The U.S.-based Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is changing the way it describes diversity, equity and inclusion.
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO of SHRM, talked about the change during a keynote speech at last month’s conference and tradeshow in Chicago. Today, in a LinkedIn post, he made it official.
“We’ve been thinking about this for a while. And we’ve finally decided to make a change,” he said.
The acronym it chose is I&D — which stands for inclusion and diversity. Taylor said the name change was being done for a number of reasons.
First, DEI programs — “in their current form” — are not working, he said.
“We’re also seeing societal backlash and increased polarization across the U.S.,” said Taylor.
Lastly, some companies are actually stepping back from their DEI initiatives, he said.
“Rather than ignore the problem, we want to confront it head on,” he said. “Our solution? An inclusion-first approach.”
By leading with inclusion, Taylor said the focus shifts from “our differences to our commonalities.” It also champions respect and civility and widens the tent to bring in overlooked and untapped talent, including military veterans, elderly professionals, and people with disabilities.
“Make no mistake, SHRM remains committed to equality,” he said. “It will be incorporated under the broader inclusion framework — when inclusion is done right, so is equity.”