The Equal Group: EDI Year End Wrap Up

2025 was the year many of us decided: enough of the bullshit.

Over the past few years, we’ve watched companies and individuals dip in and out of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion commitments like a trend cycle. We all remember 2020. In the midst of a pandemic, post–George Floyd, EDI exploded. Organisations rushed to issue statements, promise change, commission audits, ‘ring fence’ funds and publicly commit to a “new era of work.”

Then the noise faded.
The work got hard.
And many disappeared just as quickly as they arrived.

By 2025, the pendulum had swung hard in the opposite direction. An era of anti-EDI rhetoric, largely driven by political pressure, executive order and rollbacks in the US, began shaping global business behaviour. More than half of businesses altered their approach to EDI last year following US policy shifts. A survey of 250 UK general counsels and chief legal officers revealed that 83% felt “doing the right thing” came secondary to profit in business decision-making.

The anti-EDI backlash has created a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and reframe.The era of quick-fix, one-size-fits-all AI EDI training must end. So must performative “diversity hires” — brought in to tick a box, then sidelined, unsupported, and left exposed to unchecked bias and discrimination.

That wave of EDI enthusiasm over the past five years was largely a façade. Most organisations were never ready to do the real work. As a result, promises, rushed initiatives, groundbreaking hires and headline-grabbing targets failed. In many cases, we are left in a worse position than where we started.

Now the task is harder.
We’re having to undo the damage of bad EDI and rebuild trust in the idea that this work matters at all.

That means re-introducing EDI not as a trend, a tick-box, or a PR strategy, but as long-term, evidence-based, uncomfortable but beneficial work. The kind that challenges power, systems, and decision-making. The kind that lasts and makes our individuals, organisations and societies better.

For a time, we even sat on the fence, hesitant to call out bad practice, poor  practitioners, or hollow facades. But that has shifted. At The Equal Group, we have made a clear decision: we are calling out the bullshit. Love it or hate it, we are here to rock the boat and show organisations why this work matters.

What we saw across our work in 2025

When we looked across our work this year, the landscape felt more complex, but also more honest.

Staff are more vocal, yet fatigued, but definitively clearer about what they expect. Leaders are more cautious and often unaware of the depth of feeling within their organisations. Clients sit at very different stages: some still relying on short-term interventions, others beginning to explore systemic change.

Workshops and audits revealed sharper challenges, long-standing fatigue, and stronger demands for transparency. Leadership conversations highlighted widening gaps between perception and reality, alongside growing uncertainty about how to handle deeply sensitive issues. Many organisations are now seeing the consequences of earlier short-term approaches and are seeking support to navigate long-term accountability rather than quick fixes.

Taken together, 2025 showed a sector that is still learning, struggling, and moving, but now with clearer signals about what must be addressed for lasting progress.

Client projects and delivery

We saw more clients move beyond one-off training and begin asking deeper questions about systems, culture, and long-term outcomes. Some approached us after previous efforts failed to deliver meaningful change, raising important questions about how the sector is maturing.

Clients also sat at very different stages. Some employee networks brought curiosity and renewed energy; some public sector organisations often carried deeper cynicism after repeated cycles of strategies and resets. Political and cultural shifts influenced what clients felt able to address, particularly around risk, conflict, and sensitive topics.

These signals suggest delivery is slowly shifting toward more structural, sustained support, rather than surface-level interventions.

Workshops, assessments and audits

Across sessions, fatigue was evident, and challenges were more direct. Many participants felt they had raised the same issues for years without visible progress. People from marginalised groups expressed frustration at repeatedly sharing lived experience with little outcome.

Where people had been in organisations for a long time, cynicism ran deeper; newer colleagues showed more openness. We also saw increased discomfort around identity and uncertainty about who feels “allowed” to participate in EDI conversations. This created complex dynamics that demanded careful facilitation and reinforced how EDI readiness varies widely across groups.

Leadership and sector conversations

A recurring theme was the gap between leadership perception and employee reality. Many leaders believed culture was functioning well, even when feedback pointed to distrust and disengagement.

Operational pressure often made it difficult for leaders to see EDI as part of business survival rather than an additional burden. External pressures, political narratives, public scrutiny, and fear of getting things wrong, further increased caution. Leaders frequently asked for guidance on navigating sensitive topics and managing disagreement within their teams.

All of this points to the need for clearer data, more honest dialogue, and stronger support to help leaders build confidence and capability.

Recurring challenges and emerging priorities

The momentum of 2020 has faded, leaving practitioners overstretched and organisations unsure where to focus. Many made symbolic commitments without structural follow-through, and the consequences are now showing in morale and engagement.

We repeatedly questioned whether inclusion is still being treated as a project rather than an ongoing responsibility. We also explored whether responsibility should sit with specialist teams alone, or be more evenly distributed across organisations.

Emerging priorities included realistic action planning, clearer prioritisation, and stronger integration between inclusion and core business strategy.

Shifts in attitudes and behaviours

Throughout the year, we observed staff questioning decisions that contradicted stated values and raised concerns about wellbeing, fairness, and work-life impact.

At the same time, leaders became more guarded due to political pressure and cultural debate. More people expressed discomfort with EDI discussions and sought clarity on how to engage safely.

Honest communication, steady progress, and skilled facilitation emerged as non-negotiables for organisations serious about lasting change.

What’s Next?

One theme is unmistakable: many people are lost.

Leaders are operating under intense pressure. Anti-EDI rhetoric has made commitment feel risky, something that could burden teams, attract backlash, or drain already stretched resources. Staff, meanwhile, feel overlooked and unheard. Unsure where to turn, they sit quietly with their frustration until it manifests as disengagement, burnout, or rapid turnover.

A final thought

It’s clear to us, as should be clear to many people interested in the EDI space, that EDI needs a renewed focus. Commitment to managing the most complex aspects of EDI, rather than reaching for the low hanging fruit. Commitment to understanding the consequences of all EDI related activities, both the areas of investment and the budget cuts. Commitment to long term progress over temporary optics.

In a somewhat unprecedented move for an EDI consultancy, we are going to sit with our plans and share them more holistically in the coming months. We have spent the year deeply critiquing the work we do and the way we work with clients and are excited to share the next steps, but that doesn’t mean we are in a rush. We want to get this right. So if you’re interested in hearing more about the future of EDI - email ‘future’ to contact@theequalgroup.com and we will get in touch with you.