Decision Intelligence Benchmark: DEI Talent Decisions for 2026 – 2027
How DEI leaders are regaining momentum after a year of scrutiny, and what could still hold their teams back
After a stretch of legal reviews and program scrutiny, DEI teams are back to work at full speed. They report the strongest engagement rebound of any function we studied, and more of them expect to grow than to shrink. But as dedicated senior DEI titles disappear, the path upward is getting harder to see, and the people driving this comeback may be wondering where it leads them.
This report takes you inside DEI teams to see how they are rebuilding momentum, and what it will take to keep it.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- Why DEI posted the biggest engagement rebound of any function in this year’s benchmark
- Why far more DEI teams expect to grow than to cut, including one of the highest shares expecting significant growth
- The skill DEI leaders rank above AI fluency, a rare pattern in this benchmark
- The two functional priorities topping DEI’s list for the year ahead
- Why DEI’s talent bench is deeper than many peer functions
- The two retention risks that are hard to reverse once they set in
- Why DEI is in a more stable, more embedded position than the public conversation suggests
Download the report to see how your peers are carrying DEI’s momentum into 2027.
