The debate over the future of DE&I and what to call it seems never-ending.
Now, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the country’s largest HR association, is moving away from the term “DE&I.”
The latest. In a July 9 LinkedIn post, Johnny C. Taylor, SHRM’s CEO, announced the organization’s diversity initiative will now be called I&D, or inclusion and diversity, rather than DE&I. SHRM also shared the news on its LinkedIn page, sparking a debate with almost 900 comments.
In his post, Taylor defends the change, arguing that current DE&I initiatives “simply aren’t working.” He also reasoned that the term “DE&I” has become polarized, whereas I&D “shifts from our differences to our commonalities,” as well as complements SHRM’s overall focus on inclusion.
Polarized HR leaders. The response from business and HR leaders was swift and somewhat mixed.
Several commenters applauded the change, calling it a positive step forward. Jim Fielding, a business author and coach, praised the move. “This is visionary, thoughtful, and so important. Appreciate the work and the leadership,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
However, many decried it, alleging the move is a step backward and a play based on pressure.
One HR pro at the Ford Motor Company called the change disappointing, writing, “You should be fighting for companies to remain vigilant with their DE&I initiatives.”
“‘Inclusion for all, not some people” is giving me ‘all lives matter’ vibes,” Andrea Pérez-Maikkula, director of DEIB for the state of Minnesota wrote.
Taylor told HR Brew that SHRM remains “steadfast and committed to equity,” and that while he understands people feel strongly about its decision, it wasn’t made lightly. He claimed the change had been in the works for 18 months, because many leaders within SHRM had different opinions on what the “E” stands for: equitable opportunity or outcomes. But what they did agree on was that DE&I in its current form wasn’t having enough of an impact.
“So, in all of this, we found ourselves saying, ‘Gosh, guys, how about focusing on what we have, general agreement, not unanimous, but near unanimous?’”
Political motives? Taylor served as a White House advisor during the Trump administration, and has faced criticism from some who feel SHRM has been too quiet on racial, LGBTQ+, and inequality issues, HR Brew previously reported. Some believe Taylor is trying to appeal to Republican critics of diversity initiatives.
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“I think it’s incredibly harmful to remove equity, because it’s just as important as the other two [words],” Jamie Jackson, co-host of the HR Besties podcast and creator of the Humorous Resources social channels, told HR Brew. “And you can’t help but think this is an election year, so what is Johnny really trying to do here? Who’s he appeasing with this initiative?”
Taylor said he finds this notion insulting, both to him and his organization, as he also worked alongside Janet Reno, a democrat and the first female attorney general, and supported Hillary Clinton in 2008, and SHRM has supported Julie Su’s labor secretary nomination.
“If you’re going to look at my body of work, look at it all,” Taylor said, adding, “They’re reaching to justify that they are upset with [the language shift].”
Looking ahead. Jackson said that the language shift sends a concerning message to HR leaders: “We’ve looked to SHRM because they are the largest organization…When an organization like SHRM puts this out, you don’t understand the repercussions and the ripples that come from that.” She added that it could have a particularly significant influence on one-person HR teams, who rely on SHRM to guide their decision making.
Several HR leaders argued that removing the “E” in DE&I will harm progress. “Equity doesn’t just happen, and removing the visibility will do more harm than good,” Kim Rohrer, an HR entrepreneur, commented on LinkedIn.
Despite negative responses, Taylor said SHRM is moving forward with I&D, and reiterated the organization’s commitment to diversity. He said doesn’t want a battle over language to get in the way of working toward progress.
“The term [I&D] is saying, in the face of this anti-diversity thing, that SHRM’s actually doubling down and saying the focus will be on inclusion and diversity.”