While the presidential inauguration and changes across the federal and cultural landscape have had a chilling effect on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, those policies remain an integral part of a sound talent strategy.
A recent survey of corporate leaders, including general counsel, HR and diversity officers, by the employment law firm Littler found that 49 percent of C-suite leaders are not considering new or further rollbacks of DEI programs after the Trump administration's executive orders, and that only 8 percent are seriously considering changes.
Littler's study also found that, in 2024, three-quarters of the businesses surveyed maintained (46 percent) or increased (30 percent) DEI commitments and activity.
Of the C-suite leaders continuing their efforts, "approximately three-quarters said that employee expectations for ongoing [DEI] commitments played a role, suggesting that [DEI] remains an important talent retention and recruitment strategy for many employers even as the environment around those efforts becomes more hostile," a report from Littler indicated in response to the study's findings.
Amid the surging sense of DEI backlash in January, Newsweek noted that survey data from Gravity Research showed that 43 percent of companies in the Fortune 100 mentioned DEI in 2023 earnings calls. In 2024, that figure fell to 31 percent, but the study found a 59 percent rise in neutral, related terms such as "belonging" or "diverse perspectives."
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