CHROs are focused on leadership development and change management, not inclusion and diversity, in 2025

CHROs in the US are trying to outline their priorities for the rest of the year, all while navigating a tumultuous workplace and uncertain economy. And when it comes to DEI, one leader recommends employers cast a wider net for who falls under the programming.

More than 200 CHROs outlined their 2025 priorities in a recent SHRM survey. The majority (51%) cited leadership and manager development as their top priority, followed by organization design and change management, and employee experience. Their priorities have shifted since 2024, when these leaders said they were more focused on engaging employees, retaining top talent, and recruiting workers with “necessary skills.”

Just 2% of CHROs cited inclusion and diversity among their top three priorities; 55% of CHROs think more companies will reduce or eliminate DEI initiatives in 2025.

“We don’t abandon, we elevate and evolve,” Emily Dickens, chief of staff and head of government affairs at SHRM, said in a media briefing. “We need to be more inclusive in how we look at inclusion and diversity.” She suggested employers consider rural Americans, caregivers, and disabled workers when thinking about diverse and inclusive workplaces—although many employers already do this—and to be transparent aboutDEI goals and as “broad as possible” when considering how to diversify their workplace.

Dickens pointed to disabled workers several times during the meeting, noting that disabled people made huge employment gains during the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the proliferation of remote work, recommending employers allow them to maintain the accommodation. (SHRM, for its part, mandated a part-time RTO in June 2020, before there was a Covid-19 vaccine and at least 4,000 Americans were dying weekly.)

HR Brew asked Dickens if companies should engage directly with DEI opponents, like Robby Starbuck, who may be openly hostile toward certain minorities.

“I don’t have an opinion on that,” she replied. “Companies that are dealing with that—I have empathy for them, because they have multiple stakeholders. They’ve got Robby, the people that work for them, their customers. Anyone in business knows that you’re going to be dealing with multiple stakeholders, and you have to figure out and make a decision on how you choose to deal with stakeholders.”

Dickens went on to say that HR leaders should consider their culture before deciding who to engage with. “We’ve always said that there is no bad culture, unless it’s illegal.”