'Real implications' | Huge majority of HR leaders agree D&I crucial for business performance

A whopping 98% of HR leaders agree that DEI is important to overall business strategy, according to new research.

The survey, which was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of global business strategy and consultancy firm Monica Motivates, revealed the continued significance of DEI in organisations in the UK and US, with 79% of HR leaders calling it “very important” and 19% calling it “somewhat important”.

The importance of DEI was also shown in the number of DEI roles at C-Suite level. More than three-quarters (79%) of the 400 HR leaders surveyed said that there was a C-Suite position responsible for DEI.

The survey comes amid a backlash against DEI, provoked by economic pressures. DEI executives were terminated at a much higher rate than all other executives in 2022. That’s despite an extensive body of research showing that higher gender diversity corresponds to higher profitability and productivity, and that the most ethnic and culturally diverse companies outperform the least in terms of profitability.