Large companies in particular have become more involved, according to World 50 Group survey

Investments in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to strengthen workplace climate have increased in companies worldwide. Seventy-two percent of managers surveyed by World 50 Group (https://world50.com) say they have increased funding for DEI in the past 12 months.
Middle managers wait

Direct reports of a CEO were most likely to believe they have access to sufficient talent, as well as support from their board and other executives. But only 41 percent of respondents-a drop of eight percentage points from 2022-said middle management supports them.

Momentum for DEI initiatives is particularly high in larger companies (over $50 billion in revenue). A quarter (26 percent) of respondents who have seen an increase in momentum say it’s due to executive pressure. And 81 percent say their top DEI leaders report to either the head of HR (69 percent) or the CEO (12 percent), up from 59 and 19 percent, respectively, in 2022.

Enough employees for DEI

The vast majority (81 percent) of respondents say their DEI budgets have either stayed the same or increased over the past year. That’s an increase of 15 percent. In addition, 59 percent of executives cite having enough staff to support their DEI initiatives, an increase of six percentage points from the previous year.

“We are at a critical inflection point for DIE. What is evident is that those who are committed to this task are getting the support and resources they need to move forward. Building cultures of belonging takes time and while there is still much to do, we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing,” says David Wilkie, CEO of World 50.