Inclusion, Equity and Diversity With Katya Veleva

Inclusion, equity and diversity in construction only matter if they change how people experience work. A policy is not enough if the hiring process, team language and daily behaviour tell a different story.

Katya Veleva brings a useful lens because her background connects architecture, BIM, coaching and inclusion work. This is not a detached HR topic. It affects who applies, who stays and who feels able to do their best work.

Watch: Katya Veleva on inclusion in construction

Katya’s conversation is useful because it moves inclusion away from vague policy wording and into language, behaviour, coaching and workplace reality.

Listen: inclusion, equity and diversity with Katya Veleva

Prefer audio? The full episode gives more space to Katya’s background in architecture and BIM, her coaching work and the lived experience behind inclusive practice.

You can also open the related Architecture Social podcast page.

Why inclusion is part of recruitment quality

Candidates read signals before they accept an offer. They notice whether the interview panel listens properly, whether the language is careful, whether flexibility is treated as normal and whether questions about culture are answered with detail.

Practices notice it too, even if they do not frame it that way. Poor inclusion affects trust, team performance, retention, referrals and the quality of the candidate pool.

Go deeper with Architecture Social

These related Architecture Social episodes add more context once you have the practical framework.

Listen next: asking about diversity at interview

This related episode is useful for candidates who want to ask about inclusion during an interview without making the conversation feel awkward or tokenistic.

You can also open the related Architecture Social podcast page.

What candidates can listen for

• Whether the practice gives specific examples instead of broad statements.
• Whether interviewers talk about support, progression and feedback clearly.
• Whether flexible working is explained without defensiveness.
• Whether diversity is treated as lived practice, not just a page on the website.
• Whether people sound safe to ask honest questions.

What practices should improve first

Start with the process candidates actually touch. Job adverts, interview questions, salary clarity, feedback and onboarding often reveal more about inclusion than a polished policy document.

• Write job adverts that explain the role clearly and avoid unnecessary gatekeeping.
• Make salary and progression expectations easier to understand.
• Use the interview preparation guide to understand what candidates are trying to work out.
• Review employer support if your hiring process needs sharper structure.

How to ask better questions

Candidates do not need to interrogate a practice, but they can ask practical questions. For example: how is feedback handled, what does progression look like, how does the team support different working styles, and what happens when someone raises a concern?

Good practices should be able to answer those questions without getting defensive. If the answer is vague, that tells you something too.

Common mistakes

• Treating inclusion as a website statement rather than a working habit.
• Asking candidates to guess salary, flexibility or progression.
• Using broad culture language without examples.
• Assuming one person’s good experience proves everyone feels included.
• Avoiding difficult conversations until trust has already been damaged.

Architecture Social view

Stephen’s recruiter view is that inclusion shows up in the details. If a practice wants stronger hiring results, the process has to feel fair, clear and human before the offer stage.

Next step

Use the Architecture Social interview guide to prepare better questions, or explore employer support if your practice wants clearer hiring processes.