Leading the Next Era of Workplace Inclusion
A trusted resource for leaders building civil, high-performing workplaces through research-backed inclusion strategies, practical guidance, and actionable solutions.
Mission
To empower leaders to build high-trust, high-performing, civil workplaces by translating rigorous research into standards, metrics, and actionable solutions that strengthen inclusion and unlock the full potential of a diverse workforce.
Vision
A world of work that works for all – where inclusive and civil cultures are the norm, every person can thrive, and organizations consistently outperform because people feel valued, respected and able to contribute.
About the SHRM Center for Inclusion & Diversity
Employers today operate in an environment shaped by increased legal scrutiny, evolving regulatory expectations, and growing workforce complexity.
The SHRM Center for Inclusion & Diversity (CID) is helping business leaders navigate this changing landscape through a first-of-its-kind think tank and member community dedicated to advancing research-backed inclusion strategies and providing advisory services that help organizations build programs that are legally compliant, workplace-unifying, and business-accretive.
Through a three-pillar approach, CID equips leaders with the insights, guidance, and connections needed to drive organizational success. Its work is centered on:
Advisory and Governing Board Leadership – Bringing together leading experts and practitioners to provide strategic guidance and shape the future of workplace inclusion.
Research-Driven Insights and Tools – Delivering evidence-based research, practical resources, and actionable frameworks that help organizations implement effective inclusion strategies.
Strategic Convenings – Hosting thought leadership forums, executive dialogues, and collaborative learning experiences that advance practical, implementation-ready solutions for today's evolving workplace.
A New Model for Building High Performing Workplaces
Diversity is the Input: the different identities, perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking people bring to the workplace.
Civility is the Process: the standard for how we engage in those differences with respect, curiosity, honesty, and accountability. When that process is practiced consistently.
Inclusion becomes the Outcome: people are not just in the room; they are heard, valued, and able to contribute at their best.
Executive Council
The Executive Council is a capability-based body of senior leaders who operate at the intersection of workforce culture, business performance, legal defensibility, and enterprise execution. Members are selected because they bring executive authority, industry-specific judgment, and national or global employer perspective.
The council gives C-I-D a practical, high-credibility feedback loop for research, standards, tools, convenings and advisory services that help employers build civil, inclusive, high-performing workplaces.
More member announcements coming in August.
Governing Body
Carolynn Johnson, MBA
President, SHRM Center for Inclusion & Diversity (CID)
Strategy & Execution
Alex Alonso, Ph. D.
Chief Knowledge Officer, SHRM
Lexicon, Standards & Research
Emily M. Dickens, JD
Chief Administrative Officer, SHRM
Government Affairs & Governance
Jim Link, SHRM-SCP
Chief Human Resources Officer, SHRM
CHRO Voice & Member Practice
Executives in Residence & Research Fellows
Kristie Lacopetta
Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Employment Law
Rev. Mark Fowler
President & CEO, Tanenbaum
Interreligious Understanding
Dr. Stephanie Creary
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Belonging Research
Dr. James Johnson Jr.
Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina
Demographic Workforce Impact
Dr. Steve Robbins
Founder | S.L. Robbins & Associates
Psychological Safety
Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz
Rutgers Business School
Gender Equality
Research & Tools
CID research will explore how inclusion, civility, and leadership practices influence business performance, legal risk, and workforce outcomes. Upcoming initiatives include research on the economic value of civility, the impact of inclusive leadership on organizational performance, and the effectiveness of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
Additional tools and resources are also in development, including practical frameworks, benchmarks, and an updated Workplace Inclusion Lexicon designed to help employers navigate evolving workplace standards with greater clarity and confidence.
For practical tools, timely insights, and emerging trends, explore some of our featured resources below.
Prove your civil-rights compliance
SHRM FedAssure, powered by DCI Consulting, helps federal contractors review HR practices, workforce data, and policy documents against today’s enforcement priorities — then creates documentation.
Turn Inclusion into Impact
Access strategic guidance and practical tools to align your workforce, amplify leadership effectiveness, and advance inclusion and compliance with the SHRM Inclusion & Diversity Playbook.
I&D Pressure is Rising under New Executive Orders
To help you move from intention to action, SHRM developed the BEAM (Belonging Enhanced by Access through Merit) Toolkit for I&D.
Civility Index
The SHRM Civility Index reveals workplace trends and how organizations create workplaces where people and performance thrive.
The current SHRM Civility Index score is 48.6, up 0.1 points since Q3 2025.
I&D News
The EEOC sued The New York Times over alleged DEI-related race and sex discrimination after a white male editor was denied a promotion in favor of another candidate.
HR leaders must rethink Gen Z. Learn how purpose, transparency, and new career paths drive engagement, retention, and future-ready talent strategies.
Discover how AI and I&D initiatives share similar challenges and solutions, enhancing workplace culture and innovation in organizations.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said federal agencies may limit bathroom access by biological sex, reversing prior policy.
Events & Webinars
The most important conversations about workplace inclusion aren't happening in policy documents or training portals. They're happening in rooms where practitioners, employers, and organizational leaders are working through the same challenges in real time.
CID's convenings bring those rooms to life. We connect business leaders and inclusion practitioners with the peers, perspectives, and evidence they need to make better decisions — about how to build workplaces that work for everyone, how to navigate a rapidly shifting regulatory and cultural environment, and how to translate inclusion strategy into outcomes the business can measure and defend.
If you lead people, or you lead the work of making your organization more inclusive, these are the conversations you need to be in.
Upcoming
BLUEPRINT for I&D equips CHROs and I&D leaders with strategies that move beyond intent and into impact, linking inclusion and civility to how organizations function, how people work together, and how performance is created.
Nashville, TN – Nov. 15-18
If you’re evaluating policies, governance, or next steps, our team can provide additional information and answer your questions.