DE&I Predictions for 2025

Whilst the Christmas present wrapping hasn’t yet begun, I, like others, have been wrapping up the year by attending some EDI events which will put me in the best possible place to start 2025 prepared and focused for the opportunities and challenges of another 12 months. 

It definitely feels like we’re entering a new phase of diversity and inclusion. 

I attended a fantastic D&I Leaders event this week hosted by Mark Baker, and welcoming Charlotte Sweeney OBE (Diversity & Inclusion Specialist) and Pauline Wilson (Chief Equity Officer, EMEA, dentsu international) and Greg McCaw (Chief People Officer, BKL) as speakers.

The theme was ‘DE&I Predictions for 2025’, and they discussed their forecasts for next year, including their experiences of the developing relationship between EDI and HR teams, and AI through an EDI lens. 

They also discussed how there is a growing need to simplify EDI work to keep people focused and on board with being an effective ally for continued positive change. 

I’ve noticed several things over the last year as the political landscape changes, and as diversity and inclusion related events in the news continue to have an effect on the working world. 

Here’s what I’m seeing, and the actions I think all fellow EDI practitioners should be putting in their diaries for 2025:

1) Connection of EDI initiatives to ESG aspirations.

There seems to be a greater ask for EDI and ESG leads to work together on greeting a vision for organisational compliance and best practice. 

I’m on the fence regarding whether this shift is a positive one. Whilst new government initiatives are clearly guiding large businesses towards demonstrating transparency with achievements relating to their corporate social responsibilities, and being accountable for positive impact with the communities and customers they represent, I wouldn’t want to see EDI and ESG bundled together on the ‘do-gooding’ sidelines whilst the ‘BAU’ continues separately. 

The link between the two is the quest for social justice. (Maybe this is the new best term for what we’re all trying to create?)

EDI Leads would benefit from: 

•  Ensuring that stakeholders are truly heard on each separate issue.
• Tailoring your approach based on vital feedback trends. There is obviously a strong connection between inclusion goals and the need for ESG positive action but the ‘means’ and the ‘end’ needs to be clearly defined in the separate strategies and the KPIs to achieve the top line objectives. The actions may sometimes mirror each other, whereas many may not. The key is to make sure that no action point obstructs another.  

2) EDI alignment with Employee Engagement.

Again, we have a ‘means’, and an ‘end’, and employers who are connecting these responsibilities are, I feel, demonstrating that EDI initiatives need to contribute to the quest of a better culture, and a feeling of belonging amongst internal stakeholders. 

Impact is the difference between EDI passion, and true expertise, which is why many organisations are looking for colleague engagement survey experience, evidence of collaboration with comms teams and examples of how strategies are being built in alignment with employee experience aspirations. 

For those who are wondering what the future of EDI roles is, maybe what you really are, is an employee engagement expert, as well as a champion for social justice. 

EDI Leads would benefit from: 

• Making sure you have a great relationship with internal and external comms and your employee experience leads. Attend events and join networks which build your knowledge of both.
• Spend ringfenced time analysing what colleagues are telling you through pulse surveys and colleague engagement initiatives. 

3) Prioritisation of impact and protection of budgets.

There have been fewer job vacancies in 2024 for Heads of Diversity and Inclusion and EDI leads than at any point in the last four years as organisations take a breath to consider what they really need from their initiatives. 

Many roles advertised are interim, as businesses ask for external short term help to set their EDI vision for the year, whilst avoiding the cost of external consultants. 

Combined with a strong requirement to take a data-led approach, it’s clear that organisations want to be mindful of their EDI expenditure and measure the ROI of their initiatives well. 

We know that the road to measuring positive impact of EDI initiatives is a long and winding one, starting with having the systems and measures to collate data on demographics and diversities which people still often feel reluctant to share. 

Gathering it, and then overlaying it with data on belonging and trust takes trust, and if the workplace culture hasn’t provided space for safe disclosure, then businesses will struggle to get over that very first hurdle. 

Without the demographics, and the employee engagement information, the measurements of retention, reductions in sickness absence, progression and representation, reductions in pay gaps and improvements to engagement levels is nigh on impossible. 

EDI Leads would benefit from: 

• Celebrating successes, underpinning progress with data, and circulating regular updates on how the action points linked to the EDI strategy are being completed. If they’re not being completed, why not? 
• Create an Inclusion impact assessment so that every leader embarking upon an event or initiative can think about how it will positively and negatively impact the wide range of characteristics represented by your stakeholders. 

(Connect with me if you don’t have one, and I’ll be happy to share a good model framework!)

I absolutely agree with the speakers of the D&I Leaders event that the diversity and inclusion world is progressing very quickly and is increasingly complex. Along with changes in legislation, events in the news and keeping up to date with terminology, we have a gargantuan task on our hands. 

It’s going to be more important than ever not to attempt to move too fast too soon. The best next steps for one organisation may not be right for another, and sticking to the right pace will keep everybody on board, and focused on the same goals. 

I’ll take the opportunity to wish you a great end to 2024. 

For those of you celebrating Christmas, I hope it is a very joyful one. 

For those of you who find the end of the year more reflective, I wish you peace and comfort. 

Stella Sutcliffe x