This article is part of “Workforce Innovation,” a series exploring the forces shaping enterprise transformation.
For years, diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a central strategy at many companies, shaping workplace cultures, HR practices, and recruitment and retention initiatives.
Recently, though, momentum has shifted. High-profile figures like Elon Musk have accused DEI of fueling the culture wars and labeling it “woke.” Meanwhile, companies like Harley-Davidson, Molson Coors, Lowe’s, and John Deere have scaled back or dropped their DEI programs.
A survey by the executive-search firm Bridge Partners of 400 C-suite and HR leaders at companies with at least $25 million in revenue or 250 employees found that the number of employers who said they had increased their DEI investments in the past year dropped to 66% in 2024 from 77% in 2023. Roughly one in four executives suggested they believed DEI programs were a fad.
But amid the backlash, some organizations are refining their DEI strategies, focusing on belonging, inclusion, and …