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All hell broke loose in HR social media circles last month when Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), announced a shift in focus from "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)" to the stripped down "Inclusion and Diversity (I&D)." DEI, or IE&D as SHRM has sometimes called it, has been a standard approach for decades.
“We're going to lead with inclusion, because we need a world where inclusion is front and center. And that means inclusion for all, not some people. Everyone has a right to feel that they belong in the workplace and that they are included,” Taylor announced at SHRM's annual conference.
In spite of the blowback, SHRM doubled down on Taylor's statement.
“Effective immediately, SHRM will be adopting the acronym 'I&D' instead of 'IE&D.' This new focus highlights SHRM's role as the foremost expert and advocate in workplace Inclusion and Diversity. By emphasizing Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization.”
Taylor insisted that the removal of Equity did not mean it was being pushed aside, rather: “It will be incorporated under the broader inclusion framework — when inclusion is done right, so is equity,” he wrote.
What's Inclusion Without Equity?
The sudden shift in terminology sparked immediate controversy in the HR community, with professionals taking to social media to voice their concerns. Many disagreed with SHRM's decision, leading to over 1,000 mostly negative comments on LinkedIn and Reddit. HR professionals voiced concerns ranging from disagreement to accusations of political motivations. Here are three typical LinkedIn comments:
Without equity, it’s just exploitation. Fair wages, mobility, and opportunity should be front and center, not buried as a bullet point under inclusion. It seems like a way to avoid holding businesses accountable for capital gains. This is not the right move.” — Ashley King M.A., SHRM-CPV
"I understand that DEI is under political attack and that SHRM has political ties, but this doesn’t make it acceptable. It reminds us not to rely on one entity to define what’s right. Always do your own research across multiple sources for the best advice." — Sertrice Shipley
"The statement 'Equity will be integrated under the broader Inclusion framework' makes no sense. Why absorb Equity into Inclusion when there are still significant issues with equity in the workplace? Equity must remain at the forefront of DE&I efforts due to the major workplace equity problems. This decision feels like an 'all lives matter' stance, and I'm disappointed. SHRM should do better." — Krystyen Galvin
Related Article: Is DEI Sustainable in the Workplace?
When In Doubt, Cut It Out
In an interview with Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at Culture Partners, Taylor suggested that the “E" was creating a lot of division, divisiveness, disagreement and incivility, adding that people couldn’t agree on what equity meant. Under that assumption, Taylor and SHRM’s reasoning was to eliminate the “E” and to focus instead on what everyone could agree on: inclusion and diversity (with an emphasis on inclusion).
Experts on Equity
Taylor argued that SHRM’s decision was made by looking at the data. We contacted SHRM to learn more about that data and are waiting to hear back. We were eager to know if those opposing SHRM's move were a vocal minority or a reckoning force. In the meantime, we asked experts for their definitions of equity:
Joelle Emerson, co-founder of Paradigm had this to say: "In organizations, equity involves creating systems that allow individuals from diverse backgrounds to have fair opportunities to excel. This means identifying biases and areas lacking a level playing field and addressing those gaps to ensure that personal identity does not impact hiring, pay, promotion, etc."
"Equity in DEI means identifying and removing barriers that hinder some groups' full participation. Unlike equality, which treats everyone the same, equity recognizes different circumstances and provides resources to achieve similar outcomes," said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher at the Conference Board.
Alex Suggs, co-founder of Different defined it as: "Equity is about ensuring fair treatment, access, and opportunities for everyone while working to eliminate barriers preventing full participation for certain groups."
Both Schweyer and Emerson are flexible with DEI labeling, using terms like DE&IB (B=Belonging), DEI, D&I and I&D based on client preferences. Neither has observed Equity explicitly sidelined in practice.
"Equity will always be central to building inclusive, high-performing organizations," Emerson told Reworked. The Conference Board also maintains its DEI terminology. "While I understand that inclusion might include equity, I see no strong reason to change the term,” said Schweyer.
He also noted that the use of "diversity, equity & inclusion" in S&P 500 company proxy statements increased from 25 mentions in 2020 to 329 in 2023, highlighting its growing importance.
Related Article: DEIB Is Ready for a Reboot
Impact of Removing 'Equity' From DEI
With these expert definitions in mind, it's important to consider the potential consequences of SHRM's decision to remove Equity.
Our interviews revealed that while words matter, the emphasis on "Equity" is crucial for many. "Removing equity from DEI weakens efforts to tackle the specific challenges marginalized groups face. Without equity in organizations and beyond, diversity isn't truly reflected at all workplace levels, and inclusion remains superficial,” said Suggs.
Part of a Broader Pattern
It would be nice to believe that removing the equity from DEI, and its many variations, will help create the workplaces that employers and SHRM say they want for workers and society.
But that would be to deny that DEI as a whole is under fire.
While SHRM states its aim with the move is to foster agreement and progress, it's crucial to examine whether removing 'equity' from the conversation truly addresses the underlying issues. The announcement didn't happen in a vacuum. The last few years have seen a number of moves made at the state and federal level to strike down advancements made in the DEI space, including the passage of Florida's Stop WOKE Act in April 2022 and the Supreme Court's June 2023 decision to end race-based affirmative action in higher education.
“What SHRM didn’t mention were the extremist groups who have launched a very intentional attack on DEI, blaming this acronym for everything from a train derailment to antisemitism on college campuses to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump, and are now calling one of our Presidential candidates a 'DEI hire,'” Emerson told Reworked.
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Related Podcast: Allstate's Eloiza Domingo on What it Takes to Move the Needle on DEI
Take Back the Narrative
Suggs suggested that despite the backlash DEI faces, now is not the time to make DEI smaller. “It's important for us as HR and Talent professionals to come together and take back the narrative, get super clear on where we may have gotten it wrong and what we should do differently going forward,” they said.
