Diversity Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025

Introduction In 2025, leaders in the public and private sectors will be tasked with the challenge of reviving growth in a highly volatile environment while ensuring said growth does not exacerbate existing economic inequities1 as labour markets and capital markets still show multiple layers of systematic outcome gaps for women, people of colour, LGBTQI+ individuals and people with disabilities. Where globally comparable data is available, as in the case of gender, we see persistent gaps in labour-market participation, unemployment, informal employment, representation in the jobs of the future, leadership, and pay, as well as wealth accumulation and access to finance across the world.2 As the global economy is set to become more volatile, the risk is highest for those that have traditionally been excluded from economic opportunity, including the most stable and highly rewarded jobs. While legislation and equitable economic policies are an important part of the equation, corporations can play a key role in contributing to the creation of a more level playing field. The corporate role in advancing policy and societal outcomes is further magnified by the rapid pace of technological innovation, particularly in automation and workforce augmentation. Simultaneously, long-term demographic transformations are reshaping the global workforce. By 2030, one in six people worldwide will be over the age of 60, a shift that will affect not only high-income economies but also increasingly impact middle- and low-income countries, presenting a new landscape for companies in their search for talent.3In this swiftly changing environment, aligning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts with broader business and economic objectives will not only enable companies to navigate macroeconomic shifts but also help businesses thrive in an era where adaptability and resilience are paramount. Businesses across the world are embracing approaches that boost diversity and inclusion to lay the foundations for workforce transformation. A growing body of practices suggests that efforts are broadening across the planet, and transforming from reactive to proactive, from peripheral to central, and from single-focus to whole-of-business initiatives.4 Well-designed strategies are creating an environment where all employees are able to perform at their highest potential, thereby boosting business performance. In addition, such strategies involve the creation of transparent systems and channels of communication that contribute to building trust. In 2023, the bulk of DEI efforts for the average firm were predominantly focused on training initiatives looking to achieve attitudinal shifts within organizations.5 This approach is showing mixed results5. Instead, companies at the frontier are increasingly shifting to a “fixing the system” approach, adopting measures such as pay equity reviews, caregiving benefits, and more transparent hiring and promotion processes across their organizations and supply chains. As DEI continues to embed itself into the fabric of business operations, it is evolving into a strategy that is not just additive, but essential to sustainable success.Building resilient economies in 2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 5