{"id":11630,"date":"2025-04-22T15:10:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&p=11630"},"modified":"2025-04-30T15:35:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:35:33","slug":"five-ways-to-maintain-dei-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-strategy\/dei\/five-ways-to-maintain-dei-initiatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Five practical ways to maintain DEI initiatives in challenging times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Five practical ways to maintain DEI initiatives in challenging times<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives come under increasing pressure owing to the changing political climate, Georgie Williams sets out some steps organisations can take to protect underrepresented workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Published: 22 April 2025 | by Brightmine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If recent headlines are anything to go by, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is in danger. In the United States, companies such as Goldman Sachs and Google<\/a> are scrapping their DEI initiatives. These changes will have a profound effect on social mobility for many talented and ambitious workers in the US – and probably beyond, given the interconnected, more globalised nature of the work sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the UK branch of Deloitte has clashed with the US branch<\/a> in defying this DEI rollback, we may see some companies double down on their efforts. However, others may yield to pressure – at the expense of their employees as well as their reputation. As we face an uncertain future in the realm of DEI, we must consider the following: first, what’s at stake? Second, what can be done at an organisational level to protect the welfare of underrepresented workers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What’s at stake, talking pragmatically, are serious financial returns. A 2023 study of the Harvard Business Review<\/a> investigated “change power” – a measure of business adaptability associated with “financial performance, stronger culture and leadership, and more engaged and inspired employees” – and how it correlated with workplace DEI initiatives. Their findings were as follows: “In a detailed study of 79 large companies, we found that every 0.1-point improvement in DEI ratings for a company (on a 5-point scale) was linked to a corresponding 13% increase in the absolute change-power score on average.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings mirror those emerging from research at the London School of Economics and Political Science<\/a> in 2024, which demonstrated that “DEI is positively associated with long-term market valuation and innovation”. Research continues to demonstrate the bankable benefits of DEI workplace practices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What doors to opportunity can we carve out with adequate resources, time and participants? At all levels within an organisation, we can contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. So what can that look like?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The ethical stakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the obvious business benefits, we have to address what it means, ethically, for DEI to be threatened. It is easy to lose sight of what any acronym means – DEI is not exempt. Diversity, equity and inclusion are cornerstones of human dignity. The dignity of having accessible bathrooms, the dignity of being referred to correctly with our name and pronouns, the dignity of being allowed to work for our place at the table – this is what DEI is about. Our DEI efforts should always be grounded in maintaining human dignity, and this endeavour must be made explicit. DEI practices still have remarkable scope for improvement, especially around their ability to reflect a full range of diverse lived experiences. But when it comes to workplace inclusion, we cannot let “perfect” be the enemy of “good” in the face of growing political hostility towards the most vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some practical steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A workplace is a microcosm of the outside world: it reflects the same tensions, connections and challenges as those that exist in our lives beyond it. What is special about this microcosm is that it is one we can\u00a0control<\/em>. What injustice do we face in the outside world that can be eliminated from our workplace? What doors to opportunity can we carve out with adequate resources, time and participants? At all levels within an organisation, we can contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. So what can that look like?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Undoubtedly, DEI initiatives suffer without wider governmental support – but the push for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace started from the bottom, not the top of the sociopolitical ladder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Use your platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The normalisation of anti-DEI sentiment begets the acceptance of anti-DEI motions. Both internally (in meetings and via internal digital platforms) and externally (on platforms such as LinkedIn), raising the alarm about the importance of protecting DEI is essential. Not only does this challenge the encroaching anti-DEI narratives, but it also signposts you as a trusted colleague and peer to underrepresented and more vulnerable employees. Sharing educational resources and compelling narratives from individuals affected by these rollbacks can have a profound effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Employee solidarity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not DEI initiatives affect us personally, we can all recognise the value of employee solidarity and speaking up for others. This is often more direct than using your platform – it may involve intervening when recognising problematic or harmful behaviour towards underrepresented colleagues or directly mobilising against DEI rollbacks in your workplace. If we are in any way different from the overrepresented “norm”, sacrificing support for any underrepresented workers is a slippery slope that will eventually affect all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Steer your budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Where some DEI initiatives may falter under waning external support, it is crucial to do what we can to steer our budget towards diverse, equitable and inclusive practices. If you have oversight on any internal training, education or public speakers, sequestering a budget for diverse voices is incredibly important. Social solidarity is essential, but economic solidarity is empowering. The impact of utilising budget for events such as these is threefold:<\/p>\n\n\n\n