EY released a report titled ‘DE&I interventions that deliver – what works across multiple characteristics’ in January 2025. We sent representatives to their release event, and our coordinator, Rohan, has read the report, summarised it, and showed how EY’s research aligns with the work we do through the Maturity Matrix.
EY’s report: a brief summary
Introduction
Across British businesses, there is persistent under-representation of women and minority groups, with representation decreasing at higher managerial levels. While DE&I initiatives are widespread, they often fail to be impactful across multiple characteristics. Evidence on gender impacts is strong, but research on other characteristics is still developing
Overarching Goal
To create an environment where people behave towards each other in an inclusive way. While it can be tempting to focus solely on increasing diverse representation, it’s critical to use data analysis to address underlying behaviours.
Core Focus Areas
The report places inclusive culture at the forefront of all initiatives, covering four primary intervention areas:
| Intervention area and goal | Composition |
| Measurement – goal of understanding experiences of different groups | Data collection (qualitative and quantitative) and analysis + SMART goals on representation and inclusion |
| Recruitment – opportunity to create new company narratives | Strategies to access diverse candidates + give diverse candidates equity in prep for assessments |
| Retention (flexibility) | Flexible working + inclusive meetings and communications |
| Development and Progression | Structured and time-bound development mentorship/sponsorship programmes + Clear and structured promotion process with targets |
Key recommendations
There is no universal “right” way to instigate change, even small steps can make a significant difference for businesses and employees. Companies should:
- Build a strong company culture
- Ensure leadership accountability
- Consider where efforts can be most impactful across multiple characteristics
EY and IIE: a comparison
EY’s recommendations not only align with our Maturity Matrix roadmap, they actually fit into it. Just like EY, we advocate for a holistic approach that is flexible and focused on building belonging. However, I would argue that the standards set by IIE surpass those of EY, as our roadmap contains seven comprehensive steps to achieve ethnic inclusion compared to their four-step approach. This demonstrates that as a member of IIE you do not need to worry whether your organisation’s DEI strategy is up to date, because we are here to ensure that you have access to the latest industry knowledge.
