Not too long ago, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) became a priority for corporate organisations globally, with many making bold commitments. Today, the pendulum is swinging back as a different narrative is emerging. What was once hailed as a foundation of modern business strategy now faces unprecedented pressure. We’re now witnessing a growing number of organisations re-evaluating their DEI initiatives, with some quietly, or not so quietly, rolling back their policies. This concerning trend is, understandably, sparking a significant backlash with the potential for organisational crisis.
Our recent webinar, jointly held with the CIPR ESG Panel, critically examined the forces behind this complex and often contentious shift and the immediate and long-term consequences for businesses, employees and society.
The questions many are asking are:
- Is DEI dead or on its way out?
- What’s driving this retreat?
- What does it mean for the pursuit of a more equitable workplace?
- How can PR and communications professionals better support their organisations and executives during this period of uncertainty to ensure they stay ahead of any crisis?
These and other thought-provoking questions were posed to our panel of communications and DEI experts – Advita Patel, Stephen Waddington, Sheeraz Gulsher and Koray Camgöz –by the hosts, Chris Tucker, Chair of the CIPR Crisis Communications Network and Suzy Giles, Chair of the CIPR ESG Panel.
Advita’s Take
For Advita Patel, the President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), it’s tough, challenging and complex for PR and communications professionals to navigate the myriad of DEI fallouts in recent times. While the backtracking is concerning, the founder of CommsRebel, an agency that helps leaders create inclusive cultures through strategic comms, points out that some DEI policies clearly didn’t return any value and had to be scrapped. Adding that companies, like Costco, that saw value in their DEI policies have stuck by them.
“Most of these [DEI] initiatives were tokenistic, not really doing what they were meant to be doing. If the organisation was actually having a good return [from these DEI initiatives] and impacting the bottom line, then those initiatives would be staying, but they didn’t take them seriously.”
One of the main arguments of opponents has been that DEI programmes, arguably, place merit at the bottom of the line. Contrary to this view, Advita maintains that meritocracy is accepted by many people who are targets of DEI policies.
“I don’t know any underrepresented person who wants an opportunity without being qualified for it; most underrepresented folks believe in meritocracy.”
Advita Patel
“I don’t know any underrepresented person who wants an opportunity without being qualified for it; most underrepresented folks believe in meritocracy.”
She, however, admits that some people have had little competition because of DEI policies and they become uncomfortable and fearful when situations shift.
PR and communications professionals must be well positioned to be able to help their leaders and clients navigate challenges regarding DEI. Firstly, you need to “have your eyes and ears everywhere” when advising corporate leaders and clients in order to provide sound and informed counsel. Another piece of advice from Advita to PR and communications professionals is to tell your clients not to panic if they are facing challenges relating to DEI. You should advise business leaders and clients based on data and insights. Also, remind them of the organisation’s purpose and values and if they are following through with what the organisation truly stands for, they shouldn’t be too concerned about rolling back DEI policies that are not achieving value.
When asked how the CIPR was supporting its members, she said the group was providing resources to help them build confidence. “Confidence is built on knowledge,” she notes. Therefore, equipping communications professionals with resources and training will enable them confidently advise clients on this and other controversial issues.
Stephen’s Take
The strength of a diverse group of people cannot be underestimated. This is a notion many people and forward-looking business leaders would agree with. Stephen Waddington, advisor at Wadds Inc. and co-founder of Socially Mobile, which supports underrepresented PR professionals, agrees too.
“You get better decisions if you have a diverse team that represents the public,” he says.
So, what is driving this rollback?
Politicians have had a major influence on the shift in DEI commitments. For instance, the current US government’s stance has pushed companies, especially government contractors, to scrap DEI policies.
“The Trump organisation is causing every single corporate to reconsider its position on DEI – quietly removing DEI policies from websites… almost scrubbing it, washing it. Government stakeholders, political stakeholders are one of the most significant stakeholders for any organisation,” Stephen says.
Another reason we are seeing the reversing trend, according to Stephen, is short-sightedness of some corporate leaders, who allow politics to influence their actions instead of living their companies’ values and delivering the purpose they have proclaimed.
“Leaders are making short-term decisions based on political forces rather than rooting their decisions in the values of a company or organisation and those of their publics.”
“Leaders are making short-term decisions based on political forces rather than rooting their decisions in the values of a company or organisation and those of their publics.”
Stephen Waddington
To him, another worrying situation that is negatively impacting DEI is the ratio of men to women in the PR and communication industry along the entire career path. While women are in majority at the start and early years of practice, most of these women never get to the top of the corporate ladder.
“Ageism is a problem in the creative industries. At entry level the majority of [PR] practitioners, almost two thirds, are women. In management it’s almost entirely reversed and the majority are men.”
Sheeraz’s Take
Sheeraz Gulsher is the co-founder of People Like Us, a not-for-profit that supports diverse talent in the communications and marketing industries in the UK. For him, DEI is not just about representation; it’s about business and organisations should think long and hard when making decisions to rollback DEI initiatives. Short-sighted organisations, he believes, are setting themselves up for major consequences in the years ahead.
“What has happened with diversity and inclusion shows people have bowed to political pressure in the short term… and I think they will pay in price in the longer term, particularly with the younger generation of employees and consumers where purpose and inclusion is high on their priority list.”
He also cautions that the new generation of employees and consumers may not be so forgiving.
“I always remember that civil rights slogan which was along the lines of ‘do not buy from where you will not be hired’ and I think that will become a bit of a trend.”
Sheeraz Gulsher
“I always remember that civil rights slogan which was along the lines of ‘do not buy from where you will not be hired’ and I think that will become a bit of a trend.”
But all is not gloom and doom as there are companies that are doubling down on their DEI stance, such as Tesco, and that gives hope that all is not lost. Most importantly, businesses and corporate organisations “should remember why they commit to DEI and remain consistent. It’s going to be really crucial.”
Koray’s Take
Koray Camgöz is the CEO of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, which champions diverse talent in PR and communications. The foundation also provides support and guidance to practitioners.
He describes the DEI rollback as a “seismic shift”, which he says has had a “knock-on impact” on their operations. He also makes the point that DEI challenges are impacting the UK PR and communications industry, with one major challenge being the lack of diversity in the industry.
“The UK communications industry is starting at an incredibly low bar. 9/10 comms pros identify as white; 28% of the comms industry are privately educated.”
Another worrying shift is language. Companies are now changing DEI wording and messaging on websites and other communication material.
“In 2025, most smart, forward-thinking leaders understand and appreciate the benefits of diversity. But what shifted in recent times is the language, so a lot of organisations are reframing the way they talk about DEI.”
While some are watering down their language on their own accord to align with the latest shift, there have been an instance where a US company has been compelled by law to remove a DEI terminology, according to Koray. “Language matters,” he notes, and its crucial for organisations to be intentional with the language they choose to use.
“You should always be intentional with your language and language matters.”
Koray Camgöz
On the whole, we promised an insightful and thought-provoking DEI session and from the constructive feedback we’ve received so far, we didn’t disappoint. More than 140 people joined the session via Zoom and for the first time, our webinar was streamed live on LinkedIn.
This is why you should never miss any of our events; you can check details of our upcoming events here. If you missed any of our past events, don’t worry, we have them all at this link. Watch and log 5 CPD points if you are a CIPR member. We aim for our webinars to be a great resource to PR and crisis communications professionals.
Author: Adelaide Arthur, CIPR Crisis Comms Network
Image: AI generated
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