Political and economic challenges around the world have placed the ED&I agenda under scrutiny and, perhaps in some areas, suspicion. Some job holders with responsibility in this area have been challenged to prove their worth, others have simply been told to find another job.
Some changes around the agenda are easy to see, with organisations making moves to drop diversity requirements from parts of their people programme, others are less obvious. For example, is the language around ED&I actually shifting to dumb down or reduce the impact of agenda.
“The future outlook for ED&I lies in its continued evolution and integration into the fabric of organisational strategy,” says Dr Aaron Taylor, Head of Department of Human Resources at Arden University. “Amid global tensions and shifts, particularly the prominent ED&I rollbacks in the US, some may prematurely declare ED&I efforts as ‘dead’, but the truth is far more nuanced.”
Opinions divided
This is by no means to say the future of ED&I is secure. Dr Taylor is clear that companies need to continue their efforts to make a difference in this area, and it remains important for employees and consumers alike to voice their demand for the same. Interestingly Dr Taylor quotes a recent survey that shows divided opinion on the subject with half of Britons believing reducing ED&I initiatives would be harmful, but over a fifth either supporting or sympathising with such measures. “This highlights a divide in public opinion, with younger and working-age individuals more likely to oppose rollbacks,” says Dr Taylor.
Organisations that fail to prioritise this evolution risk serious long-term consequences.
Despite the apparently waning enthusiasm, however, Dr Taylor reiterates the strength of ED&I for businesses. “While ED&I is not a fleeting initiative, it is a dynamic framework that adapts to the demands of a changing world,” he says. “Organisations that fail to prioritise this evolution risk serious long-term consequences, including diminished innovation, loss of diverse talent, and weakened relationships with increasingly conscious consumer bases.”
Embedding actions
Pradeep Jeyaratnam-Joyner, Business Psychologist & Head of Company Development at training and coaching business Aspire Leadership believes one movement within ED&I has seen the embedding of actions within the fabric of organisations. This isn’t just a surreptitious switch of priorities, it’s an adaptation due to the hybrid working models companies are now using: “With more folks working remotely and feeling separated, companies are actually doubling down on making workplaces inclusive and boosting that sense of belonging internally,” he claims. “At Aspire Leadership we’ve seen an increase in client requests to develop programmes to embed inclusion and belonging across all members of the workforce and create a workplace culture that supports people when they might feel unsupported elsewhere.”
Not only does this mean that ‘tick-box’ efforts are declining, but so too are high-profile publicly promoted initiatives. So it may be the case that it looks like ED&I is declining when really organisations are concentrating on doing things which make a difference internally.
We need to be able to civilly challenge each other, or workplaces will suffer.
“There are challenges,” admits Jeyaratnam-Joyner, “with opinions getting super polarised, it’s getting tougher to have healthy disagreements at work.” However, he also makes the point that diversity means different ideas as well as different faces. “If we can’t bring varying viewpoints to the table without things turning nasty, it really hurts our ability to innovate and make good decisions,” he says. “We need to be able to civilly challenge each other, or workplaces will suffer.”
Rollback may not be so severe
Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum agrees that the global nature of the economy means that many businesses have been impacted by events and trends in the US even if they do not operate there. However she also indicates the scale of rollback may not be as bad as some might believe, citing IoD research which indicated that 71 per cent of UK businesses are not planning to scale back their approach despite occurrences in the US. The research also found that only 11% of respondents expect their organisations to scale down ED&I activities in the near future.
“Businesses which make hasty cuts to EDI spending now may find themselves facing additional costs as they are forced to reconsider their decision in the future,” she says.
Indeed, the Business Disability Forum asserts that ED&I is a strategic and ongoing priority. “This is the right thing to do in terms of valuing every human being and their right to live in an equal and fair world,” says Lightfoot. “It is also essential for business growth and productivity. Investing in EDI also leads to greater mutual understanding, co-operation and opportunities for learning and development.”
Is everything about to become less fair?
Reducing EDI investment says Lightfoot is a false economy in terms of attraction, engagement and employee satisfaction. Moreover, it would seem to remain important for new talent coming into businesses: “We know that the younger workforce, in particular, has higher expectations of the support they want from their employer and will leave an employer if these expectations are not met,” she says. “Diversity is a key expectation for a new cohort of young workers who are very passionate but also ready to leave an unsatisfactory employer at a moment’s notice.”
As an example of what’s at stake, the BDF notes that around 83% of disabled people acquire their disability during their working life, and the chances of becoming disabled increase with age. A pro-active ED&I agenda will therefore help to retain skilled and experienced staff who acquire a disability or long-term condition. “All organisations are likely to have disabled staff but the needs of these staff are less likely to be met in an organisation that does not see EDI as a priority,” says Lightfoot.
Despite headlines to the contrary, then, ED&I does not appear to be on the way out for organisations, nor should it be relegated to the sidelines in the belief that it is no longer important for employees, candidates or consumers. If anything organisations need to become more sophisticated in their attention to the agenda, ensuring what they do actually has impact and is genuinely meant. Candidates and consumers alike will be able to sense when initiatives are not sincerely meant and will act accordingly.
As Dr Taylor suggests: “Organisations that integrate it into their core strategies will drive innovation, retain top talent and build lasting trust with their customers. The future belongs to those who prioritise fairness and equity as a foundation for sustainable success.”
