This week, SHRM, a leading organization for HR professionals, announced that it would no longer be using the term “equity.” In a LinkedIn post, the organization—formerly known as the Society for Human Resource Management—shared that it would now use the acronym “I&D,” which stands for inclusion and diversity, stripping away the “equity” portion of “IE&D.”
SHRM noted that while its “commitment to advancing equity remains steadfast,” the organization believed that leading with inclusion would catalyze “holistic change” in the workplace and beyond. On LinkedIn, SHRM also quoted president and CEO Johnny Taylor, who had introduced the change during the organization’s recent annual conference: “We’re going to lead with inclusion, because we need a world where inclusion is front and center. And that means inclusion for all, not some people. Everyone has a right to feel that they belong in the workplace and that they are included.”
To outside observers, this might seem like a minor distinction, just a matter of semantics. But the decision was met with immediate criticism from HR professionals and DEI experts across social media—many of whom said it was a mistake—and a step backwards, for SHRM to distance itself from the language of equity.
“I find SHRM’s decision to remove ‘Equity’ from DEI deeply troubling,” one HR executive and SHRM member wrote on LinkedIn. “Incorporating equity into HR processes is not just important; it’s essential. Without it, can we genuinely claim to be advancing DEI(B) work?” An HR consultant said she would likely distance herself from the organization going forward, despite years of being a “card-carrying member.”
Others claimed that the move was disappointing but not much of a surprise, citing the costs associated with SHRM’s certification program—which is often a requirement or preference for HR positions—and arguing many of its resources were not particularly helpful or up-to-date.
In an interview with Fast Company, Taylor claimed the change to I&D was part of a broader evolution and had grown out of conversations with workers and HR experts who expressed confusion over what the “E” in DEI terminology represented. “We started hearing this noise about the E that had become a big deal,” he said. “It wasn’t that people were anti-equity. There was confusion around: What did it mean? We couldn’t get agreement even amongst DEI professionals. We would hear this from HR professionals and frankly employees, who would say: Is it equal opportunity, or is it equal outcome?” It had become a “divisive issue” in trainings, according to Taylor. “Ultimately, our efforts are intended to unify people and not divide them,” he added. When it comes to inclusion and diversity, however, he believes there is “universal or near universal agreement” on what those terms mean.
Taylor expressed surprised at the vociferous pushback on LinkedIn, though he argued the response had been somewhat split. He also claimed nobody in the SHRM network had canceled their membership yet, though he noted that could change in the coming months. “There’s a chance that people will not join [or renew], but there’s also a chance that we will increase memberships,” he said. (He added that SHRM’s membership and certification fees were on par with market rates, and that the majority of member dues were footed by companies.)
Many critics also saw SHRM’s decision as yet another instance of an organization walking back its commitment to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion amid a wave of anti-DEI sentiment. SHRM acknowledged that backdrop in its LinkedIn post, albeit without pointing the blame at politicians and business leaders who have helped stoke it. “By emphasizing inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization,” the post read.
Taylor told Fast Company that if SHRM was in fact capitulating to anti-DEI crusaders, the organization would have scrapped those initiatives altogether. “I think some of the comments suggested that we were under pressure on politics or from groups who were anti-DEI,” he said. “If that were the motivator here, we would have killed this whole thing. Like, why talk about it at all?”
Still, the outcry over SHRM’s decision seems to underscore the precarity of DEI efforts in the workplace. Since the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in 2023, corporate DEI initiatives have faced lawsuits and legal attacks from conservative activists. As Fast Company has previously reported, companies had already quietly disinvested from DEI work prior to the ruling. Over the last year, however, major corporate players have dropped language like “anti-racist” from their regulatory filings and altered policies that tied compensation to DEI metrics.
Meanwhile, anti-DEI business leaders like Elon Musk have embraced a new acronym—MEI, which stands for merit, excellence, and intelligence—in an effort to undermine DEI principles. Given its influence in the HR industry—and the fact that DEI roles are often situated within the HR department—SHRM’s decision could have ripple effects across the business world.
