A Night to Remember at Cipriani

New York City shimmered on October 23 as leaders, families, and changemakers gathered at Cipriani 42nd Street for the annual Seramount Gala. Beneath its grand tilework and historic arches, the evening celebrated not only excellence but also belonging. Guests enjoyed an immersive experience that included virtual reality headsets offering glimpses of innovation, Ms. Wendy’s whimsical pipe cleaner art that brought smiles across generations, and an exquisite menu that kept conversation flowing late into the night

The night’s most moving moment came as Seramount honored the Working Parents and Caregivers of the Year—individuals whose leadership at work is matched only by their care at home. It was a powerful reminder that progress begins with people who show up for others, day after day.

The Future of Leadership Takes the Stage

As dinner gave way to dialogue, the spotlight turned to a CHRO panel titled “The Future of Leadership: People, Purpose, and Possibility.” Moderated by Sally Amoruso, Chief Partner Officer at EAB, the conversation brought insight and honesty in equal measure.

Panelists Anne Erni (Audible), Tara Favors (Mutual of America), and Sharon Pollard (CloudZero) discussed how leadership itself is evolving — blending data, empathy, and adaptability in ways that redefine what it means to lead well. They spoke about building trust, using analytics to uncover bias, and leading with “radical empathy” in complex times.

It was a candid, inspiring look at where leadership is headed—and how today’s HR visionaries are already shaping that future.

The night concluded with a stunning medley of New York–inspired songs from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, perfectly capping off an evening of harmony and celebration.

If the Gala was the celebration, the Summit was the think tank—a full day devoted to the next chapter of workplace evolution.

From Celebration to Ideation

The following morning, the energy carried to Convene 360 in Midtown Manhattan for WorkBeyond Summit 2025. The day opened with a Community Impact Breakfast supporting I Got You Girl, part of the NYC Campaign Against Hunger — setting a tone of service and shared purpose.

Under the theme “Future Forward: Inclusion, Innovation, and Impact,” HR, talent, and inclusion professionals spent the day exploring the evolving world of work—from well-being and belonging to technology and transformation.

Rediscovering Our Humanity

Keynote speaker Vanessa Woods, research scientist and author of Survival of the Friendliest, challenged the audience to rethink what truly drives progress.

“Inclusion is an adjective, not a noun,” she shared in her conversation with Subha V. Barry, President of Seramount. Her insight was simple but powerful: humanity has always thrived through cooperation, not competition.

Her words filled the room with quiet conviction—a reminder that empathy and curiosity will define the next era of leadership.

Ideas in Action: The WorkBeyond Idea-thon

The WorkBeyond Idea-thon, led by David Attis (EAB) and Nichelle Wash (Seramount), turned ideas into action. Participants rolled up their sleeves to reimagine workplace challenges using design thinking.

Teams explored themes such as leadership accountability, trust, and cross-functional collaboration. The energy was high—ideas flew, laughter filled the room, and strangers became collaborators. For many attendees from the same organization, it was also a rare chance to work together—something they don’t often get to do since they’re spread across different offices.

Attis summed upped this session best: “To see the future, start looking in the present.”

Insights That Inspire

The afternoon featured sessions on neurodiversity in hiring, AI’s human side, and mental health at work—each offering new ideas for how organizations can thrive in times of change.

Panelists shared strategies that were practical yet deeply human: design workplaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to grow. The Summit closed with a lively networking reception, where insights turned into introductions and ideas found their next champions.

The mood? Energized, hopeful, and ready for what’s next.

Looking Ahead

From the Gala’s sparkle to the Summit’s strategy, this year’s events captured the full spirit of Seramount—equal parts elegance and action. Together, they reminded us that the future of work isn’t something to predict; it’s something to design.

To everyone who joined us—sponsors, honorees, speakers, partners, and guests—thank you for making this year one to remember.

We can’t wait to return to New York City on October 22–23, 2026, for another unforgettable celebration of progress, people, and possibility.

Interested in getting involved early? Connect with your Seramount representative to begin planning.We look forward to continuing this work together and celebrating your progress next year.

View all 2025 WorkBeyond photos.

The post A Night of Glamour, a Day of Vision: Highlights from the Seramount Gala and WorkBeyond Summit 2025 appeared first on Seramount.

Proactive Inclusion in a Complex World

Barry shared encouraging data, illustrating how inclusive hiring efforts are paying off. In a study of recruitment practices across the UK, Canada, and India, companies employing “tried-and-true” inclusion tactics – diverse candidate slates, diverse interview panels, mandatory bias training, and targeted sourcing – saw tangible results. In the UK, for example, 50% of new hires this year were women, up from 46% in 2023, with similar rises in Canada (55%, up from 51%) and modest results in India (37%, up from 36%). These upticks in women’s hiring underscore how inclusive talent strategies can drive measurable progress, reinforcing Barry’s point that inclusion can be a competitive advantage in every market. Barry also highlighted partnership as a catalyst for innovation: The StepStone Group, a global leader in digital recruitment and the summit’s host, exemplifies how embedding inclusion at a platform’s core helps connect talent to opportunity at scale. StepStone’s own Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Bianca Stringuini, echoed this vision of inclusion-fueled innovation in her welcome remarks, setting the stage for a day of learning and collaboration.

From Compliance to Influence: Aligning HR Leadership

The first session dug into a foundational question: how can Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) and Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) join forces to amplify impact? James Cowling-Vega, shared insights from a new Seramount study based on interviews with over 100 CHROs. The research revealed that while most HR leaders support Inclusion in principle, truly integrating inclusion into business strategy requires moving beyond compliance-driven approaches to ones centered on influence and collaboration. Cowling-Vega noted that effective CDO-CHRO partnerships hinge on speaking the language of business outcomes. This theme of “shifting from explaining inclusion to executing with influence” resonated throughout the day. In fact, Seramount’s latest pulse survey found that only 1 in 5 CDOs feel they can effectively influence their C-suite on Inclusion, even as 90% say securing senior leadership buy-in is their top priority. Closing that gap is critical – without the ability to clearly link inclusion to business value, Inclusion efforts risk being sidelined or defunded in today’s environment. Cowling-Vega’s session underscored a clear call to action: HR and Inclusion leaders must continue to evolve from box-checking to business-aligned strategies, using data and influence to embed inclusion into executive agendas.

Moving with Trust in AI

A lively fireside chat on emerging technology examined the cutting-edge of inclusion practice: AI in HR. Nicola Weatherhead, StepStone Group’s VP of Talent Acquisition & People Operations, joined Subha Barry for a candid discussion on the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in people management. Weatherhead, a veteran tech industry people leader, and Barry emphasized moving forward with trust in AI – harnessing AI’s efficiencies in recruiting and talent management while maintaining human oversight and fairness. Attendees openly shared their experiences via live poll: many organizations are still in early exploratory stages of integrating AI in HR, and the top concerns on everyone’s mind are bias, transparency, and compliance with rapidly evolving laws. Weatherhead addressed these head-on, citing the forthcoming EU AI Act as a prime example of why HR leaders must stay proactive. Her guidance: treat AI as a tool to augment, not replace, human judgment, and build diverse teams to vet AI-driven decisions for unintended bias. She described StepStone’s approach to ethical AI – from rigorous bias testing in algorithms to cross-functional governance – as a model of balancing innovation with responsibility. The takeaway was clear: trust and innovation can co-exist. With the right guardrails, AI can help streamline hiring and expand talent pools, but earning employee trust means prioritizing ethics and transparency at every step.

Navigating Legal Headwinds in Inclusion

Legal and regulatory shifts have rocked the Inclusion landscape worldwide, a reality brought to life by Chris Bracebridge, Partner at Covington & Burling LLP and a leader on the firm’s global Inclusion Council. Bracebridge led a session on inclusion under pressure – how recent legal changes demand agile strategies from Inclusion and HR teams. He noted that in just the past 18 months, dramatic changes have altered what’s permissible or practicable in corporate Inclusion programs. From high-profile court decisions on affirmative action in the U.S., to new European regulations like the AI Act and pay transparency directives, to evolving UK compliance requirements – the rules of engagement for Inclusion are being rewritten in real time. Bracebridge broke down these complexities with practical clarity, reassuring leaders that inclusion and compliance are not mutually exclusive. For instance, he pointed out that even amid political pushback, companies can focus on inclusive practices that are universally beneficial, such as mentorship programs or diversity in recruitment, which carry low legal risk but high cultural impact. The key is to stay informed and creative: adjusting language, reframing programs, and doubling down on business relevance can help inclusion initiatives survive external challenges. Bracebridge’s bottom line: Inclusion leaders must become deft navigators of change, influencing stakeholders with both vision and vigilance. His insights – coming from a firm that’s been advising global companies through these storms since 2021 – provided a roadmap for turning legal “disruption into opportunity”, sparking ideas on how to future-proof inclusion efforts.

Macro Trends and Inclusion: An Economist’s View

After lunch, the summit zoomed out to a macro-economic lens, examining how broad labor market trends influence workplace inclusion. Julius Probst, Appcast’s European Labor Economist, presented a data-rich look at the British economy and job market in 2025. Probst, shared sobering statistics: the UK’s unemployment rate has crept up to 4.6%, and job vacancies have declined to their lowest since before the pandemic. After a long post-pandemic boom, Britain’s labor market is edging closer to a downturn, with hiring freezes and lower turnover as economic uncertainty rises. Yet within this challenging climate, there are silver linings for inclusion. Probst noted that a cooling labor market can push employers to focus on quality ofhire over quantity, presenting an opening to double down on inclusive recruitment – reaching talent that may have been overlooked in hyper-competitive Probst added perspective from on-the-ground in the UK: even as overall hiring slows, skills shortages persist in sectors from technology to care services, meaning companies that cast wider nets and invest in upskilling diverse talent will weather the storm better. This economist’s view reinforced a theme from earlier in the day – inclusion as innovation under pressure. When macro headwinds blow, inclusive practices like reskilling, internal mobility, and flexible work can become engines of resilience. The session vividly connected the dots between global trends and daily inclusion work, reminding leaders that Inclusion strategy must flex with economic realities.

Collaborative Solutions: Evolving ERGs and Beyond

Caroline Waters, OBE – a veteran HR executive and Deputy Chair of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission – led an eye-opening breakout session on global demographic shifts and what they mean for inclusion. Co-facilitated by Angela Lacerna, an Associate Director of Partner Development at Seramount, the session challenged participants to think bigger about where talent and consumers will come from in the future.

Waters highlighted several striking facts as signals of a massive demographic transformation unfolding worldwide:

• English speakers on the rise: China is poised to become the largest English-speaking nation in the world.
• Talent pool scale: The top 25% highest-IQ individuals in China outnumber the entire population of North America (and India’s top 28% does as well).
• Workforce surplus: Even if every current U.S. job were transferred to China or India, those countries would still have a huge surplus of workers to spare.
• Skyrocketing birth rates: In the time it takes to read this sentence, dozens of babies are born around the globe – about 38 in the United States, 92 in China, and 241 in India. As Waters put it, “the speed of global diversification is almost too fast to grasp.”
• Shifting majorities: In Birmingham, UK, the balance of demographics flipped within a decade. The city went from roughly 58% White and 42% Black in 2011 to about 49% White and 51% Black in 2021 – a complete reversal of majority and minority representation in just ten years.
• Youth resurgence: In the UK, church attendance among young adults has quadrupled, from only 4% in 2018 to 16% today. This unexpected surge in youth participation is another example of how quickly social trends can turn.

Each of these data points, Waters explained, is more than just a statistic – it’s a wake-up call. Together, they paint a picture of a world where diversity is the new normal on a global scale. Populations and workforces in Asia are booming, educational and linguistic advantages are no longer confined to Western nations, and even local communities are seeing dramatic shifts in composition and behavior. For inclusion strategists, the implication is clear: we must anticipate and embrace a far more diverse future. Inclusion efforts can’t rely on old assumptions about where talent comes from or what “majority” means in any given context. Instead, leaders should prepare for a reality in which the so-called ‘minority’ groups may become majorities (and vice versa), and cultural patterns may shift unexpectedly.

ERGs: From Passion to Strategic Impact

Katie Oertli Mooney, Managing Director at Seramount, shared that even as some organizations pull back on formal DEI programs, employee resource groups (ERGs) remain resilient and continue to evolve. She introduced a new ERG maturity model with two dimensions – operational and impact – urging companies to move beyond grassroots passion to a structured infrastructure with leadership alignment from the top down. On the impact side, Mooney challenged leaders to think past what ERGs do (hosting events or programs) and focus on what they enable for the business and culture. The message was clear: leading organizations treat ERGs not as extracurricular networks, but as strategic partners in driving inclusion and innovation.

Mooney illustrated how high-functioning ERGs serve as pipelines for relationship-building and talent development. ERG leaders and members gain vital experience – from cross-functional collaboration and strategic planning to mentoring others – that hones their business acumen and inclusive leadership skills. These experiences build executive presence and influence among diverse talent, empowering employees to drive cultural fluency across the organization. In short, ERGs can be incubators of future leaders, translating grassroots energy into tangible business capabilities.

Spotlight Stories of Resilience and Innovation

As the summit’s final segment, two industry leaders delivered inspiring spotlight stories illustrating how they are driving inclusion forward in challenging times. Sharlene John, Head of Inclusion, Recruitment and Onboarding at Selfridges, spoke about cultivating talent and culture in the luxury retail sector. John described how Selfridges partners with the King’s Trust to promote internal talent development, creating avenues for underrepresented employees to advance and lead with continued support at the close of the program.

Next, Annika Allen, Head of Inclusion at All3Media, offered a candid look at building inclusion in media and entertainment – an industry known for creative dynamism and, often, systemic inequities. At the summit, Allen spoke passionately about the link between employee well-being and inclusion. In an environment prone to burnout and high stress, All3Media has made employee mental health a pillar of its Inclusion strategy – from inclusive storytelling workshops that give employees a voice, to equitable parental leave and flexible work arrangements. Allen’s core message: creativity and inclusion thrive together when people feel safe, valued, and cared for as whole individuals.

Think Bigger, Act Smarter: What’s Next

After a full day of insights and exchange, the Think Bigger Summit concluded with a unifying call to action. In closing remarks, Subha Barry observed that through every panel, spotlight, and hallway conversation, one theme came up again and again: “This work lives or dies by our ability to influence.” Influence – built on trust, backed by data, and aligned to business priorities – is the linchpin for turning inclusive ideas into sustained action. Barry challenged every leader in attendance to carry the day’s learnings back to their organizations and “engineer influence” for the changes that matter. Some key messages emerged from the summit’s conversations:

• Moving with trust in AI: Leverage AI-driven tools in HR and recruiting, but do so ethically and transparently, addressing biases and ensuring human oversight at each step.
• Inclusion as innovation under pressure: Treat inclusion as a source of innovation and resilience, especially in turbulent times. When under pressure – whether from legal, economic, or social forces – doubling down on Inclusion can reveal new solutions and growth opportunities.
• Shifting from compliance to influence: Evolve from check-the-box diversity compliance toward true influence in the C-suite. Build the business case with data and storytelling, and speak to what drives your particular organization. Inclusion isn’t a “nice-to-have” – it’s a strategic imperative, and it demands the same rigor and buy-in as any core business initiative.
• Evolving ERG maturity and impact: Invest in the maturity of Employee Resource Groups so they become strategic partners in talent development and innovation. Provide ERGs with executive sponsorship, clear objectives, and metrics to showcase impact, moving them from affinity communities to engines of business insight and leadership development.

Looking ahead, Seramount is committed to keeping this momentum going. Seramount’s Global Inclusion Index remains open for organizations to benchmark not just what they say, but what they do, across 29 countries. And the upcoming Global Member Conference will reunite this community to continue the conversation, dive deeper into new research, and turn ideas into action. These efforts are part of Seramount’s broader 2026 thought leadership agenda,  all aimed at one goal: helping inclusion leaders think bigger and act smarter to meet the demands of this changing workplace.

Together, we are turning aspiration into action, and ensuring that inclusion not only keeps pace with change, but drives the innovative workplaces of tomorrow.

The post Strategic Inclusion Under Pressure: Think Bigger Global Summit Highlights appeared first on Seramount.

But in this uncertain environment, silence is a statement. Choosing not to show support for LGBTQ+ employees sends a clear message, whether you intend it or not. That’s why this Pride Month, doing nothing isn’t the safest path; it’s just the most unclear. The question isn’t whether to engage but how to do so meaningfully and responsibly.

Why Supporting Pride in 2025 Is More Critical Than Ever

LGBTQ+ employees are looking to their employers for visible, meaningful support this year, and for good reason. According to Seramount’s February 2025 Employee Voice Session, 93 percent of Chief Diversity Officers and DEI leaders said LGBTQ+ employees were the group most in need of safeguards and backing from private industry, more than any other demographic. That number is up from 84 percent just a few months earlier. In other words, concern is growing, not fading.

At the same time, many companies are quietly pulling back. In a recent Seramount survey, 31 percent of Chief Diversity Officers said public statements were the area most affected by the administration’s anti-DEI agenda. Some are even removing DEI language from websites, marketing, and other outward-facing materials.

This internal retreat is mirrored in the public sphere as well. After facing significant backlash in 2024, Target scaled down its Pride merchandise by 96 percent and limited it to select stores. Moves such as this show how quickly long-standing commitments can shrink under political and cultural pressure and how visibility is often the first thing to go.

In this climate, not showing up sends a message too. And it’s not just employees who are watching—consumers, partners, and shareholders are also holding companies accountable, as seen through the recent consumer boycotts, activist investor pressure, and employee-led protests.

Companies can’t claim to be inclusive if they act only when it’s easy. Pride 2025 may feel politically charged, but this is precisely when authenticity matters most. Pride campaigns have long contributed to stronger brand loyalty, employee trust, and public credibility. And while the current climate may be tense, it’s temporary. Values, however, are remembered. If companies disappear now, they risk being seen as performative or opportunistic when the pendulum inevitably swings back. The cost of standing still may ultimately be greater than the cost of standing up.

Three Approaches for Companies to Support Pride in 2025

1. Listen to Your Employees

Before deciding how your company should show up for Pride in 2025, take the time to understand what your LGBTQ+ employees actually need. It’s easy to make assumptions, but those assumptions may be way off base.

For example, employees might not be focused on external visibility. Instead, they may be more concerned with safety, belonging, or legal uncertainty, especially in states where LGBTQ+ protections are being rolled back. In these cases, the most meaningful support might be practical: clearer nondiscrimination policies, updated employee protections, enhanced mental health benefits, or stronger manager training.

The only way to know is to ask. Host confidential listening sessions. Partner with your Pride ERG, if you have one. Create anonymous channels to gather feedback. Make it clear you’re not checking a box, but shaping your approach based on what employees say will actually make them feel seen and supported this year.

2. Focus on Internal Activities

While many companies are scaling back their external Pride efforts, that doesn’t mean you should scale back internally. In fact, internal activities can carry even more weight when done thoughtfully. This is your chance to show meaningful support where it matters most: within your own walls.

So, if your approach to Pride looks different this year, explain why, and reaffirm your commitment to inclusion.

Once you’ve set the context, think about tone. Many employees are craving moments of joy and connection amid a tense climate. Pride can still be celebratory. Thoughtful, human-centered experiences send a powerful message: We care, we’re listening, and we’re here for you.

Then focus on action. You don’t need a large budget to make internal support visible and effective. Partner with your ERG or DEI team to deliver support in ways that feel relevant and authentic.

Some examples:

• “How to Show Up for Pride 2025” Guide: A resource for all employees offering different ways to express support based on comfort and role. Framing it around “How will you show up for your LGBTQ+ colleagues?” makes it about inclusion, not performance.

• Ally Activation Kits: One-pagers, checklists, or mini workshops that equip allies with tangible behaviors and talking points.
• Resources Roundup: Share updated links to internal and external mental health, legal, or safety resources.

But don’t stop at programming. Review your policies, especially around anti-harassment and nondiscrimination, to make sure they’re up to date, easy to access, and actively enforced.

Done right, internal support isn’t a fallback; it’s where real inclusion shows up.

3. Localize External Support

Many companies are scaling back their involvement in large-scale Pride events, such as WorldPride or San Francisco Pride, due to the fear of public backlash. These high-profile events attract significant attention, and companies are increasingly wary of the potential for negative reactions. Instead, some are opting to focus on more localized or community-centered Pride initiatives.

For instance, while Comcast withdrew sponsorship for WorldPride and San Francisco Pride, they have redirected their efforts to support smaller Pride events in Oakland, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento. This shift allows companies to engage with Pride on a more localized level, where the impact may feel more personal and relevant to their employees and communities.

If your company does decide to participate in external events, it’s essential to conduct a risk mitigation exercise. Consider the potential risks of participating in these events: What could go wrong if you do participate? What could happen if you don’t participate? Are you prepared for the consequences either way?

Ultimately, the key is aligning your decisions with your company’s mission and values. If your support for Pride is rooted in these principles, it will be easier to stand by your actions and respond to any backlash, no matter what form it takes.

The Bottom Line

Navigating Pride in 2025 is a balancing act. Companies must stay true to their values while managing the risks of public backlash, not just to avoid being targeted, but to meet the expectations of your employees, customers, partners, and communities. The goal is to find a middle ground, one that upholds your values without putting your company at unnecessary risk.

Seramount can help you navigate this balance. Our experts can guide you in staying true to your principles while managing potential risks. Contact us today to learn how you can show meaningful support for your employees—not just during Pride month, but all year round.

The post How Should Companies Approach Pride 2025? appeared first on Seramount.

That spirit of nuance and global curiosity defined Seramount’s recent Global EmERGe and Global Member Conference, where over 300 attendees gathered in person and virtually to explore how to scale DEI across geographies—thoughtfully and effectively.

Where Community Meets Strategy: The Next Era of ERGs

Seramount’s president Subha Barry opened the conference with a reflection on the power of community in times of disruption. “ERGs, networks, and communities become the ambassadors of your organization,” she said. But she challenged attendees to think more expansively: What if ERGs could also be think tanks and strategic business drivers? What if we aimed for the butterfly effect—a cascade of impact across business systems—rather than one loud tsunami of change?
 

ERGs were a key theme throughout the two days—described by many as catalysts for shaping culture, creating belonging, and significantly influencing employee retention. 74% of global ERGs play a role in supporting employees’ mental health. So, we were excited to share a preview of our new tool: Seramount Employee Group Maturity Assessment. Led by Nichelle Walsh, this tool will officially be launched on May 14^th at EmERGe, and several leaders had already remarked that the tool helped clarify their path forward. One called it “practical yet innovative.”

Resilience, Responsibility, and the Quietest Idea in the Room

Shagufta Iqbal served as poet-in-residence, inviting participants to reflect on discomfort, identity, and the legacy they leave behind. In her first poem, she reminded the room that “strength comes in all shapes and sizes—and sometimes, the brightest idea is the quietest one.” As we climb ladders of leadership, she asked, “Are we leaving one behind for someone else?”

This work thrives only when psychological safety is in place. That theme emerged again and again—from panelists, audience reflections, and in the quiet moments between sessions. How do we create cultures where employees feel safe to speak up, share struggles, and imagine what’s possible? It starts with leadership behavior and it grows through shared accountability.

Don’t Get Hung Up on Differences. Get Hung Up on Contributions.

Lord Dr. Michael Hastings began his keynote by quoting Vladimir Lenin: “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

Dr. Hastings framed the current DEI moment as one of global transition by referring to a 1925 cartoon by Bob Minor titled “One day they’ll wake up.” Hastings asked us, “How did he know?” If we look at the world’s top 15 economies throughout time, power is shifting. Economies are transforming. It is paramount to not get caught up in one moment; organizations can either react—or lead.

To lead, Hastings said, we must be brave enough to experiment. Sixteen years ago, the first mobile banking innovation happened in Kenya—not Silicon Valley. “The world is diversifying whether you like it or not,” he said. “So don’t begin with assumptions. Begin with curiosity.”

He shared the wisdom of the Hawaiian rules—reminders to speak softly, tell the truth, and without rain there wouldn’t be rainbows. “It’s not about doing good business,” Hastings said. “It’s about creating valuable business.”

Global ERGs: Anchored in Culture, Powered by Strategy

Seramount’s latest Global Inclusion Index surfaced an important truth: While ERGs remain a critical tool, success comes from alignment—not replication. One speaker described an Irish leader tasked with increasing women’s leadership in Japan. He introduced mentorship programs only to discover they didn’t translate culturally and the team quit. “Global competence prevents global blunders.”

Across countries, the most common ERGs continue to center women, LGBTQ+ identities, and sustainability. However, what it means to build community and influence change looks different from place to place.

“Don’t Assume You Know Better Than the People You’re Going To”

That was the theme of day two’s keynote with Sharon Brooks, who has developed inclusive policies across France, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and the United States. Her advice? Ask better questions. Build shared understanding. Invite everyone to the table.

Barry echoed that sentiment in a reflection on active listening. “We need to stop listening to win,” she said. “And start listening to learn.”

Despite headlines claiming otherwise, 78% of Seramount’s global partners are holding firm to their DEI commitments. What’s shifting is how they do the work, not whether.

Culture Isn’t Copy + Paste

During a practitioner panel, speakers shared what inclusion looks like across the globe. In APAC, DEI efforts may include things like married/non-married statuses or rural/urban divides. In Brazil—where more than half of the population identifies as Black or of mixed African descent compared to 13% in the United States—leadership demographics still mirror one another, with just 6% representation. It’s a reminder that even shared challenges require localized solutions.

Micro-inclusions matter. Empathy, family name recognition, and everyday kindnesses go far. When it comes to sustaining this work, inclusion isn’t either/or, it’s always and/and.

“We Are More Similar Than We Think”

That quote came from Kaushik Gopalan of TransUnion, whose team tracks internal mobility across 30+ countries. Gopalan’s advice? Create culture ambassadors, dispel myths about who gets to advance in their roles, and broaden your view of what talent looks like.

Mark Russell at KPMG UK shared how collecting socioeconomic data helped them close equity gaps in promotion and retention. More people sharing their stories helped others feel safe enough to share theirs too. Read more about KPMG’s work here.

Wrapping Up: Lean into Global Wisdom

After two days of learning, one message stood out: Most organizations aren’t slowing down—they’re evolving. If anything, this moment is a wake-up call to listen more intently to what our global colleagues have to teach us.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors: Merck, Visa, Bank of America, Kraft Heinz, Aramark, Tapestry, Allegis Global Solutions, for helping make this global gathering possible. Your support is a powerful reminder that when we invest in community, dialogue, and bold ideas, we move closer to building more inclusive workplaces and a more equitable world.

Thank you to those who joined us in London—and to those who continue to carry this work forward every day. As one attendee shared, the event served as “a reminder that the most meaningful progress often comes from the hardest conversations.”

Here’s to continuing those conversations—together.

The post Pushing Boundaries: Global Perspectives on Inclusion and Belonging appeared first on Seramount.

Despite the ostensible return to “normal,” many corporate leaders now face greater emotional exhaustion, disillusionment, and disengagement than they did at the pandemic’s peak. Nowhere is this crisis more acute now than in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leadership. With mounting political pressures, shrinking budgets, and external scrutiny, DEI executives are being stretched to their limits.

To address this growing crisis, Seramount is hosting a virtual keynote:
Beyond Burnout: Practical Strategies for Leaders to Foster Well-Being and Drive Organizational Change.

This session, with Dr. Romie Mushtaq (Chief Wellness Officer, Great Wolf Resorts)—one of the world’s leading experts on burnout—will explore why burnout is no longer just a personal challenge but a critical leadership and business risk. You’ll take away best practices for building more sustainable, people-centered workplaces—and learn why prioritizing well-being is a strategic imperative for talent retention and organizational performance.

Burnout Is Not About Workload—It’s About Workplaces

The traditional view of burnout once centered on individual resilience—placing the onus on employees to develop better coping skills. But the science is clear: Burnout is largely driven by imperfect organizational structures, not personal weaknesses.

Existing research defines burnout as more than just stress—it’s the result of prolonged effort without visible results, leaving individuals feeling depleted, cynical, and disengaged.

According to Harvard Business Review (HBR), key drivers of burnout include:

1. Unclear expectations and lack of support
2. Insufficient autonomy and decision-making power
3. Emotionally draining roles without adequate resources
4. Misalignment between organizational values and day-to-day operations

5 Factors That Drive Burnout

Gallup’s long-standing research similarly identifies five key contributors to burnout:

1. Unfair treatment at work
2. Unmanageable workload
3. Lack of role clarity
4. Limited communication and support from managers
5. Unreasonable time pressure

For Chief Diversity Officers and other DEI leaders, these conditions are amplified. Despite their mission to foster belonging, they often work in silos, lack cross-functional support, and carry the emotional weight of driving change in organizations slow to evolve.

Now more than ever they also face resistance to DEI efforts, executive silence on critical issues, and relentless time pressure from ever-evolving crises, executive orders, legal changes, and media scrutiny.

Lack of role clarity—for some the consequence of positions created reactively in times of crisis—and ever-expanding workloads and role redefinition in the face of shifting levels of commitment pose further challenges.

Executive Burnout: A Hidden Crisis That Trickles Down

There’s a common misconception that executives are immune to burnout. In reality, they’re uniquely vulnerable—and when executives burn out, it has a cascading effect on the entire organization.

According to SHRM, 70% of C-suite leaders say they are considering quitting their jobs for roles that better support their well-being.

What makes executive burnout distinct (adapted from SHRM)?

• Heightened isolation: Unlike employees, executives often lack peers at their level to confide in, intensifying their sense of isolation.
• Trickle-down burnout: Executive burnout impacts employee morale, creating a domino effect throughout the organization.
• Physical and mental health consequences: Burnout takes a physical toll. A 2020 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that burnout can lead to Atrial fibrillation (AFib), increasing the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart failure.
• The financial toll is also staggering. Burnout costs US companies an estimated $120 to $190 billion annually in health care spending alone, highlighting the enormous economic consequences of unchecked burnout (HR Dive).

DEI Leader Burnout: When Impactful Work Feels Impossible

The leadership burnout crisis is hitting DEI executives particularly hard—and the data confirms it.

Even before the results of the 2024 US election changed the landscape of DEI as we know it, “preventing DEI leader burnout” emerged as the top concern in our October 2024 poll, with 69% of surveyed CDOs reported experiencing burnout in the past year.

Key factors leading to DEI executive burnout (October 2024 CDO poll):

1. Insufficient resources to effectively execute DEI strategy
2. Overcoming DEI resistance
3. Engaging leadership
4. Communicating DEI’s value

Our most recent post-election survey of the top 3 areas of concern for more than 100 CDOs clearly reflects these pressures:

1. Navigating political and post-election challenges to DEI (82%)
2. Rebranding or redefining DEI (71%)
3. Uncertainty around corporate commitment to DEI (52%) 

Other recent Seramount research records alarmingly low well-being scores among surveyed DEI leaders, with 66% rating their personal well-being as “below average” or “very poor.” Equally concerning, only 18% said they get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

The current climate is worsening already-shortened executive tenures in the space: average tenure for CDOs already sits at 2.9 years, the lowest among all C-suite positions.

The causes and effects are unmistakable, and the results are bad for business:

1. High turnover: With DEI leaders cycling out every two to three years, organizations struggle with continuity and momentum loss.
2. Emotional suppression: According to HBR, DEI leaders frequently engage in “surface acting”—suppressing authentic emotions while managing others’ apathy or resistance.
3. Role marginalization: Many DEI leaders are reduced to symbolic figures, celebrated during heritage months but sidelined in strategic business decisions.
4. Isolation and lack of support: Burnout in DEI roles is exacerbated by isolation. Forbes highlights that leaders without peer support networks experience greater emotional depletion.

Burnout at the leadership level disrupts progress, drains institutional knowledge, disconnects DEI from broader business outcomes, and creates instability that erodes team and organizational confidence—ultimately costing the business in both performance and culture.

The Heavy Toll of Burnout on Underrepresented Leaders

For leaders from historically excluded talent groups, burnout is further compounded by systemic inequities. As Amira Barger, Executive Vice President at Edelman, points out, Black women frequently experience burnout that is indistinguishable from exploitation—shouldering the emotional labor of advancing equity while simultaneously navigating workplace bias and being undervalued.

Meanwhile, burnout is becoming the norm for much of Gen Z, with exhaustion and mental fog setting in earlier and more frequently. Cigna research reveals that 91% of Gen Z employees report feeling stressed, with 98% exhibiting signs of burnout.

The result of the collective force of these combined factors? A growing exodus of underrepresented leaders, just when their expertise is needed most.

Burnout Is a Leadership Problem, Not an Employee Issue

The key takeaway: burnout is not just a DEI or HR issue—it’s a leadership accountability challenge. The research is clear: employee well-being is directly linked to organizational performance.

While organizations often talk about their commitment to inclusion, DEI leaders do not feel that leadership statements translate into action. Seramount’s 2024-2025 listening sessions with over 150 DEI leaders found that CDOs overwhelmingly desire more resources—additional staff, increased budgets, and sabbaticals—to combat the emotional toll of their work:

• One DEI leader put it simply: “More FTEs and budget committed to share the load.”
• When asked if their organizations provide adequate resources to address the emotional toll of DEI work, only 23% of respondents reported sufficient resources were provided.

As Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Chief People Officer at Fractional, puts it, burnout prevention requires systemic solutions, not just individual wellness initiatives. According to Auger-Domínguez, key strategies for mitigating burnout include:

• Emotional check-ins: Regularly creating safe spaces for team members to discuss stress and challenges
• Celebrating small wins: Recognizing incremental progress to sustain morale
• Fostering collective responsibility: DEI is not a solo effort—empowering teams to share the workload prevents burnout

Surveyed DEI leaders report taking proactive steps to safeguard their well-being. Some are unplugging from toxic online spaces (“Deactivating my X account”), while others are leaning into their communities (“Leading a local political action group and engaging with others”).

Leadership Strategies to Prevent CDO Burnout

While there’s no silver bullet to drive the systemic, leadership-driven change that researchers and thought leaders identify as truly preventing burnout, it’s business critical to make a start.

Our latest research outlines 5 key strategies for executives to better support DEI leaders and reduce burnout.

1. Countering Isolation: Foster Peer Support and Community

Burnout thrives in isolation. According to Forbes, DEI leaders with strong peer networks experience significantly lower burnout rates. Yet, many CDOs operate as teams of one, lacking the resources and cross-functional support needed to drive sustainable impact.

What leaders can do:

• Establish internal and external peer groups where DEI leaders can share challenges, seek advice, and exchange best practices.
• Proactively facilitate community-building and knowledge sharing both within and beyond the organization.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration so CDOs aren’t working in a vacuum and remain highly visible and plugged in to broader business outcomes.

2. Combating Trickle-Down Burnout: Set Realistic Boundaries and Expectations

Executives often unintentionally fuel burnout by over-relying on DEI leaders without setting clear, achievable expectations. According to SHRM, leaders who fail to set boundaries experience greater physical and emotional depletion.

What leaders can do:

• Set measurable, realistic goals for DEI work, ensuring priorities align with broader business objectives.
• Remove roadblocks preventing DEI leaders from executing their strategies effectively.
• Model the importance of balance by protecting time for restorative breaks and promoting sustainable workloads.

3. Preventing Role Marginalization: Demonstrate Support and Integration

When executives fail to engage meaningfully with DEI leaders, the work is often perceived as compliance-driven or an afterthought, rather than a strategic business imperative. Research consistently demonstrates that lack of trust, autonomy, and visible executive support can accelerate burnout and attrition.

What leaders can do:

• Show up. Participate in DEI discussions, strategy sessions, and initiatives.
• Position DEI as an integrated business solution, not a checkbox exercise.
• Avoid micromanaging or sidelining DEI leaders; instead, provide resources and strategic alignment to ensure success.
• Integrate DEI into global business strategy while ensuring adequate regional support.

4. Clarifying the Role: Define Purpose, Scope, and Outcomes

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many organizations created DEI roles without clearly defining responsibilities, leading to role ambiguity and frustration. McKinsey, for example, has studied the widespread confusion about the authority and expectations of CDOs.

Despite their commitment to creating inclusive workplaces, our data shows that DEI leaders feel isolated and unsupported in their roles:

• Seramount surveys of over 150 DEI executives (conducted November 2024 to March 2025) find that fewer than one in three CDOs feel “very supported” by their organization’s leadership.
• Only 3% of surveyed DEI leaders always felt supported by executive leadership.
• 57% of surveyed executives felt their efforts were appreciated only sometimes or rarely.
• Surveyed CDOs consistently reported that simple recognition and acknowledgment from leadership would go a long way in reducing burnout.

One surveyed DEI leader noted, “I feel supported by my direct leader and peers, but not beyond this group. I am very disappointed.” Another added, “Acknowledgment of the issues that people are facing is always good, even if we can’t change the situation.”

What leaders can do:

• Clearly define the DEI leader’s scope, authority, and objectives.
• Ensure direct access to executive leadership—and avoid burying the role in organizational hierarchy.
• Align the DEI strategy with business priorities, ensuring leaders have a mandate to drive meaningful impact.

5. Addressing the Emotional Toll: Recognize and Validate the Work

DEI leaders often navigate emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations and pushback from within the organization. The psychological weight of this work can be overwhelming, yet it is rarely acknowledged as a significant contributor to burnout.

What leaders can do:

• Acknowledge the emotional labor involved in DEI work and offer resources tailored to these unique challenges.
• Provide executive sponsorship and advocacy to safeguard DEI leaders from unnecessary friction and politicization.
• Celebrate wins and progress, reinforcing the long-term value of DEI efforts.

By implementing these five strategies, executives can create an environment where DEI leaders thrive, reducing turnover and ensuring long-term success. When leadership provides clarity, resources, and visible support, CDOs can focus on building enduring programs that drive business success, engaging historically excluded talent and expanding to new markets.

The message from DEI leaders is clear: they need more than rhetoric—they need real investment. Whether it’s budget, additional team members, or leadership support, organizations must step up to prevent burnout before they lose their most passionate advocates.

Key Takeaway: Addressing Burnout Is a Critical Business Priority

According to Gallup, burned out leaders are 63% more likely to take sick days and 2.6 times more likely leave their current employer. They also feel less confident, psychologically safe, and engaged with management.

The stakes have never been higher. Today, burnout is a DEI and broader business imperative. Join us for our upcoming virtual keynote, Beyond Burnout, to explore practical solutions forcreating sustainable, people-centered workplaces that prioritize both impact and well-being.

The post Burnout Is a Leadership Crisis: Why Well-Being Is the Next Business Imperative appeared first on Seramount.

To explore these challenges and opportunities, Seramount recently hosted a webinar titled “DEI Lessons from Around the World,” featuring insights from our partners at Inditex and Kellanova alongside our expanding Global Advisory Network. With expert voices from six countries—the UK, Canada, UAE, Ireland, Spain, and Germany—the webinar offers a nuanced look at how DEI is evolving worldwide.

Want to hear directly from the experts? Watch the recording to dive deeper into the insights they shared.

Here are some key takeaways from the conversation:

The Power of Proactivity: UK on DEI Data

Sathya Bala, Founder and CEO of True Change, emphasized the power of data in advancing DEI. In the UK, data transparency is not just a compliance requirement—it’s a competitive advantage. The Equalities Act and gender pay reporting have laid a foundation for disclosure, but organizations are going further, recognizing that investors and clients demand meaningful DEI data. Research reveals that 9 out of 10 investors assess nonfinancial indicators such as sustainability and inclusion when valuing companies.

The trend is shifting from reactive reporting to proactive transparency, with 44% of organizations voluntarily disclosing ethnicity pay gap data, despite it not yet being mandated.

Companies that integrate intersectional data—examining diversity through the lenses of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and career progression—are better positioned to drive change and remain relevant in an evolving marketplace. The key challenge remains using data not just to report but to tell compelling stories that engage both the head and the heart to drive real change.

Canada’s Approach: A Multicultural and Legislative-Driven DEI Framework

Laraine Kaminsky, President and CEO of Global LK, highlighted Canada’s unique DEI landscape, shaped by its bilingualism, multicultural policies, and legislative milestones. While Canada is known for its generosity toward immigrants, including extensive language training programs and childcare support, it also grapples with historical injustices, particularly regarding Indigenous communities. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 2015 Calls to Action have spurred progress and reflected their commitment to systemic change.  

Canada recognizes four equity groups: women, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and visible minorities, though terminology such as “visible minorities” is increasingly becoming outdated. Successes in legislative commitments have led to strong public sector representation for women, improved Indigenous recognition, and enhanced accessibility laws expanding inclusion to neurodiversity, mental health, and psychological safety.

Kaminsky stresses the importance of moving beyond performative actions by localizing DEI efforts and addressing systemic barriers. Opportunities lie in embracing intersectionality and linking DEI to economic sustainability and innovation.  

Bridging the Generational Divide in the UAE

Maya Rmeity, Co-Founder of Prosperise, highlights the rapidly evolving workforce in the UAE, where four generations—soon to be five—are working together, bringing diverse perspectives and expectations. With nearly half the MENA and GCC population under 25 and 65 million people entering the job market by 2030, the challenge lies in integrating young talent into a workforce that traditionally values hierarchy and experience.

Cultural perceptions, limited career opportunities, work-life balance struggles, and the gender pay gap remain key barriers to women’s full workforce participation. However, the UAE has made significant progress in gender equity: Two-thirds of public sector employees are women and 30% hold senior leadership roles—30% of C-suite and 22% of managerial roles occupied by women in the private sector.

Organizations are creating inclusive environments by fostering mentorship programs, redefining workplace cultures to align with younger generations, and promoting work-life balance initiatives. These initiatives benefit both organizations and employees by fostering innovation, boosting engagement, and securing long-term workforce sustainability.

The Role of Belonging in Ireland’s Tight Labor Market

With a labor market projected to maintain a 4.5% unemployment rate, Sarah Philipps, HR Business Partner for Talent and ED&I at Kellanova, stressed that belonging is becoming a key differentiator for companies in Ireland. A staggering 70% of job seekers consider DEI initiatives critical when choosing an employer, heightening expectations for organizations to create environments where employees feel valued.

As a result of the recent corporate restructuring at Kellogg’s, the company saw an opportunity to redefine its culture, recognizing that while inclusion is important, it does not automatically lead to belonging. To embed belonging into the organization, Kellogg’s uses a multilayered approach, from assigning an annual DEI theme for ERGs, integrating belonging to leadership training, and offering inclusive recruitment programs to instilling new policies benefiting women and parents that have been designed with warm, inclusive language. Kellogg’s is constantly listening to employees to refine initiatives, ensuring continuous improvement.

Advancing DEI Through Immigration and Accessibility in Spain

Nacho Mora Ariza, Inditex’s International Diversity & Inclusion Officer, underscored the company’s commitment to inclusion, focusing on immigration and disability. In Spain, where nearly 20% of the population is foreign-born, immigration is a demographic and economic engine—but integration challenges persist. Inditex’s SALTA program, launched 17 years ago, bridges this gap by providing employment and training to individuals facing economic and social barriers, including refugees. Employees play a crucial role as mentors, helping participants develop essential skills such as teamwork and communication, driving economic mobility while strengthening Inditex’s diverse talent pipeline.

Inditex’s INCLUYE program integrates people with disabilities by ensuring accessible workplaces and targeted professional development. Spain’s legal framework requires companies with 50+ employees to maintain a 2% employment rate for persons with disabilities, aligning with the 2025 European Accessibility Act. Inditex goes further: setting and achieving an ambitious goal to double its workforce of employees with disabilities, hiring 1,500 new professionals. Each market collaborates with local organizations to enhance recruitment, support, and accessibility, fostering a more inclusive workplace and shopping experience. These initiatives reinforce Inditex’s commitment to DEI as a business priority, embedding inclusion into its talent strategy and corporate responsibility.

Moving Beyond Compliance: Shaping Inclusive Cultures in Germany

Isabelle Demangeat, Founder of fit for culture, global inSight, believes true DEI progress in Germany goes beyond policy—it requires embedding inclusion into workplace culture and leadership behaviors. While regulations have driven some change, many companies still see DEI as a compliance task rather than a strategic advantage. She emphasizes that DEI efforts should shape daily workplace interactions, not just sit at the policy level.

Germany has made strides in gender equity, with a 30% quota for women on supervisory boards increasing leadership representation. However, challenges remain—nearly 50% of women work part-time, limiting career progression and economic security, and only 14% of C-suite roles are held by women. Deep-rooted cultural norms around work-life division persist, but progress is evident. Recent policies, such as the 2023 Pay Transparency Act, aim to close the gender pay gap, which remains one of Europe’s highest at 18%.

To sustain momentum, companies must actively cultivate inclusive cultures. Leadership visibility, male allyship, and ERGs are driving change, while flexible work policies, childcare support, and inclusive leadership training are helping to break systemic barriers. Long-term success depends on embedding inclusivity at every level.

Lessons in Global DEI: Moving Forward Together

Listening, learning, and embracing diverse perspectives across the world—this discussion has been a powerful reminder that inclusion is a shared, global movement. While DEI faces scrutiny in various regions, the work continues to evolve, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. No single approach can address the complexities of DEI worldwide, but by understanding cultural nuances and regulatory landscapes, organizations can build more inclusive workplaces that reflect the societies they operate in.

To learn more about our Global EmERGe conference in London, click here.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Seramount is supporting over 600 partners around the globe click here.

Members, get excited for our upcoming Global Member Conference: Globalize Your DEI Strategy in London.

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Navigating the DEI Landscape Now

The conversation around DEI may be louder than ever, but amidst the noise, there’s opportunity.

We sat down with four DEI leaders at Seramount for a conversation about how to effectively champion DEI’s value and turn the tide today:

Subha Barry, President, Seramount

Katie Oertli Mooney, Managing Director, Seramount

Bridgette Scales, Managing Director, Seramount

Laura Sherbin, PhD, Managing Director, Seramount

The result: a strategic playbook specifically designed to equip executives to lead through DEI backlash, transforming resistance into results.

1. Understanding the Landscape: Reflecting on Resistance

Q: Recent research demonstrates that understanding why people resist DEI efforts is key to effective DEI today.[iv] Why is reflecting on resistance key to impactful DEI now?

Laura Sherbin: An inconvenient truth: while awareness about DEI is at an all-time high, so is skepticism from some quarters. However, embracing a healthy skepticism can be a powerful catalyst for building truly impactful DEI programs.

Consider This:

• Challenging assumptions: When advocates truly engage with skeptical perspectives, it forces them to scrutinize their own assumptions and refine their arguments. This leads to more nuanced and defensible DEI initiatives that address real concerns, not just perceived ones.
• Building trust: Openly acknowledging and addressing concerns fosters trust and encourages constructive dialogue. This can bridge divides and create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels heard and valued.
• Identifying blind spots: Skepticism can highlight potential blind spots in DEI efforts. By listening carefully, advocates can uncover unintended biases or areas needing improvement, ultimately leading to stronger, more equitable solutions.

True DEI requires more than just blind acceptance. It thrives on critical thinking, open dialogue, and a willingness to adapt and improve. By embracing healthy skepticism, advocates can build stronger, more impactful DEI programs that benefit everyone.

2. Addressing Concerns: Countering the Meritocracy Myth

Q: How can we effectively address misconceptions about the perceived conflict between meritocracy and inclusion? How would you respond to individuals expressing concerns about DEI initiatives now?

Laura Sherbin: It’s important to acknowledge that some messaging around DEI may have been misinterpreted. It’s crucial to emphasize that DEI is not about replacing merit with diversity. Instead, it’s about expanding our definition of merit to encompass the valuable perspectives and experiences that historically excluded talent brings to the table.

Here’s why:

• Diversity fosters innovation and growth: Countless success stories demonstrate the positive impact of diverse teams on innovation, decision-making, and market reach.[v] By including diverse perspectives, we can access a wider range of ideas and solutions, ultimately leading to better outcomes for all.
• Merit is multifaceted: Traditionally, merit has been defined by narrow criteria, often favoring individuals from privileged backgrounds. Inclusion recognizes that talent and potential can exist outside these traditional definitions.
• Diversity encompasses more than just demographics: Diversity is not just about demographics but also about the richness of thought and market knowledge individuals bring to the table.
• DEI initiatives are not “one size fits all”: Different roles require different skill sets and experiences. A tailored approach to DEI is business critical. Instead, we need to carefully consider the specific needs of each position and identify a diverse pool of candidates who would bring the most value.

Building a Truly Inclusive Meritocracy:

Moving beyond misinterpretations empowers everyone to focus on leveraging the full potential of underrepresented talent to achieve true meritocracy. Remember, creating a truly meritocratic system requires dismantling systemic barriers that have historically disadvantaged certain groups.

By actively promoting inclusion and expanding our definition of merit, we can create a level playing field where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

3. Reframing the Narrative: Rebranding DEI

Q: How can companies better communicate the true purpose and value of DEI initiatives? Does the current approach to DEI need a revamp?

Katie Oertli Mooney: Is DEI “dead”? No, but it’s definitely evolving. While the buzz around DEI that followed George Floyd’s murder may have subsided, the work itself is far from over. It’s time to rebrand our communication approach.

Recent research on divisive language demonstrates that labels (“DEI” or any other) can at times distract from the true goal: creating a culture of understanding, support, and equitable outcomes for everyone.[vi] If “DEI” becomes a barrier to genuine conversation and action in your organization, explore alternative language that resonates better with your culture.[vii] But above all don’t lose sight of DEI’s core values: addressing the needs of diverse communities and ensuring fair treatment for all.

Remember: True inclusion goes beyond lip service. It demands open dialogue, concrete action, and measurable progress. DEI’s focus has shifted beyond mere compliance; as as result, rolling back initiatives is not an option. Pulling back only creates greater gaps to bridge when the pendulum swings back and efforts regain momentum.

How do we counter the “DEI is dead” narrative? We need to rethink our communication, particularly in an era in which data speaks volumes: a recent Pew Research poll shows a majority of employees value DEI initiatives.[viii] The challenge lies in effectively communicating the benefits of inclusive workplaces: enhanced talent acquisition, increased innovation, and overall business success for everyone.[ix]

Inclusive leaders and allies can do this by:

• Highlighting the benefits: Showcasing data-driven evidence that proves how inclusive workplaces thrive
• Countering misinformation: Using facts and figures to combat external forces pushing back against DEI progress
• Sharing compelling stories: Crafting narratives that connect DEI efforts to real-world outcomes and resonate with changing perspectives

By focusing on clear communication, data-driven evidence, and a strategic approach, leaders can ensure DEI continues to have a genuine impact.

Moving beyond buzzwords and focusing on impactful implementation enables executives to build truly inclusive workplaces. By speaking to core values and demonstrating results, they can ensure DEI remains a vital force in building a better future for all.

Bridgette Scales: The term “DEI” has become a rallying cry for many, but it can also evoke specific visual and ideological connotations. This can at times limit its reach and effectiveness. It’s time to shift the focus, considering a strategic reframe from labels to impact—not to abandon core principles, but to broaden their appeal.

Historically, social justice movements have evolved their language and tactics. The fight for equity in the 60s and 70s focused on civil rights, later evolving to encompass diversity, equity, and inclusion. Today’s climate presents another opportunity to rethink and reframe.

Shifting the Focus: From Labels to Impact

Instead of solely emphasizing the “D” in DEI, when necessary we can strategically highlight the benefits for all. When your workforce feels welcomed and valued, everyone benefits from a richer, more innovative environment. This shift in focus toward inclusive talent strategies attracts a wider audience, including those who initially might have been apprehensive.

Recent campaigns stoking fear and misinformation about DEI efforts often rely on narrow interpretations.[x] By broadening the narrative, we can demonstrate the positive value DEI brings to everyone. Highlighting statistics and data on inequities remains crucial for accountability, but framing them within a broader context of shared benefits can resonate further.[xi]

This approach doesn’t negate the importance of addressing specific issues faced by specific, historically excluded talent communities. However, by building a broader coalition of support, we can create a stronger groundswell against harmful narratives and amplify the positive impact of our DEI work.

Together we can:

• Expand the narrative: Go beyond specific groups and highlight the value for all.
• Build bridges: Partner with diverse stakeholders to address their concerns.
• Reframe the conversation: Move beyond labels and empower a wider community to embrace the true meaning and value of DEI.

Subha Barry: For maximum impact, forget dry definitions, trendy jargon, and strawman arguments. Instead, move from abstractions to empathy, diving into the real work of DEI through the power of storytelling. We know that personal connections create change, but we’re stuck in a world of acronyms, failing to truly understand the impact of human difference.

Instead of caricaturing concepts, let’s open the conversation: tell stories, share experiences, and make DEI tangible. Imagine me, telling my story about being an immigrant, sharing my struggle with a thick accent, how I was constantly mocked and compelled to mute my voice. Would my personal narrative transcend generalities and evoke something deeper?

In response to my story, perhaps someone might think, “I never realized how my laughter could isolate someone.” Building DEI momentum is not about judging past actions but catalyzing future change.

Inclusion stories hold immense power. They sensitize, but do not condemn. People can’t rewrite history, but they can evolve. This is why personal DEI narratives are so vital. They reveal the real-life consequences of our words and actions, fostering increased empathy and understanding.

Our own experiences, with their raw emotions, paint far richer pictures than any sterile, generic account could. Our stories allow others to truly perceive the situation through another’s eyes.

Executives and managers should model making DEI real, personal, and lived. Moving beyond acronyms means walking the walk and talking the talk—committing to the daily work of inclusion while also telling our authentic stories.

4. Bulding Momentum: Mobilizing “The Movable Middle”

Q: What are the most effective strategies to drive impactful change during turbulent times? How can DEI leaders best balance long-term, systemic transformation and short-term, tangible wins to sustain momentum?

Laura Sherbin: We’ve learned from our past research for our CDO Collaborative, a global community of DEI leaders, that the “movable middle,” a familiar concept in politics, is equally relevant to corporate DEI efforts.[xii] While it’s important to support our committed champions and acknowledge the challenges of reaching the small number of employees who refuse to budge on DEI issues, the key to success lies in engaging the persuadable center, which represents the largest segment of the workforce.

Yet we often find ourselves focusing on the extremes. Instead of solely catering to advocates or battling resistance, shifting gears for impact often involves dissecting the movable middle. What motivates them? What barriers can we address? How can we tailor our approach to resonate with their values and concerns?

This might involve reframing language: replacing terminology such as “allyship” with “supporting colleagues” or “championing fairness.” It’s not about watering down the message but about finding common ground to build consensus on.

The end goal is the same: promoting inclusive behaviors and competencies. Taking this apporach can just make it more palatable to start. Think of it as finding the right description for the medicine, not changing the prescription itself.

Over time, small changes become transformational.[xiii] Ultimately, the goal is to encourage connection, advocacy, and championing across lines of difference, regardless of the labels we use. For best results, focus on action, not semantics.

Beyond Business as Usual: The Future of DEI

As unprecedented legal and federal policy shifts reshape DEI and demands for inclusive leadership are amplified, the future of workplace inclusion hangs in the balance. DEI’s future rests on solidarity, allyship, leadership buy-in, investment, and above all, clearly communicating the value of inclusion.[xiv]

By proactively reframing the conversation, creating space for good faith questions, and navigating evolving DEI definitions, executives can build forward momentum, propelling their organizations by creating truly inclusive workplaces benefiting both business and society.^[xv] 

Together we can prepare for the workplace of tomorrow, ensuring that this period of unprecedented disruption transforms resistance into an opportunity for meaningful progress.

References

[i] A. G. Wieckowski, “Overcoming Today’s DEI Leadership Challenges,”Harvard Business Review,September 14, 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/09/overcoming-todays-dei-leadership-challenges?ab=seriesnav-bigidea.

[ii] K. Yoshino and D. Glasgow, “What SCOTUS’s Affirmative Action Decision Means for Corporate DEI,” Harvard Business Review, July 12, 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/07/what-scotuss-affirmative-action-decision-means-for-corporate-dei.

[iii] M Nicholson and D. Forster, “DEI in the Trump Era: Adapting to Policy Shifts, Ensuring Organizational Commitment,” Seramount, January 27, 2025, https://seramount.com/articles/dei-in-the-trump-era-adapting-to-policy-shifts-ensuring-organizational-commitment/.

[iv] E. Shuman, E. Knowles, and A. Goldenberg, “To Overcome Resistance to DEI, Understand What’s Driving It,” Harvard Business Review, March 1, 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/03/to-overcome-resistance-to-dei-understand-whats-driving-it.

[v] S. A. Hewlett, M. Marshall, and L. Sherbin, “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation,” Harvard Business Review, December 2013,”https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation.

[vi] E. Hawkins, “Chart: Words that Divide,” Axios, January 11, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/01/11/chart-words-that-divide-communicators.

[vii] C. Cutter and E. Glazer, “The Latest Dirty Word in Corporate America: ESG,”The Wall Street Journal, January 9, 2024,https://www.wsj.com/business/the-latest-dirty-word-in-corporate-america-esg-9c776003.

[viii] R. Minkin, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace,” Pew Research Center, May 17, 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/.

[ix]  S. Cross and P. Braswell, “A Data-Driven Approach to Hiring More Diverse Talent,” Harvard Business Review, December 10, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/12/why-isnt-your-organization-isnt-hiring-diverse-talent.

[x] N. Confessore, “‘America Is Under Attack’: Inside the Anti-D.E.I. Crusade,” New York Times, January 20, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/20/us/dei-woke-claremont-institute.html.

[xi] E. Carter, “DEI Initiatives Are Futile Without Accountability,” Harvard Business Review, February 25, 2022, https://hbr.org/2022/02/dei-initiatives-are-futile-without-accountability.

[xii] R. Cassehgari, “Working with the Movable Middle: ,” Social Change Initiative, July 31, 2020, https://www.socialchangeinitiative.com/stories-of-change-working-with-the-moveable-middle-3603eb37-f61e-4873-a3e4-6919df64132d.

[xiii] P. Cecchi-Dimeglio, “Diversity Nudges,”MIT Sloan Management Review,November 21, 2023, https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/diversity-nudges/.

[xiv] M. Nicholson, “Managing DEI as a Business: Inclusive Leadership, DEI Assessment, and Impact at Scale,” Seramount, January 18, 2024,https://seramount.com/articles/managing-dei-as-a-business-inclusive-leadership-dei-assessment-and-impact-at-scale/. 

[xv] K. D. Dorsey, “Five Steps to Build and Sustain Diversity in Your Organization,” MIT Sloan Management Review, October 17, 2023, https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/five-steps-to-build-and-sustain-diversity-in-your-organization/.

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Katie Oertli Mooney, Managing Director at Seramount, emphasized this need for adaptability in her opening remarks, highlighting the need for connectivity among DEI leaders amid a volatile economic and political landscape. Mooney encouraged attendees to broaden DEI’s narrative beyond talent to include customers, consumers, suppliers, vendors, and community stakeholders, and to engage everyone—especially the “moveable middle”—in creating a more inclusive, impactful world. Only then can DEI not only survive but thrive and continue to grow from a moment to a movement in the face of backlash.

Let’s explore some of the other powerful takeaways from the day’s lively discussions.

Think Bigger – Expanding DEI’s Horizons

In his session, Dr. Michael Nicholson (Principal, Strategic Research at Seramount) prompted the audience with a bold question: “How do we think bigger about DEI?” Responses from participants underscored the value of embedding DEI as a core principle rather than treating it as a standalone initiative. They agreed that a DEI perspective is essential across all business functions and that organizations must “stay the course” despite challenges. “Humanity is the core of it all,” one participant remarked, highlighting the need for leaders to approach DEI with empathy, courage, and personal connection, especially in the face of resistance.

However, staying the course also needs to be combined with innovation and evolution. The discussion emphasized that DEI is a shared responsibility and should be positioned as a driver of business. Nicholson presented data from Seramount’s research revealing that DEI is foundational for shaping a future-ready business model, especially in light of changing demographics. Research showed that 42% of consumers actively choose companies with DEI commitments, while 65% feel businesses still lack alignment with diverse preferences. With Black, Latin, and Asian consumers projected to grow by over 2 million annually, companies must act on these shifts to avoid being left behind.

Source: U.S Census Bureau, Google, HBR

Nicholson’s data, supported by case studies from leading brands such as Microsoft, MedStar, and Wells Fargo, illustrated how DEI-driven strategies foster consumer loyalty, innovation, and positive financial results. Whether through developing bias-free AI, building inclusive customer experiences, or embracing supplier diversity practices, Nicholson’s research underscored a critical message: to stay relevant, organizations must not only embrace diversity in their internal operations but actively commit to DEI as a strategic priority in their external business.

Think Bigger: Reimagining DEI’s Impact

Michael Muñoz, Global Marketing DEI Lead at Google, shared insights on reframing DEI for greater impact. He spoke of his vision of a future where DEI is so integral to business operations that his role would eventually become obsolete, signaling a world where DEI is seamlessly integrated. Muñoz encouraged DEI professionals to shift from being “rockstars” to “scaffold builders,” creating structures that support diversity across the organization. This framework enables DEI to flourish independently within each team, even when dedicated DEI representatives aren’t in the room.

Muñoz’s message was clear: fostering genuine inclusivity requires building supportive structures that empower all individuals, enhancing both internal culture and positioning companies for success in an increasingly diverse market. He underscored the importance of valuing “culture adds” over “culture fits,” and crafting products that authentically serve diverse consumers. Embracing this commitment will ultimately lead to a more equitable future where everyone can thrive.

Think Bigger: DEI and the Bottom Line

Esu Ma’at, Chief DEI Officer for the Orlando Magic, discussed the impact of shifting demographics on talent and the broader market. Ma’at emphasized the tantalizing opportunity for sports organizations to grow market share by tapping into more diverse customer bases. “The fan base of yesterday is not the fan base of tomorrow.”

With Orlando’s population now over 60% BIPOC, a millennial boomtown, and its status as the fourth-largest LGBT market, the Orlando Magic has embraced this diversity, leveraging initiatives like Divine Nine Night and Pride Night to not only drive inclusion but also enhance revenue. Ma’at emphasized that diversity, when woven into market strategy, yields tangible benefits, making the DEI team a revenue driver rather than a cost center.

For Ma’at, DEI must be embraced and executed by everyone—from leadership to frontline staff—to effectively reach diverse audiences and meet evolving market demands. He stressed that pushing DEI forward requires dedication and resilience, urging attendees to stay the course to the mission of expanding DEI’s narrative and impact.

Think Bigger, Think Global

James Cowling-Vega, Managing Director at Seramount, offered insights into the different dimensions of Global DEI, applicable to even those without a global footprint.

• Creating a global DEI strategy at multinational organizations
• Navigating regional differences, even within the same country
• Embedding DEI into global operations and business development
• Fostering cultural competence at home
• Learning from international best practices

Central to Cowling-Vega’s approach is the idea of balancing corporate values with local norms, especially when these diverge. For instance, Alight’s recognition of Juneteenth as a global day of social justice exemplifies how a universal DEI commitment can honor local significance, encouraging organizations to build a globally relevant, locally respectful DEI culture. This same framework can be applied regionally in states with differing stances on social issues, tailoring DEI efforts to fit both regional laws and corporate principles is essential for maintaining meaningful inclusivity.

Ultimately, Cowling-Vega urged organizations to adopt a more expansive, globally minded approach to DEI, integrating it into every facet of the business, even for companies without an apparent global footprint. This might mean training frontline employees to engage inclusively with diverse customer bases or collaborating with marketing teams as they enter new markets to ensure that messaging and products resonate culturally. By embracing this holistic and globally aware strategy, organizations can foster true inclusivity and drive sustainable progress in an increasingly interconnected world.

“In 2023, the foreign-born population in the US reached a record 47.8 million (14.3% of the total population).”

Source: Pew Research Center

CDO Panel: The Future of DEI

The event concluded with a panel featuring Reggie Miller (GE Vernova), Xan Daniels (Alight), Olga Otero Brown (Allstate), and Franklin Reed (TEK Systems). These DEI leaders shared insights on embedding DEI across every business facet, emphasizing the importance of collective responsibility. They underscored that accountability for DEI must extend beyond DEI departments to the entire C-suite, especially the CEO and CHRO, ensuring DEI is interwoven into the organizational fabric.

Panelists emphasized understanding the full business cycle and engaging with all aspects to drive change. Miller highlighted the importance of visibility and collaboration, connecting DEI with broader business goals. Collaboration within supportive communities enables DEI professionals to overcome the challenges of this work, which can sometimes feel isolating. Surrounded by like-minded peers, leaders find the motivation to continue advancing meaningful change.

Closing Remarks

Seramount encourages organizations to “Think Bigger” about DEI’s potential. As leaders, our focus must go beyond responding to today’s challenges—we’re called to innovate and cultivate sustainable, inclusive progress. DEI isn’t limited to our workplaces; it’s a transformative force that impacts entire industries, global markets, and diverse communities. Through continuous communication, strategic collaboration, and purposeful action, we can harness DEI’s full power to reshape not just our organizations but the world around us.

Ready to help your organization think bigger about DEI? Explore our latest research, The Executive Playbook for Expanding the Impact of DEI, for actionable strategies to get started.

The post Think Bigger, Act Broader: Strategies for DEI’s Role in a Transforming World appeared first on Seramount.

Setting the Stage for Innovation

The event kicked off with opening remarks from Subha Barry, President of Seramount, and Stéphanie Oueda-Cruz, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at Tiffany & Co. Barry stressed the importance of data in driving DEI, sharing how companies such as Johnson & Johnson utilize Seramount’s inclusion index not only for tracking progress but as a meditative practice to ensure they’re not losing ground. She also shared how Verizon’s voice activation technology, originally created for the visually impaired and prompted by insights from their disabilities ERG, ended up benefiting a much broader audience—showing the ripple effect inclusivity can have. Stéphanie Oueda-Cruz echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of well-being, community, and trust. “People are what make the difference,” she said, highlighting Tiffany Cares as an example of the power of relationships, trust, and showing up for your community. Oueda-Cruz stressed that while the brands present in this space might be competitors on the shelf, they can lean on each other to propel DEI collectively.

Elevating New Voices in Luxury

In a fireside chat between Tiffany & Co. and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), host Stéphanie Oueda-Cruz and speakers Aldo Araujo and Ebony Wiggins dived into the CFDA Scholarship Fund: As the first program of its kind in the United States, this design fellowship for emerging artists creates opportunities for designers to make their mark in the luxury world through mentorship and resources. In an industry where luxury is often associated with established, international names, this partnership aims to showcase American talent on a global stage. The panelists shared how critical it is for luxury brands to reflect diverse artists in their stores, creating spaces where all customers can feel welcomed and see themselves represented.

The Customer of the Future: The Expanding Role of DEI

Amy Bourne, Managing Director of Marketing at Seramount, made a strong case for why DEI can’t stop at the workplace—it needs to extend into the marketplace. With evolving demographics, the intersectionality of identities is more complex than ever, and brands need to create products and experiences that resonate with more diverse consumers. Bourne shared data showing that 82% of consumers want brands to align with their values. She echoed that DEI is linked to science and art, and beyond the scorecards, percentages, and benchmarking, successful storytelling is equally imperative. She posed the question, Who is your buyer and how are they connecting with your brand? Bourne illustrated the importance of this connection through a story from the Miami Heat, which was committed to producing more inclusive merchandise for their fan base. The impact? A 50/50 split in shopper demographics between men and women, proving that inclusivity can drive real change in how people connect with a brand.

The Intersection of DEI and Luxury Consumerism

Corey Smith, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at LVMH,  shared insights on how luxury conglomerates like LVMH are integrating DEI into their brand DNA. Smith explained that LVMH focuses on three key areas: people, business, and brands. From increasing women and BIPOC representation in leadership to ensuring that their supply chain includes diverse suppliers, LVMH is taking concrete steps to embed inclusivity into every aspect of its business. Smith discussed the importance of understanding changing demographics, pointing out that many luxury consumers today are “hidden luxers”—younger, unconventional buyers who are often overlooked by traditional marketing campaigns. He emphasized the importance of cultural agility and how luxury brands must evolve to better understand, resonate, and reflect the diverse customers who are walking into their stores.

Innovation Meets Inclusivity: AI and DEI

Doug Melville, CEO of Jodie AI, highlighted the transformative role of AI in advancing DEI initiatives. Despite there being over 3,500 AI companies, Melville pointed out that few, if any, are focused on inclusive AI. His company, Jodie AI, is changing that by embedding DEI directly into AI technologies, from compliance and communications to program creation and recruitment. By fine-tuning large language models with a DEI lens, Melville’s work aims to ensure that AI reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. His message was clear: AI, when guided by diverse voices, holds immense potential for creating inclusive futures.

Redefining Leadership in Media and Music

Tiffany R. Warren, Executive VP and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Sony Music Group and founder of ADCOLOR, and Katie Oertli Mooney, Managing Director at Seramount, discussed the power of diverse leadership. Warren shared her personal journey, breaking barriers often by being “the first” in many spaces. She founded ADCOLOR to celebrate diverse leaders in media and music and to create a space where diverse professionals have a “seat at the table” where they can finally exhale, see themselves in the room, and let their masks down. Warren stressed the importance of “lifting as you climb,” creating space for others to succeed as you advance. For her, DEI is about creating a culture where people feel safe, included, and represented.

Shaping Multicultural Narratives in Digital Media

Aida Ngolo, TikTok’s Multicultural Brand Partnerships Lead, brought her expertise on how digital media platforms are influencing cultural trends and reshaping narratives. She shared how TikTok has become a platform where underrepresented voices thrive and how brands need to engage meaningfully with these communities. Ngolo highlighted how the shift in digital media is no longer about mass marketing but about tapping into niche communities, passions, and subcultures. As Aida put it, “Culture is moving,” andfor brands, it’s not just about being present or prescriptive on digital platforms but being truly intentional about how they connect with diverse audiences.

“Diversity Fuels Creativity” was a powerful reminder that diversity isn’t just the right thing to do. Across industries, whether it’s luxury, technology, music, or fashion, DEI is proving to be a driver of innovation and business success. As DEI must extend beyond the immediate workplace to shape industries, markets, and entire communities, we encourage you to “Think Bigger.” As leaders, it’s not only about responding to current challenges but proactively innovating to drive sustained progress. Through continuous dialogue, collaboration, and action, we can think bigger about DEI’s potential—transforming not just businesses, but the world around us.

The post Diversity Fuels Creativity: How DEI is Driving Innovation in the Retail, Luxury and Tech Industries appeared first on Seramount.

Such a dramatic shift has left many HR leaders like you grappling with uncertainties and questions—questions you may be hesitant to ask, fearing that admitting uncertainty might undermine this important work or even challenge your own credibility.

But here’s the truth: You’re not alone in these concerns.

To support HR leaders like you, we’re tackling three common yet unspoken questions about DEI. And, just as importantly, we’re sharing key insights DEI leaders wish HR knew to foster better collaboration and success. Our goal is to provide straightforward, practical advice from both sides to help you navigate this complex and critical area with confidence.

Addressing HR’s Unspoken DEI Concerns

1. Do my employees even care about DEI?

With all the effort you’re putting into DEI initiatives—sometimes feeling like it’s beyond your typical job duties—it’s natural to wonder: Does anyone actually care?

The answer is a resounding yes. Here’s why:

A 2024 study of over 3,000 US white-collar and frontline employees revealed some eye-opening statistics. A whopping 76 percent of respondents agreed with this statement: “I am committed to helping my company fight racism and injustice within the organization.” Even more impressively, 78 percent of employees indicated that it’s extremely or very important for their company to be an inclusive organization.

What makes these findings particularly significant is their timing: this research was conducted well into the DEI backlash that has been dominating headlines for months. The data shows that, despite the negative press and growing skepticism in some quarters, employees still deeply value DEI initiatives.

It’s crucial to keep this in mind, especially when you see other companies bending under pressure and scaling back their DEI efforts. Don’t fall into this trap. Whether they’re your current employees or the talent you hope to attract in the future, people are paying attention to your commitment to DEI principles. The work you’ve been putting in over the last few years isn’t just a checkbox exercise—it’s having a tangible impact on recruiting, hiring, and retention. So much so, that 72 percent of C-suite and HR leaders plan to increase their DEI commitment over the next two years.

So, the next time you find yourself questioning whether your DEI initiatives are worth the effort, remember this: Your employees care, and they’re noticing.

2. Does DEI actually help my organization?

With any initiative that requires significant resources, it’s important to assess its impact, including DEI. Are these efforts truly driving change, or have they become just another corporate buzzword?

The good news is that both studies and anecdotal evidence point to significant benefits of DEI programs. A study of more than 27,000 employees across 16 countries shows that DEI initiatives can significantly boost financial performance.

The impact on employee morale is equally impressive: When employees believe that DEI programming is a corporate leadership priority, the number of all employees who are happy increases by 31 percentage points, while the number of those who feel motivated rises by nearly 25 percentage points.

When employees believe that DEI programming is a corporate leadership priority, the number of all employees who are happy increases by 31 percentage points, while the number of those who feel motivated rises by nearly 25 percentage points.

Innovation also gets a substantial boost from diverse leadership. Companies with above-average diversity on their management teams report innovation revenue—revenue from new or enhanced products—that is 19 percentage points higher than companies with below-average leadership diversity.

It’s understandable if you’re not fully convinced that these general stats reflect what’s happening in your own company. This is where the importance of setting and tracking specific metrics comes into play.

Start by setting clear goals. Are you aiming to improve the retention of diverse talent? Increase overall employee satisfaction? Boost diversity in leadership roles? Align your metrics with these goals, making it easier to connect DEI efforts to tangible outcomes. Over time, you’ll have concrete data to demonstrate to executives (and yourself) that DEI is making a difference.

3. How can I actually support DEI practitioners in my organization?

It might not seem like there’s much value you can add when this isn’t your core area of expertise, but whether DEI practitioners are part of your team or separate colleagues, you play a crucial role in helping them drive their vision and achieve their goals.

First, it’s important to understand the challenges DEI leaders face. DEI departments are often resource-poor, operating on shoestring budgets and limited support. In fact, 62 percent of employees reported that their organizations allocated “little to no resources” to DEI efforts. This lack of resources can make DEI work incredibly challenging and thankless.

DEI leaders also frequently face resistance within organizations, battling against ingrained cultures and skepticism about the value of their work. This resistance, coupled with limited resources, contributes to a troubling trend: DEI roles are experiencing higher turnover rates than non-DEI positions. The fatigue and burnout in these roles are real, making it more critical than ever for HR and other leaders to step up and support their DEI colleagues.

So how can you, as an HR professional, make a difference? Unless your organization has no dedicated DEI leader, your role isn’t to do their job, but to leverage your unique skill set and position within the organization to support DEI initiatives. Think of connecting them to the C-suite, helping facilitate organizational change, or establishing scalable processes.

Get more strategies for collaborating with DEI teams in Seramount’s recent guide.

Remember, the success of DEI initiatives isn’t solely on the shoulders of DEI leaders. It’s a collective effort, and as an HR professional, you’re uniquely positioned to be a powerful ally and catalyst for change. By working together, HR and DEI can create a more inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

What DEI Leaders Want HR to Know

Just as you’ve had questions about DEI, your DEI colleagues have some insights they’re eager to share with you.

1. DEI isn’t only about race and gender.

While race and gender are crucial aspects of DEI, the scope of inclusion extends far beyond these categories. Today’s employees face a wide array of challenges, from ageism to neurodiversity and many more. To truly build an inclusive workplace—the ultimate goal of many DEI programs—we need to think beyond the traditional categories and embrace a more comprehensive view of diversity.

Embracing this broader definition of DEI isn’t just the right thing to do; it also helps counter much of the backlash that oversimplifies DEI as mere affirmative action. When we focus on creating an environment where everyone feels accepted and welcome, regardless of their background or identity, and every individual can bring their whole self to work and thrive, we’re working toward a goal that’s hard to argue against.

2. DEI is more than an HR initiative.

Over the past few years, it’s become clear that associating DEI solely with HR might have been too limiting. DEI isn’t just about hiring quotas or mandatory learning and development sessions; it’s about embedding inclusive practices into every aspect of your organization.

DEI isn’t a one-off program or initiative; it should be woven into the fabric of everything your organization does.

In this next era of DEI, practitioners are thinking bigger. They’re looking at ways to integrate DEI across all departments and processes—from product development to customer engagement. By expanding the scope of DEI beyond HR concerns, we can create a more holistic and impactful approach to inclusion.

3. DEI still matters.

While the heightened focus on DEI following the events of 2020 may have subsided, its importance hasn’t diminished. As we’ve discussed earlier, DEI and inclusivity remain crucial drivers for your employees. If you’re not dedicating time, effort, and resources to these initiatives, your workforce will notice—and it could impact their engagement and retention.

Recent data underscores this point. Since 2021, reports of workplace bias have increased for almost every racial group. Employee perceptions of inclusivity among direct managers and senior leaders have declined, despite company efforts to improve engagement with diverse employees. Even among White employees, only 58 percent now believe that senior leaders do a good job of engaging with people who are different from them, compared with 70 percent in 2021.

Why does this matter? Employees who witness or experience discrimination, bias, or disrespect are nearly 1.4 times more likely to quit their job.

The message is clear: Now, more than ever, DEI requires unwavering advocacy and a sustained commitment from both HR and leadership; without it, organizations risk losing not only talent but also the trust of their workforce.

The Bottom Line

Are there other questions you’ve been wondering about? Reach out to your own DEI practitioners; they’ll likely be thrilled by your interest and eager to work together. Having a more candid and open conversation can help build a stronger partnership between your teams.

No dedicated DEI team? Contact Seramount to tap into insights of our DEI and Talent experts.

Remember, HR and DEI share a common goal: creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. It all starts with honest dialogue. By breaking down silos and working together, HR and DEI can build a powerful synergy that drives meaningful, lasting change in your organization.

Looking for strategies to kick-start your collaboration with DEI? Explore our latest guide, Bridging HR and DEI: 3 Collaboration Strategies for CHROs Managing DEI Teams, and discover actionable steps to help you and your DEI team achieve shared success.

The post 3 Questions HR Wants to Ask About DEI – And 3 Things DEI Leaders Want HR to Know appeared first on Seramount.