Employees see personal, organisational benefits from DEI
Employees in the United States are saying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have delivered various benefits amid growing corporate withdrawal over these policies in the country.
A recent survey found that employees recognise the benefits of DEI initiatives when it comes to their personal work experiences and their company's leadership.
And 95% of employees say DEI initiatives have positively impacted their work experiences. Another 88% said DEI also improved their overall company diversity.
"DEI programmes are fundamentally reshaping workplaces for the better," says MyPerfectResume. "Employees report a more welcoming, respectful, and collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are acknowledged and valued."
Other organisational benefits that employees noted when it comes to DEI include:
The findings come in the wake of growing corporate withdrawal in the United States on DEI measures over the past years. Among the organisations that have announced measures to alter their DEI measures include:
The US Federal government, under President Donald Trump, also ended its DEI initiatives and placed all DEI employees on leave.
Many organisations in the US attributed their DEI scale back to the shifting legal landscape in the country, following a Supreme Court ruling that declared unconstitutional and unlawful Harvard College's inclusion of race as a factor in college admission policies.
There are also organisations succumbing to conservative backlash when it comes to DEI, while others are subscribing to an emerging MEI hiring principle, which means merit, excellence, and intelligence.
But MyPerfectResume said the real issue with the shifting DEI environment is leadership's lack of conviction.
"The problem isn't DEI programmes falling short — it's leadership lacking the conviction to stand by them," it said.
"Companies have spent years building impactful, data-driven DEI initiatives that are now at risk of being unfairly branded as failures or unnecessary expenditures. In reality, these rollbacks are often the result of external pressure, not the programmes themselves failing to deliver."
Maren Hogen, CEO of Red Branch Media, said the withdrawal represents the potential reversal of progress achieved by DEI initiatives.
"But here's the truth: The need for diversity, equity, and inclusion doesn't disappear with the stroke of a pen," Hogen said on LinkedIn. "Centuries of systemic inequities don't get resolved by a few years of employer branding campaigns, and they certainly don't cease to exist because they've become politically inconvenient."
According to Hogen, this is the opportunity for leaders to show that their previous commitment to DEI is not performative.
"If you're an HR leader, stand firm in the commitments your company made just a few short years ago," she said.
Jason Wingard, a renowned executive, also offered the following advice in driving DEI goals:
Wingard said abandoning DEI may appease critics, but this erodes long-term competitive advantages and organisational resilience.
On the other hand, doubling down on DEI amid the current political climate will require bold leadership from organisations.
"The question remains — are companies prepared to sacrifice proven value for short-term expediency, or will they recognise DEI as an indispensable driver of growth in an increasingly diverse and competitive market?"
