Making Inclusion Work in a Shifting Landscape

Recent executive orders (EOs) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have thrown a wrench into these efforts at many organizations — and employees are paying attention. Almost one-third (31%) of U.S. workers said these moves signal the end of workplace DEI efforts altogether, and another 41% said the EOs will weaken them, according to SHRM’s March Current Events Pulse survey. That’s a big chunk of the workforce bracing for change.

EO Impact Zone: A Guide for HR Leaders

Yet even in this shifting landscape, employee engagement with inclusion and diversity (I&D) remains strong. In fact, 44% of employees said they were “comfortable” or “very comfortable” having conversations on this topic — nearly double the 23% who said they were “uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable.”  

This disconnect presents both a challenge and an opportunity for CHROs. While external forces may be pressuring employers to scale back, employees continue to value — and expect — open conversations about workplace inclusion.

That means HR leaders are being asked to preserve inclusive cultures and maintain employee trust while navigating a volatile regulatory environment. The good news is that by focusing on three foundational areas — data, communication, and policy commitment — organizations can stay grounded, responsive, and inclusive, even as rules evolve.  

Level Up Your I&D: The SHRM BEAM Framework

One way to evaluate initiatives, both current and future, is through a framework built on offering more opportunity to employees, not less. In response to the recent EOs, SHRM developed the Belonging Enhanced by Access Through Merit (BEAM) Framework. By focusing on outcomes versus optics, this framework aims to enhance inclusion while helping leaders better evaluate their programs against current rules and regulations.

Improve Diversity Through Data

Many organizations track diversity numbers, but they often don’t know what those numbers mean. A single snapshot — such as the percentage of employees who are women or belong to underrepresented groups — can create a false sense of progress. Without comparing metrics such as hiring and turnover rates side by side, it’s easy to overlook deeper patterns and miss what’s unfolding beneath the surface. Use your data to inform decisions around I&D programs by creating goals, finding patterns, and understanding the response.

Actionable Tips:

• Create goals: Give your data something to aspire to. For example, measuring participation in professional development can be a starting point, but what would it look like to have a 5, 10, or even 15% increase?  
• Find patterns: Dig deeper for the insights your data can offer. If you’re seeing participation dips in professional development programs, consider what could be behind these changes. For example, is participation lower among employees who are caregivers than among employees who are not caregivers?  
• Understand the response: Based on the patterns, determine the actions needed to achieve the goals. Can leadership training be more accessible, whether through more flexible scheduling or new sponsorship models?

Commit to Actions

In an unpredictable environment, it’s easy for I&D efforts to stall or fade into the background. That’s why long-term commitment matters — and why leaders need to show, not just say, that these priorities are here to stay.

Actionable Tips: 

• Plan for the long game: Launching a policy is just the start. But don’t forget to plan for maintenance down the road. Build in regular reviews, gather feedback, and be ready to adapt — that’s what sustained commitment looks like.
• Determine time stamps for review: In the absence of perfect information, leaders can set up benchmarks for their I&D policies to ensure timely review and, if needed, make changes. These benchmarks help ensure accountability and make it easier to respond if external regulations shift.
• Model accountability: Reinforce commitment by weaving I&D into hiring decisions, leadership evaluations, and team-level priorities. When actions align with policies, trust grows.

Communicate to Gain Engagement 

Taking action is critical — but if those actions aren’t clearly communicated, they can be easily misunderstood or overlooked. Effective communication boosts engagement, builds trust, and even reduces the risk of misunderstandings or legal issues. It’s not just what you say — it’s how consistently, transparently, and thoughtfully you say it.

Actionable Tips:

• Build I&D communication into current channels. Make updates on I&D a regular part of existing town halls, newsletters, team meetings, or emails. Make sure to offer clear ways for employees to respond or give feedback.  
• Cement active listening into leadership. When employees share concerns or ideas, take time to truly consider their input before responding. Reflective listening builds trust and signals respect.
• Close the loop: Gathering feedback isn’t enough — employees need to know their voices lead to action. Closing the loop is “critical to reinforce impactful communication,” according to Matthew W. Burr, SHRM-SCP, owner of Burr Consulting LLC.

Bringing the Workforce Forward

Inclusion isn’t a one-time initiative — it’s an ongoing strategy. By grounding decisions in data, reinforcing policies with action, and communicating with intention, leaders can build an inclusive culture that adapts, endures, and drives performance. That’s how inclusion moves from a mere principle to a lasting advantage.