, are not excluded from global opportunities simply because of where they live.

IMÒ makes it easier for companies to find the right fit, without falling back on traditional, proximity-based hiring models, by curating and vetting talent pools and offering an AI-powered search and matching system.

Their talents aren’t just interns or assistants. They’re project leads, digital marketers, developers, designers, customer experience experts, and more. And they’re proving every day that remote African professionals can deliver world-class results.

The platform also addresses a pain point many businesses face: building remote teams that are cohesive, productive, and culturally aligned. Through tools like the IMÒ Workspace, clients can manage time, tasks, attendance, and performance in one place, bridging distance with clarity.

When Expertise Meets Opportunity

The partnership between Consultport and IMÒ Talent reflects a deeper trend: the merging of expertise and opportunity to build something better. Consultport works with companies that are ready to transform how they operate, while IMÒ connects them with talent that’s ready to deliver.

Together, they’re part of a larger ecosystem of companies that don’t just talk about diversity, they build systems that make it possible. They show that inclusion is not just about hiring people from different backgrounds. It’s about trusting them with real work, in real roles, with real impact.

According to McKinsey, companies with more diverse workforces outperform their less diverse peers by up to 36% in profitability (McKinsey & Company, 2023). Diversity isn’t just a feel-good initiative. It’s a business imperative. And with Consultport and IMÒ, it becomes an achievable one.

The Future Workforce

Let’s be honest, the future workforce isn’t just coming. In many ways, it’s already here.

Distributed? Today’s teams stretch across continents. From a strategist in Berlin collaborating with a developer in Nairobi, to a customer success manager in Toronto syncing with an operations lead in Kigali, borders are no longer barriers.

Digitally enabled? Absolutely. From AI-powered project tools to virtual brainstorming boards, tech is supporting and redefining how work gets done.

Diverse by default? Increasingly, yes. Forward-thinking companies understand that hiring beyond traditional networks fuels creativity, resilience, and relevance in today’s global marketplace.

But here’s the catch: these shifts aren’t guarantees of inclusion. Just because a team spans time zones doesn’t mean every voice is heard. Just because a company hires globally doesn’t mean it builds equitably.

Diversity, distribution, and digital enablement are only powerful when paired with intentional systems, systems that foster belonging, trust, and access.

But this won’t happen by chance. It will require leaders to partner with platforms like Consultport and IMÒ that are built for this new reality.

These platforms are already shaping the blueprint. Whether it’s a transformation leader sourcing change management consultants or a startup hiring a growth marketer from Kenya, Consultport and IMÒ are setting a new standard.

So, what does it take to build an inclusive workplace in the future of work?

It takes vision. It takes technology. But most of all, it takes action.

If you’re a business leader looking to scale inclusively, this isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the only way forward.

Visit www.consultport.com and www.imotalent.app to learn more about how these platforms can help you build a better, more inclusive future workforce.