Throughout late 2022 and 2023, D&I professionals have grappled with what appears to be waning interest in diversity, equity and inclusion programming — largely a result of employers pivoting away from the work as economic challenges and other issues capture their attention.
Turning the tide may require integrating the work deeper into a company’s mission and values, D&I leaders have said. For example, at a Diversity Fatigue Summit on May 18, Traci Sanders, vice president and global head of DEI at Verizon, explained that C-suite leaders are graded on their understanding and use of inclusion.
HR Dive’s own Identity of HR survey found that the use of third-party D&I consultants has dropped each year the survey has been conducted; however, some of that work appears to be moving in-house, with HR pros focusing on employee-led initiatives like employee resource groups and paying closer attention to recruitment efforts.
While the future of D&I work is still being established, this year may be its biggest challenge since 2020. Read on to learn more about how diversity work is changing.
