‘Intention over time’ the key to D&I at Microsoft
Although they remain in the minority, several notable businesses including Harley-Davidson, Toyota, and Molson-Coors have about-faced on D&I commitments, ending the sponsorship of events such as Pride festivals and scrapping ERGs.
The U-turns came amid anti-DEI activist campaigns on social media and rising shareholders activism from those who oppose its role in US businesses ..
Microsoft has only been producing annual D&I reports for six years and sharing workforce data for 11,, but McIntyre says the company’s commitment to inclusion dates back over forty years.
Consistency, she argues, is the secret to canceling out the noise: “This year's report tells a really interesting story about the importance of diligence and intention over time.”
The result is steady, climbing, ongoing progress—the kind that may not always make front-page news, but over time delivers meaningful difference. From 2023 to 2024, for example, Microsoft increased the representation of women from 31.2% to 31.6%.
McIntyre says this approach to improving inclusion requires Microsoft to have a “relentless desire” to represent the world it aims to serve.
“That [patience] is particularly important as we strive to close the unadjusted median pay gap, which comes from representation in more senior roles in the organization,” McIntyre adds. “I attribute [our progress] to a lot of hard work over a number of years… This work happens over time, not overnight. We've been at it for the better part of 40 years.”
Alongside data points on gender, racial, and ethnic minority group representation, the report also features insights into the inner workings of Microsoft employee resource groups (ERGs) and the findings of pay equity and median unadjusted pay analyses.
I attribute [our progress] to a lot of hard work over a number of years… This work happens over time, not overnight. We've been at it for the better part of 40 years
Lindsay-Rae McIntyre | Chief Diversity Officer and Corporate VP of Talent & Learning, Microsoft
Integrated D&I and making the business case: Lessons from Microsoft’s CDO
Even from within the walls of the HR community, there have been calls for D&I to become more strategic; to better serve the needs of businesses.
In July 2024, the world’s largest professional HR body, the Society for Human Resource Management, announced it would be adopting the acronym ‘I&D’ instead of ‘IE&D’: “By emphasizing Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization,” said SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.
While the decision created an avalanche of controversy, it prompted many HR teams to reflect on their existing approach to D&I and whether it could be reimagined to more clearly demonstrate and deliver the value it serves to businesses.
McIntyre acknowledges she is fortunate that Microsoft’s entire executive team understands the importance of D&I to its mission - “It is the business of Microsoft to be more diverse and inclusive so that we can serve the world,” she says – but suggests other HR professionals can reach this point by integrating D&I into all areas of the business rather than keeping it as a siloed unit.
“Threading and embedding diversity and inclusion into skill sets, mindsets, habits, behaviors, and every aspect of the employee experience is critically important,” she notes. “Gone are the days where D&I is something separate. Whether it's onboarding or compensation or, the employee experience or how we build strategies and labor plans within organizations and business units, D&I is a piece of all of that.”
Her belief in the importance of embedded D&I and alignment with the business is echoed by other prominent HR leaders, such as Santander’s Chief Diversity & Culture Officer Virnitia Dixon, and Kimberly Shariff, EVP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Penguin Random House, who have spoken to HR Grapevine about buy-in and business support for D&I.
“DE&I efforts, when integrated into the DNA of organizations, are more readily understood for what they are: good business practices that drive financial success, innovation, productivity and strong corporate cultures that attract top candidates and help retain top performers,” Shariff said in January 2024.