…And the Companies That Get It Will Win
by Aniela Unguresan
Headlines scream about companies scaling back equity and inclusion efforts, creating the illusion that the tide is turning against initiatives embraced as DEI. That businesses are abandoning progress. That equity, fairness, and inclusion are on the decline.
That is not true.
The fundamental issues DEI addresses—diverse representation, pay equity, career opportunities, and inclusive workplaces—remain relevant and are non-negotiable for any company that wants to thrive in the future.
Leading companies across all industries are doubling down—not backing down. Apple, Costco, e.l.f. Beauty, JPMorgan Chase, and Sephora are investing in DEI because they know it drives innovation, strengthens culture, and fuels long-term success.
Meanwhile, the companies making headlines for rolling back their commitments? They are the minority. A vocal one, yes. But they are a fraction of enterprises in a vast, great, big world.
Balancing Inspiration with Realism
Decades of research and practice have shown that diverse teams innovate more, perform better, and drive stronger business results. Can anyone truly question that fair hiring, pay, and promotion processes reduce costly turnover and boost morale?
Despite the data, some companies hesitate to tap into the power of DEI. Those leaders worry about legal risks, political backlash, or budget constraints. And to make matters more challenging, Kenji Yoshino, David Glasgow, and Christina Joseph noted in Harvard Business Review they far into two traps in communicating putting them in a difficult position where pulling back seems to be the best choice:
- Talking too much—and creating legal vulnerabilities.
- Talking too little—and appearing to abandon DEI altogether.
The answer isn’t to retreat. It’s to get sharper, more precise, and more strategic. Companies must communicate that equity and inclusion are about fairness, removing barriers, and unlocking talent—not “preferences” or compliance box-checking.
6 Practical Steps to “Double Down”
- Align Leadership and Departments – DEI isn’t just HR’s job. Boards, leadership teams, public affairs, legal counsel, and frontline managers must all champion the business case and document your organization’s E&I/DEI stance, define allowable practices (e.g., data collection, recruitment outreach), and clearly explain them to everyone.
- Make Data Your Ally – Track key metrics, including hiring, promotion, pay equity, and employee engagement. Share the insights to build trust and hold leaders accountable.
- Redesign Processes, Not Just People – Standardize job interviews, conduct pay equity audits, and eliminate bias-ridden “tap-on-the-shoulder” promotions.
- Communicate the “Win-Win” – A fair, inclusive workplace benefits everyone. High engagement, retention, and strong performance aren’t just good for DEI—they’re good for business.
- Anticipate and Address Legal Pitfalls – Work with your team of subject-matter experts and your legal advisors to ensure that you stay clear of suggesting that your organization engages in conferring a preference on a protected group with respect to a palpable benefit.
- Stay on Top of What Works – “There is no meritocracy without fairness” says Prof. Iris Bohnet, coauthor of Make Work Fair. This book offers an actionable blueprint for making fairness at work a reality. The book has three parts: “Make It Count. Make it Stick. Make it Natural.” and introduces evidence-based methods—tested at many organizations and proven to work in the real world—to help us make fairer and simply better decisions. For me, this timely and actionable guide has been a constant source of immediate, proven ways to do every day work better and, smarter and fairer. I highly recommend it.
There are challenges—legal complexities, budget constraints, loud critics. However, there are hurdles to launching new products or services, too. Did you give up? No, you didn’t. You continued to think through the issue and take new steps to move forward. The same is true with DEI, and the companies that stay the course will lead the future.
“Yes, sometimes it might feel like we are constantly preaching to the choir but that is ok because the choir needs to sing,” Prof. Bohnet told me the other day. “But the choir needs to sing.” Are you a voice in this choir? More importantly, are you building a workplace where every voice—can find its place in the chorus?
Let’s turn up the volume. Let’s act with clear intention and resolve. Join my colleagues and me to ensure that fairness, equity, and inclusion are the foundation of how we work, lead, and succeed.
