How to Stand Up When It Comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

SHRM CEO Johnny Taylor tried to explain the decision by telling Axios in an interview, "We can't come in and have a legitimate conversation with senior management when people are debating [what the 'e' means]." According to Lean In's 2024 report "Women in the Workplace," the percentage of younger women saying that gender diversity matters to them rose from 68% to 71% between 2019 and 2024. According to employees, the top factors that would help them understand the sincerity of companies' DEI efforts are allowing open dialogue and anchoring programs back to company values. While 61% of the 2,274 Americans polled said they support "diversity, equity, and inclusion programs," the level of support rose to 69% when survey participants were given this more detailed definition: "programs to hire more employees from groups that are underrepresented in their workforce, such as racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities and to promote equity in the workplace."