In recent months, many organisations have found themselves in the crossfire of a growing backlash against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes. While the conversation has become polarised, and the current climate is undeniably challenging, this also brings an opportunity to pause, reassess, and to look at how to do things differently. It creates a space to reflect on what hasn’t been working, and what needs to change.
The truth about the DEI backlash
Too often, DEI has been implemented as a tick-box exercise: driven by quotas, focused on isolated initiatives like ERGs, and evaluated through engagement metrics. While these efforts have raised awareness, these efforts have often failed to move the needle on true inclusion or business performance. As a result, many DEI budgets have come under scrutiny—particularly when organisations struggle to see a link between inclusion and productivity.
Worse still, DEI has sometimes become detached from the core functions of the organisation – driven by engagement surveys rather than tied into business outcomes such as performance, productivity, or development. When budgets tighten, the programmes that aren’t seen as delivering measurable value are the first to be cut.
Driving inclusion through performance, not programmes
So, what’s the alternative?
It’s time to move the DEI conversation out of the “HR silo” and into the heart of organisational performance. Rather than asking if people feel included, we should be asking: How does inclusion enable our people to perform at their best?”
Embedding DEI into the fabric of the organisation means moving beyond surface-level initiatives and aligning inclusion efforts with core business drivers: performance, wellbeing, and leadership capability. This is where real cultural change begins; not with top-down mandates, but with consistent behaviours that ripple through teams, systems, and decision-making.
When inclusion becomes part of how a business operates,not just what it says, it naturally supports wellbeing, boosts productivity, and drives retention.
Change happens through habit, not one-off intervention
Change doesn’t happen through a one-off intervention. It happens through habit. That means equipping leaders not just to talk about inclusion, but to model it. It means making inclusive decision-making part of everyday practice, not an annual training module.
This means designing inclusion strategies that are measured not just through engagement scores, but through metrics like productivity, retention, and development. It means HR working hand-in-hand with leadership to ensure DEI or culture is linked to business strategy, not bolted on as an afterthought.
This behavioural approach to culture change has clear benefits. Rather than siloing DEI, we can integrate it with employee performance, leadership development, and organisational health. The result? A culture where people don’t just feel safe, they feel empowered to contribute and thrive.
A moment of opportunity
I understand the discomfort around the current backlash but it’s also a signal that surface-level efforts are no longer enough. I also believe this is a moment of possibility. Organisations need a different approach, one that embeds inclusion into the daily fabric of how they work, lead, and grow.
Let’s not stop talking about difference. Let’s start doing difference differently.
About the author
Johanna was formerly Group HR Director at Oxford University Press, she is now one of the few female CEOs in the data and technology industry and has this year been shortlisted for GBEA Tech Founder of the Year.
She launched FabricShift (previously In Diverse Company) in 2019 out of a strong belief that there was a better way to create and measure inclusive cultures, ones that drive business performance, innovation and productivity. FabricShift focuses on helping leaders create inclusive cultures and understand that differences enhance decision-making and improve company performance.
You might also like:
