Our thinking

DEI or I&D

19 July, 2024

The US election race appears to be accelerating the bubbling criticism of corporate DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) activity, which has been under the spotlight since last year’s Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action. Loud voices, particularly, on the conservative right, are contributing to the “anti-DEI” movement. Elon Musk has got in on the act as well, pressing his preferred acronym of MEI – merit, excellence and intelligence. One which really couldn’t miss the point more if it tried, as this article cogently argues.

And elsewhere, rather than outright opposition, there are moves to modify traditional approaches to DEI. SHRM, a leading HR firm, has taking the “equity” out of DEI, to create “I&D”, claiming equity is too confusing a concept even for DEI experts. Where does the equity come in – outcomes or opportunity? They claim a move to bring inclusion to the front and remove the contentious term equity makes I&D training more unifying. SHRM suggests that while they have removed the word, their “commitment to equity remains steadfast”.

This move has – rightly to our minds – received backlash from others in the DEI world who ask how can you effectively fulfil diversity and inclusion without equity?  You can’t! Amidst all this noise, and jockeying for political positioning, we also think it’s important to look at the overall picture. USA Today found that three-quarters of executives surveyed by Bridge Partners expect to grow DEI programmes and only 4% say they will cut back and eliminate them, not least because of the positive impact they can have on companies’ bottom lines.

By Anna Heis