Rewriting the Rules of HR: A Deep Dive on Inclusion in Chile with María Elena Berlinger

María Elena Berlinger Montané reveals how Chilean HR is embedding inclusion into its core, moving beyond legal compliance to build truly equitable workplaces

What if true inclusion in the workplace isn't just a policy, but a complete cultural operating system? For too long, many organizations have treated Inclusion & Diversity as a checklist, a series of boxes to be ticked for compliance or public image. However, a new wave of leadership in Chile is proving that I&D is the very engine for innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth.

To understand this profound shift from policy to principle, we spoke with María Elena Berlinger, an expert at the forefront of transforming Chilean HR at Pluxee. She reveals how leading companies are moving beyond quotas to fundamentally rewrite their organizational DNA, turning structural and cultural challenges into a competitive advantage.

Interview with María Elena Berlinger

How are Chilean organizations adapting their HR policies to promote inclusion of underrepresented groups?

Chilean organizations are updating HR policies to align with national inclusion laws, promoting flexible recruitment processes, expanding partnerships with NGOs and public programs, and setting clear representation targets. Today each company with more then 100 employees requieres to have at least 2% of people with dissabilities.

Companies are redesigning job descriptions, implementing reasonable adjustments, and creating internal governance (committees, KPIs) to drive accountability, not only for people with dissabilities, women in leadership positions is another point that companies are improving.

What challenges do companies in Chile face in implementing I&D, and how are HR teams addressing cultural or structural barriers?

The main challenges include cultural resistance, unconscious judgement, scarce disaggregated data, and rigid organizational structures. HR teams are responding with continuous training on judgement, anonymous surveys, standardized competency-based recruitment, clearer career pathways, and communication strategies that normalize inclusion while demonstrating business impact.

What are some effective inclusion initiatives or partnerships currently used in Chile?

Effective initiatives include partnerships with NGOs specializing in disability inclusion, collaborations with universities to increase diverse early-career pipelines, and participation in programs supporting employment and women’s leadership. Many companies also adopt certification or benchmarking programs to guide their inclusion strategies, specially global companies.

How are HR teams measuring the impact of I&D initiatives?

Impact is measured through representation metrics, hiring and retention rates by demographic group, pay-gap analysis, promotion ratios, inclusion climate surveys, and the number of reasonable accommodations implemented. While there is no universal national framework, many organizations use maturity models and standardized KPIs to track progress consistently.

How is inclusion embedded in the organizational DNA of leading Chilean companies?

In leading Chilean companies, inclusion is woven into core people practices and leadership expectations. It informs how talent is attracted, developed, and promoted through inclusive job design, competency-based recruitment, and targeted leadership development for underrepresented groups.

Organizations increasingly link inclusion KPIs to managerial performance, use diverse hiring panels, and integrate inclusive behaviors into leadership models. They also reinforce culture through internal storytelling, employee resource groups, and visible role models, ensuring inclusion shapes everyday decisions and long-term organizational strategy.

How do Chilean organizations balance global D&I standards with local cultural values?

Companies localize global inclusion frameworks by adapting them to Chilean cultural contexts, collaborating with local communities and experts, and designing region-specific initiatives. They blend global expectations such as gender parity or accessibility standards with local practices, ensuring cultural relevance, regulatory alignment.