<\/p>\n
Over the last year, diversity, equity and inclusion has lost its luster. Politicians are passing bills limiting the reach of DE&I in the workplace. Conservative-leaning consumers are boycotting companies they perceive as too \u201cwoke.\u201d And reports have shown that diversity and inclusion training at work is largely ineffective.<\/p>\n
But further research reveals that women are still paid less than men in similar roles, people of color struggle to ascend the leadership pipeline and LGBTQ+ employees routinely face discrimination in the workplace. Companies continue to fall short in their efforts to reverse these trends.<\/p>\n
Some experts say there may be an \u201cinclusion solution\u201d to the DE&I problem. More leaders today are emphasizing the importance of inclusion in the workplace\u2014including SHRM, which recently began adopting the designation \u201cinclusion, equity and diversity (IE&D).\u201d Inclusion creates a sense of belonging among employees that can translate to greater productivity, more innovation and better decision-making. Team performance improves, and employee \u201cus-vs.-them\u201d sentiment declines, when people feel more connected.<\/p>\n
Is there a way forward? The answer starts with asking a few key questions.<\/p>\n
In August 2020, \u201cChandra\u201d was hired as a chief people officer for a technology company in Washington, D.C. Her primary focus, her new employer told her, was to enhance the brand\u2019s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very excited for the opportunity,\u201d says Chandra, who requested anonymity. \u201cNot only was I excited for the job, but I was also encouraged that organizations around the U.S. were finally starting to take DE&I seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chandra\u2019s hiring came three months after the murder of George Floyd\u2014a monumental societal event that inspired organizations nationwide to hire more individuals from underrepresented communities, help employees of color advance through the ranks and facilitate uncomfortable workplace conversations about systemic racism.<\/p>\n
However, in November 2022, Chandra was laid off after her employer decided to fold its entire DE&I program. A company executive with whom she was friends eventually told her that the CEO didn\u2019t believe DE&I was as important as other areas of the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cLosing my job was a real wake-up call for me\u2014and I haven\u2019t found another role since,\u201d she says. \u201cIt goes to show you that there are employers out there who don\u2019t take DE&I as seriously as they wanted you to believe just a few years ago. The feeling of abandonment is real.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/hr-today\/news\/hr-magazine\/winter-2023\/PublishingImages\/Pages\/the-diversity-dilemma\/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%209.32.33%20AM.png\")
<\/p>\n
A Spike, Then a Marked Decline, in Diversity Positions<\/p>\n
The number of \u201chead of diversity\u201d positions hired globally skyrocketed 107 percent between 2015 and 2020, peaking in the aftermath of Floyd\u2019s murder, according to LinkedIn data. During that span, \u201cdirector of diversity\u201d roles grew by 75 percent and \u201cchief diversity officer\u201d jobs by 68 percent.<\/p>\n
However, many businesses in various industries, particularly in the technology sector, have gutted their DE&I departments amid budget cuts, layoffs and hiring freezes in 2023. Attrition rates for diversity and inclusion roles have outpaced those of non-DE&I roles at more than 600 U.S. companies that laid off workers since late 2020, according to a 2023 report by New York City-based analytics firm Revelio Labs.<\/p>\n
More than 300 DE&I professionals left these companies from July 2022 to January 2023. Considering the median DE&I team size in this set of companies is three employees, these outflows likely amount to the exodus of entire diversity teams, the report stated.![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/hr-today\/news\/hr-magazine\/winter-2023\/PublishingImages\/Pages\/the-diversity-dilemma\/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%209.34.37%20AM.png\")
<\/p>\n
The Revelio Labs report also found that DE&I roles tend to have more employee turnover across many industries, and employers with the largest outflow of such talent included Amazon, Applebee\u2019s, Capital One, Intel, Nike, Wells Fargo and X (formerly Twitter). Further research shows that DE&I roles overall fell by 19 percent in 2022.<\/p>\n
SHRM research in April found that more than a third of employers have not invested resources in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the past year. Half of employers attribute a lack of prioritization among senior leaders as a reason for not doing so. (Regardless of organizational size, this is the leading reason.) A third of employers cite lack of time\/personnel resources as a reason; a quarter cite budget limitations.<\/p>\n
Janice Gassam Asare, a DE&I consultant and public speaker in New York City, has seen many chief diversity officers (CDOs) lose their jobs in the last year. Some of them, she says, are struggling to find similar roles with other companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard of practitioners seeing open DE&I roles, applying to them, and then the role gets taken away or defunded,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s getting really tough for DE&I practitioners who want to work internally to find roles, especially within tech companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
How Did We Get Here?<\/p>\n
Lina Tonk, chief marketing officer at software company isolved in Charlotte, N.C., says that many employees during the COVID-19 pandemic quit their jobs for better pay and benefits, work flexibility, and enhanced work\/life balance and career advancement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe power sat with employees, and employers acted in the form of \u2026 well-being programs and DEI&B [diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging] initiatives,\u201d she says. \u201cNow, with fears of a recession, the power pendulum has swung in favor of employers who, by many reports, are tightening spend.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Tonk explains, this reversal has caused the \u201cGreat Resignation\u201d to morph into the \u201cBig Stay\u201d\u2014a growing trend of employees choosing to remain in their current jobs rather than seek new opportunities elsewhere.![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/hr-today\/news\/hr-magazine\/winter-2023\/PublishingImages\/Pages\/the-diversity-dilemma\/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%209.41.22%20AM.png\")
<\/p>\n
According to a 2023 report by the ADP Research Institute, the rate of U.S. employees quitting their jobs fell by 5 percent from March 2022 to March 2023. Job openings nationwide have also fallen 20 percent from 2022.<\/p>\n
A CHRO at a Texas-based restaurant chain who asked that her name not be used says that her company recently defunded its DE&I program and related initiatives. She cites rising expenses and cost of living as primary factors in their decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany departments and programs are being tasked with cutting where they can or moving money around to other areas,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing able to pay our employees a competitive and living wage is our top priority, followed by being able to contribute meaningful dollars to health care and child care needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The restaurant chain shares financial information with its employees. As such, executives worked hard to communicate that other departments and programs were also cutting back and that the financial needs of the organization drove the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hope is when costs stop rising at such a high rate, we will be able to bring back a more robust DE&I program,\u201d she says. \u201cWe do plan to revisit as soon as we meet our financial goals and feel more confident about the market we\u2019re doing business in.\u201d<\/p>\n
To be sure, many other companies are still committed to DE&I:<\/p>\n
Gassam Asare also says she has seen more companies looking for consulting services to improve their DE&I efforts.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
High Expectations, Few Resources Lead to Burnout<\/p>\n
For CDOs who are still employed, the job remains far from easy.<\/p>\n
The role has long been marked by high turnover, with many leaving over a lack of resources, unrealistic expectations and inadequate support from senior executives, according to a July 2020 article by The Wall Street Journal<\/em>. Defunding DE&I programs exacerbates these issues.<\/p>\n Many CDOs leave the field entirely because they feel burdened with the same workload as professionals who have whole teams to support them. They are often hired for superficial purposes or to \u201ccheck a box,\u201d according to Amy Hull, director and head of DE&I at Paycor, a global leader in human capital management.<\/p>\n Hull says companies need to prioritize DE&I as a business function rather than a program. These efforts must have financial support to meet objectives, which should also be embedded into the companywide strategy.<\/p>\n \u201c[Businesses also] need to provide support to the DE&I professionals to prevent burnout emotionally and mentally,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n In a report by Russell Reynolds Associates, burnout was often cited by DE&I professionals as a key driver in companies failing to retain CDOs. Laura Close, DE&I expert and co-founder of analytics firm Included.ai, says high expectations coupled with few resources is \u201ca recipe for burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[CDOs] play a vital role in creating a diverse, equitable, inclusive and belonging-forward workforce,\u201d she says. \u201cThe quality of the DE&I effort directly impacts the quality of work experience for every employee.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Compa<\/span>nies \u2018Ditching\u2019 Diversity Efforts, Employees Still Value DE&I <\/span><\/p>\n A recent survey of more than 800 employees by New York City-based career development platform The Muse revealed that many employees of companies walking back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts (DE&I) are unhappy with this decision\u2014and some are looking for new jobs.<\/p>\n According to the survey data:<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a wake-up call to employers who think their workforce isn\u2019t watching when it comes to their commitments to DE&I,\u201d says Kathryn Minshew, founder and CEO of The Muse. \u201cThe Muse\u2019s audience is made up of young, diverse workers who are more tuned in to these initiatives than ever, and their strong opinions about \u2018diversity ditching\u2019 came through in our survey data.\u201d<\/p>\n Sixty percent of respondents said they feel that their current company has scaled back on its diversity commitments. \u201cFewer diverse candidates being hired or recruited\u201d was the most commonly cited example (32 percent), followed by \u201cless internal discussion or DE&I programming\u201d (22 percent), \u201cleadership change at the top\/diversity officer left\u201d (20 percent) and \u201creduction in public-facing messaging\u201d (18 percent).<\/p>\n The walking back of DE&I efforts\u2014the \u201cdiversity ditching\u201d Minshew refers to\u2014can create a ripple effect and impact an organization\u2019s bottom line. She explains that employees must feel adequately resourced and supported to be able to do their best work.<\/p>\n \u201cEmployees, especially women and minorities, may feel disillusioned or question if their company still sees hiring and retaining people like them as a priority,\u201d Minshew says.<\/p>\n A Pew Research Center poll indicated that 61 percent of women said focusing on increasing DE&I at work \u201cis a good thing,\u201d compared with half of men. And half of workers said that it\u2019s \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d important to them to work somewhere that is accessible for people with physical disabilities.<\/p>\n About two-thirds or more of Black (78 percent), Asian (72 percent) and Hispanic (65 percent) employees said that focusing on DE&I in the workplace \u201cis a good thing,\u201d according to a separate poll by Pew Research Center. However, fewer than half of white workers (47 percent) said that DE&I at work \u201cis a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional research shows just how enticing DE&I programs are to job seekers:<\/p>\n \u201cI think job seekers who care about DE&I will pay closer attention to how organizations are responding,\u201d says Juliette Mayers, founder and CEO of Boston-based DE&I consulting company Inspiration Zone LLC. \u201cIf all other things are equal, companies with a sustained commitment to DE&I will reap the rewards.\u201d \u2014M.G.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Why Don\u2019t Diversity Training Programs Work?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Training and education are key pillars of corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs. But some research suggests that these workshops, if not delivered correctly, are not only unproductive\u2014they can also be detrimental to fostering a healthy workplace culture.<\/p>\n The goals of DE&I training in the workplace have been well documented. These sessions are intended to help reduce implicit bias in decision-making in hiring, promotions, disciplinary actions and performance reviews, as well as reduce microaggressions at work.<\/p>\n However, there\u2019s evidence that the majority of DE&I training programs don\u2019t work. Research has found that the positive effects of training efforts to reduce implicit bias tend to wear off after a few hours or days. And, due to a lack of standardization within the DE&I training industry, some trainers have conducted sessions that have been harmful and have even reinforced stereotypes. Other common failures include blaming employees for the biases they hold, avoiding difficult conversations so that attendees stay comfortable and retaining trainers who rely on outdated tactics. \u201cWe have been speaking to employers about this research for more than a decade,\u201d sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev wrote in a 2018 research paper, \u201cwith the message that diversity training is likely the most expensive, and least effective, diversity program around.\u201d<\/p>\n New York City-based DE&I consultant Janice Gassam Asare often sees \u201cbroad-brush DE&I programming\u201d being applied \u201cwithout efforts to tailor an intervention to the specific needs of the workplace.\u201d Failing to address underlying issues within a company, she says, can derail any DE&I program and lead to mistrust among employees.<\/p>\n But when done correctly, DE&I training initiatives can have a positive effect on the workplace, according to Stacey Cadigan, partner of HR technology and transformation with technology advisory firm ISG in Stamford, Conn.<\/p>\n \u201cCharacteristics of an effective DE&I training program should include a lot of the same characteristics of any good training program,\u201d Cadigan explains. \u201cThis includes well-defined objectives, executive sponsorship to demonstrate clear organization commitment, clear metrics for success, a focus on experiential learning and feedback loops to gather input from learners.\u201d<\/p>\n Dangers of the \u2018Gotcha\u2019 Tactic<\/p>\n A 2016 study published in Harvard Business Review<\/em> examined different interventions that have been used to increase diversity. The research found that mandatory diversity trainings for managers did not lead to a rise in people of color and women in management positions.<\/p>\n In fact, the share of Black women in management positions actually fell by 9 percent, on average, while the ranks of Asian American men and women in management roles shrank by 4 to 5 percent. But Gassam Asare maintains that mandatory DE&I training can be effective in some cases.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we have to interrogate why we think mandatory DE&I training is ineffective,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you find that certain employees are consistently not showing up to DE&I training, this not only can help you understand who requires greater buy-in, but can also help you weed out those who do not want to be change agents or prioritize DE&I in the workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether mandatory or optional, DE&I trainings that blame white people or men for holding certain implicit biases could backfire, according to a September 2023 article for The Wall Street Journal<\/em> by Dobbin and psychologist Mahzarin Banaji.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of training people about research that finds that bias is pervasive, trainers [often] use [a DE&I online] test to prove to trainees that they are morally flawed,\u201d they wrote. \u201cPeople leave feeling guilty for holding biases that conflict with American values.\u201d<\/p>\n This \u201cgotcha\u201d tactic isn\u2019t going to win people over, Banaji and Dobbin explained. The approach misses the main takeaway from implicit bias research: Everyone holds stereotypes they don\u2019t control due to exposure to societal inequality, the media and the arts. The point of the training is to help people recognize and question those stereotypes.<\/p>\n \u201cMaking people feel ashamed can lead them to reject the message,\u201d they wrote in the article. \u201cThus, people often leave diversity training feeling angry and with greater animosity toward other groups.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaming others for their biases and expecting them to change is a poor practice, agrees Phil Geldart, founder and CEO of consulting firm Eagle\u2019s Flight in Guelph, Ontario.<\/p>\n \u201cThe heart of the [DE&I training] initiative is having a deep-felt conviction about the value of each human being and then exhibiting behavior that demonstrates that conviction through showing respect for one another, regardless of race, language, faith, et cetera,\u201d Geldart says. \u201cPersonal convictions, and truly respecting others, isn\u2019t something that can be shamed into existence.\u201d<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean DE&I trainers should avoid difficult conversations. Sheree Atcheson, an award-winning DE&I leader and author, wrote in a 2022 article for Forbes<\/em> that companies can undermine the effectiveness of the training when they avoid systemic realities that might make employees feel uneasy. <\/p>\n \u201cMy call to action to you is to ensure you do not take the easy way out here, because frankly, you might as well not bother,\u201d Atcheson wrote last year. \u201cIf you take the approach which [prioritizes] those feeling shame or defensiveness, you\u2019ll ultimately discuss things that they\u2019re only comfortable with, likely because they personally or indirectly identify with those specific scenarios.\u201d<\/p>\n One-Time Trainings May Be Ineffective<\/p>\n A 2019 study of more than 3,000 employees at a large global organization specifically assessed the effectiveness of one-hour diversity training courses that covered biases on gender identity, race, age and sexual orientation.<\/p>\n The results showed that the one-time diversity training typically did not impact employees\u2019 behaviors, particularly those of male employees and white employees\u2014the people who tend to hold the most power at work. It did generate some positive behavior change among groups that already strongly supported women in the workplace. \u201cOverall, our research suggests that more effortful interventions may be needed to robustly change employee behavior,\u201d the authors wrote.<\/p>\n For example, organizations could devote resources to recruit more women and underrepresented minorities, particularly into leadership roles, or change processes and structures to mitigate the effects of stereotyping and bias, researchers said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn general, an effective practice is to have multiple workshops and training sessions versus a one-off training,\u201d Gassam Asare explains, \u201cwhich can feel more performative.\u201d<\/p>\n Consider Who Conducts the Training<\/p>\n Breanna Jackson, an HR coordinator for Point Quest Group in El Dorado Hills, Calif., notes that DE&I learning vendors should be diligently assessed and assigned a ranking based on the excellence of their information and training programs.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all programs may align with an employer\u2019s practices and could be outdated,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cCurrently, there exists no universally accepted review framework for DE&I suppliers, and employers have limited access to evaluate these programs.\u201d This lack of oversight raises concerns regarding whether the programs adequately address the needs of protected groups in light of evolving definitions and legal changes, Jackson says. Without an official standard of review for DE&I program vendors, they have the freedom to modify their services to appeal to more audiences, which could mean soft-pedaling issues that need close review.<\/p>\n Cadigan adds that an effective DE&I training program should follow these guidelines:<\/p>\n \u201cDE&I efforts should be integrated into the organization\u2019s programs and policies across recruiting, learning, performance, succession, compensation and other programs,\u201d Cadigan says. \u201cWhen [efforts are] part of this holistic approach, organizations are better able to achieve improved diversity and an inclusive workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n Will the Anti-W<\/span>oke Movement Suppress Corporate DE&I?<\/span><\/p>\n After the U.S. Supreme Court gutted affirmative action in college admissions this summer, conservative politicians and legal activists began examining corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.<\/p>\n DE&I initiatives are under fire for being too \u201cwoke\u201d\u2014a term encompassing awareness of many aspects of DE&I, including systemic issues related to race, gender and sexuality. In recent years, conservative activists and lawmakers have used the word as a rallying cry against left-leaning activism.<\/p>\n In July, Republican attorneys general from 13 states sent a letter to Fortune 100 business leaders warning them to end racial preferences in hiring.<\/p>\n \u201cDiscriminatory practices include, among other things, explicit racial quotas and preferences in hiring, recruiting, retention, promotion, and advancement,\u201d the letter read. \u201cThey also include race-based contracting practices, such as racial preferences and quotas in selecting suppliers, providing overt preferential treatment to customers on the basis of race, and pressuring contractors to adopt the company\u2019s racially discriminatory quotas and preferences.\u201d In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill outlawing DE&I programs at publicly funded universities. The law came just weeks after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill defunding DE&I programs at Florida public colleges and limiting how race can be discussed in classes.<\/p>\n And many employees remain unsure of the need for DE&I programs. A 2022 Gartner report indicated that 44 percent of employees feel alienated by their organizations\u2019 DE&I efforts. The same report revealed that Michele Brown Kerrigan, assistant professor of practice at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., says the anti-woke movement could spell doom for DE&I initiatives at work.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the one hand, while the pendulum seemed far left a few years ago with the backlash from [the murder of] George Floyd, politics are starting to swing that pendulum in the opposite direction,\u201d she says. \u201cIf companies continue to scale back diversity efforts, and if more states pass similar laws and bills to Florida \u2026 [then] I think the future of DE&I is hanging on by a thread.\u201d<\/p>\n DE&I Under the Microscope<\/p>\n Several businesses have been sued for their DE&I efforts:<\/p>\n Many employers are asking their lawyers if and how much they should modify their DE&I initiatives in light of the affirmative action decision, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal<\/em>. However, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Charlotte A. Burrows noted that the court\u2019s decision does not address employer efforts to foster diverse and inclusive workforces or to engage the talents of all qualified workers, regardless of their backgrounds.<\/p>\n \u201cIt remains lawful for employers to implement diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs that seek to ensure workers of all backgrounds are afforded equal opportunity in the workplace,\u201d Burrows said in a statement.<\/p>\n Craig Leen, former director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, says that companies should consult counsel to ensure that their DE&I programs adhere to guidance from the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor.<\/p>\n Can a Lack of DE&I Have Legal Implications?<\/p>\n Research by an EEOC task force has indicated that a lack of DE&I in the workplace can promote discriminatory behavior. Vicky Slade, an attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle, says companies that scale back these efforts open themselves up to potential litigation.<\/p>\n Employment discrimination claims brought by members of traditionally marginalized groups are increasingly relying on nuanced forms of discrimination such as implicit bias and structural barriers, as opposed to explicit manifestations of bias, to support their claims, Slade explains. \u201cIn addition, over the last few years especially, jurors have become much more knowledgeable about the impact of systemic bias and the ways in which unseen barriers operate to exclude women, people of color and other groups from advancement in employment,\u201d Slade says.<\/p>\n She also notes that hostility toward people of color is becoming increasingly common in the public sphere, putting these employees at a higher risk of discrimination and harassment. Slade says this risk makes it especially important for organizations to have robust systems in place to ensure an inclusive and equitable environment for diverse employees.<\/p>\n \u201cCompanies that retreat from that commitment will send a message to [a diverse workforce] that the company\u2019s representations were hollow, which could easily jaundice the diverse employees\u2019 perspectives toward the company overall,\u201d Slade says. \u201cThis, in turn, could lead to higher dissatisfaction and, potentially, risk of litigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Navigating DE&I Pushback at Work<\/p>\n Kerrigan says there are several implications to companies scaling back diversity efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cPrimarily, this will result in minoritized individuals feeling like their organizations do not care about them, that they no longer matter,\u201d she says. Kerrigan explains that the reduction of diversity, equity and inclusion programs could:<\/p>\n Employee protests against DE&I initiatives can lead to worker disengagement, according to Nola Cartmill, chief diversity officer and legal counsel at insurance company Holmes Murphy in Waukee, Iowa.<\/p>\n \u201cBe clear on communicating why DE&I and the various initiatives you seek to move forward are important to your organization,\u201d Cartmill says. \u201cTo avoid denial and derailment, proactively consider potential different perspectives people might have and address them in your initial communication about a DE&I program or initiative, but don\u2019t dwell on any potential or realized pushback.\u201d<\/p>\n SHRM Chief Knowledge Officer Alexander Alonso, SHRM-SCP, an author and DE&I expert, recommends that organizations reiterate their goals to help employees who oppose DE&I initiatives better understand the importance of them.<\/p>\n \u201cI would remind those employees that a key [mission] is attracting and keeping talent,\u201d Alonso says. \u201cThe best way to generate that is to create an inclusive culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Leading with Inclusion<\/p>\n More leaders today are emphasizing the importance of inclusion in the workplace\u2014including SHRM, which recently adopted the designation \u201cinclusion, equity and diversity (IE&D).\u201d SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, says leading with inclusion \u201cbrings empathy into the equation, reminding us that we\u2019re speaking with fellow human beings with real, lived experiences and emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n Inclusivity can be good for business and a key pillar of resilient organizations. A 2022 joint report by SHRM Research and Gap International found that inclusive tactics\u2014such as implementing fair treatment, integrating differences and allowing employees to have a voice in decisions\u2014were significantly greater among employers that drive the purpose and direction of their organizations in the face of adversity than those that did not.<\/p>\n As Kerrigan explains, diversity and equity efforts are fruitless if organizations do not foster inclusive practices, because then all they\u2019re left with are vanity metrics coupled with a climate in which underrepresented employees may feel unwelcome, alone and even unsafe in their work environments.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a wonderful colleague shared with me, \u2018Diversity is about inviting people to a dance, but inclusion is actually asking everyone to dance,\u2019 \u201d she says.<\/p>\n Diversity recruitment and inclusion efforts should build on each other. Companies should strive to recruit and hire more employees from diverse groups at every level of the organization, while simultaneously developing inclusive workplace practices such as:<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, companies become too swept up in the D [diversity] part of the equation,\u201d Kerrigan adds, \u201cbecause, in many ways, that may feel more tangibly measurable\u2014that they then forget about the I [inclusion] piece of the equation.\u201d <\/p>\n Matt Gonzales is an online writer\/editor for SHRM who focuses on inclusion, equity and diversity.<\/em><\/p>\n Illustrations by Stephanie Dalton.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the last year, diversity, equity and inclusion has lost its luster. Politicians are passing bills limiting the reach of DE&I in the workplace. Conservative-leaning consumers are boycotting companies they perceive as too \u201cwoke.\u201d And reports have shown that diversity and inclusion training at work is largely ineffective. But further research reveals that women are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,686],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-559096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employee-relations","category-equal-employment-opportunity-eeo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/559096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=559096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/559096\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=559096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=559096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squarehr.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=559096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n\n
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42 percent view these initiatives as divisive, and another 42 percent resent them.<\/p>\n\n
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![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/hr-today\/news\/hr-magazine\/winter-2023\/PublishingImages\/Pages\/the-diversity-dilemma\/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%209.37.03%20AM.png\")
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