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More Than Half of Organizations Made No Recent Changes to Their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Functions in Early 2025, New Research Finds

By: Newsworthy

April 17, 2025 at 08:00 AM EDT

Jacksons Point, Ontario, Canada (Newsworthy.ai) Thursday Apr 17, 2025 @ 8:00 AM America/Toronto —

A recent poll from HR.com’s HR Research Institute reveals that, despite new guidance and executive orders from the Trump Administration, most organizations have not yet made changes to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or similar functions as of February 22.

Notwithstanding public debates and shifting social priorities, 58% of HR professionals report that their organizations’ DEI (or similar) functions so far remain unchanged in both name and structure.

The research is based on responses from 784 HR professionals across various industries, collected during January and February 2025. The study set out to understand how organizations are adapting their DEI efforts in today’s evolving workplace environment.

Other key findings include:

8% of respondents say their organizations have made changes to the DEI function associated with renaming, restructuring, or both.
3% of organizations have completely discontinued their DEI or similar programs.
24% indicate their organizations never had a DEI function to begin with.
8% cited “Other” changes or circumstances, and these responses varied widely from "I don't know" to "it is being looked at."

The evolving landscape of DEI in the U.S. has been shaped in part by the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since January 2025, President Donald Trump has further accelerated change through a series of executive orders dismantling DEI programs across federal agencies, the military, educational institutions, and federal contractors, aiming to restore "merit-based" practices. These actions have led to significant policy shifts, including the termination of DEI initiatives in federal agencies, the cessation of race-conscious admissions in military academies, and the revocation of affirmative action requirements for federal contractors.

While these orders do not directly control DEI programs in private-sector companies that do not contract with the federal government, they have created a regulatory and political environment that is influencing how some organizations approach DEI. Further, there has been a rise in liability risks linked to “reverse discrimination” claims. Consequently, some are reevaluating their DEI strategies while navigating compliance, public discourse, and evolving interpretations of anti-discrimination law.

More research on this topic is being conducted by HR.com's HR Research Institute, and a full report summary will be released in late April 2025.

HR professionals can participate in a similar study on diversity and inclusion, the Future of DEIB 2025 Study: Participate in Survey

Download research reports on any HR topic: VIEW ALL RESEARCH REPORTS

About HR.com and the HR Research Institute

The HR Research Institute (HRRI) helps you keep your finger on the pulse of HR! Powered by HR.com, the world’s largest HR community, the HRRI identifies key trends and best practices to help more than 2 million HR professionals and their organizations make strategic decisions with informed and insightful research findings. Among the most productive and respected HR research institutes globally, the HRRI publishes dozens of high-quality reports every year across a wide array of HR topics. HR.com’s free membership offers many benefits, including access to over 250 exclusive primary research, state-of-the-industry reports, and infographics. These resources are published based on surveys developed with the assistance of a panel of thought leaders and industry experts on the advisory boards. Visit hr.com/hrresearchinstitute to maximize your HR potential.

Become a part of HR.com’s HR Research Influencer Panel today! Participate in surveys, share your insights, and earn rewards!

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