SAVANNAH, Ga. — For all the progress employers have made in implementing workplace diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, the first half of the 2020s have presented a number of challenges — not the least of which is opposition.

According to a 2021 Gartner survey, 42% of employees said they resented their employers’ DEI efforts, and the same percentage said they viewed those efforts as divisive. A slightly larger share, 44%, said a growing number of their colleagues felt alienated by DEI efforts.

For DEI consultant Eric Ellis, president and CEO of Ohio-based Integrity Development, the backlash is just one of many offshoots of broader negativity in the world beyond work.

“Negativity is what gets attention,” Ellis told attendees Monday at the Society for Human Resource Management’s Inclusion conference. “What I see in the world right now is that we are not as divided as people tell us we are, but if you keep telling us we hate each other, before you know it, we’re fighting in the streets and we don’t even know why.”

But the moment is ripe for DEI professionals, who can adapt to these circumstances in order to ensure their work continues to make a difference, Ellis continued. Part of this is realizing that people want to be unique and bring their authentic selves to work, he said. They also want to be equitably recognized and rewarded and want to be in a workplace where they feel they belong.

“All the people who think it is their purpose to cancel DEI, the only doorway to the future is the one that we’re talking about right now,” Ellis said. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, respect and kindness have no credible opponents.”

#1: Listen, learn and lead

To overcome potential opposition, DEI professionals must first be willing to listen to what all employees have to say and show care for all, Ellis said.

“The most effective educators educate to the individual learner,” he continued. “There are different groups and individuals across the organization, and DEIB has to recognize that we have to customize those solutions to deal with those various groups.”

HR can solicit feedback and conduct listening sessions so that employees can be honest about their problems. Because employees may feel hesitant to share their thoughts with supervisors or with HR, a third party may be ideal for hosting such sessions, Ellis said.

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