Sometimes, diversity, equity and inclusion work is a matter of compliance. Sometimes, it’s a matter of building a culture of inclusion and belonging. Four years out from the summer of anti-racism and unconscious bias trainings, employers are still grappling with the best approach to DEI. 

The Society for Human Resource Management eliminated “equity” from its acronym — although a SHRM staffer previously told HR Dive that conversations about the program name are a “distraction” from inclusion work.

Then a string of DEI rollbacks occurred, with one online activist seemingly bending the ear of major companies. First Tractor Supply and John Deere; then Harley-Davidson and Brown-Foreman Corp., then Ford and Molson Coors.

Amid all of this, Microsoft made headlines — perhaps erroneously — regarding its changes to its DEI staffing. The company laid off two people whose roles were DEI-related, while some outlets mischaracterized the news as an across-the-board elimination.

Outside the corporate sphere, higher education institutions have been disbanding their DEI centers and reassigning employees.

And on top of everything else, DEI job postings are down. A senior economist at a data analysis company gave her thoughts on why these roles lack longevity.