DE&I in the Crosshairs

Across the U.S., DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) programs are facing growing political, legal, and cultural headwinds. From corporate retrenchment to high-profile legal challenges, organizations are increasingly reconsidering their diversity efforts. 

On April 23, President Trump issued an Executive Order eliminating the use of disparate-impact liability. Then, on June 5, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ames v. Ohio Dept. of Youth Services cleared the way for majority-group plaintiffs to bring discrimination claims. Last week, Cracker Barrel joined a growing group of companies that have been sued or have received EEOC complaints alleging their DE&I policies are discriminatory.

But not everyone is backing down.

In one of this week’s featured articles, we spotlight Babbel, the Berlin-based language learning company that has made DE&I a central part of its culture. Babbel’s Eileen Barnard explains how the company’s employee-led DE&I programs create a sense of belonging and what it really takes to build trust and safety at work.

Our second piece, by Jennifer Tardy, explores how companies committed to diversity can create real accountability. She outlines a clear framework: recruiters are responsible for building diverse candidate pools, interviewers for conducting fair, bias-aware evaluations, and hiring managers for making equitable final decisions. To help organizations embed accountability more broadly, she also outlines the 4 P’s of modern DE&I: making it a Priority, building Programs, setting clear Policies, and tracking Performance.

We’ll be diving into the future of DE&I at the ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit this November in San Diego. If these conversations matter to your team, this is where they need to be.

Register now and save $400 with preview pricing — tomorrow is the last day to save!

— David

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Recruiting Insights

Government’s H.R. Arm Shedding a Third of Staff. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is planning major staff cuts as part of a broader effort to streamline the federal government. The agency, which oversees HR for 2.2 million federal workers, aims to modernize systems and reduce redundancy, but the layoffs have raised concerns about losing institutional knowledge and weakening support for federal workforce operations. (NYT)

Which Recruiting Tasks are Automatable by AI? This is a smart breakdown of recruiting tasks by ERE community member Barry Hurd. He believes that only 19% of tasks are currently fully automatable by AI, such as data entry and interview reminders. Most tasks—over 60%—are partially automatable, like resume screening and scheduling, where AI can assist but not replace human judgment. Another 19% of tasks, including strategic intake and executive negotiations, remain hard to automate due to their reliance on emotional intelligence and nuanced communication. (Barry Hurd)

Parsing GoodTime’s Agentic AI Play: Introducing Orchestra. Kyle Lagunas, who recently started his new analyst firm Kyle & Co., explores the promise and current reality of agentic AI in recruiting through the lens of GoodTime’s new Orchestra platform. (Kyle & Co)

The Bull Market for Economists Is Over. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is planning major staff cuts as part of a broader effort to streamline the federal government. The agency, which oversees HR for 2.2 million federal workers, aims to modernize systems and reduce redundancy, but the layoffs have raised concerns about losing institutional knowledge and weakening support for federal workforce operations. (NYT)

Conferences

ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit

San Diego, CA

November 4-5, 2025

The ERE Recruiting Conference is the premier independent, practitioner-led event designed to deliver actionable insights for talent acquisition professionals. Join your peers to explore practical ideas, proven best practices, and case study solutions from leaders who’ve tackled the same recruiting challenges you face.

Register now and save $400 — tomorrow is the last day to save!

(ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit)

Webinars

AI, Refined: Moving Beyond Prompts with Context Engineering

August 5, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

The most powerful applications of AI rely on a thoughtfully engineered context—one that includes the right tools, data, history, and memory to guide the AI toward useful, reliable outcomes. Marc Hamel will break down the shift from prompt engineering to context engineering, offering a practical framework to understand when each applies and how they work together. (ERE)

Scaling Smarter: Maximizing Talent Acquisition Efficiency with Limited Resources

August 14, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

Learn how top talent acquisition leaders can scale hiring efforts without burning out their teams or going over budget. We’ll discuss practical strategies companies are using to fill roles faster, elevate candidate experience, improve candidate quality, and simplify hiring workflows — all while keeping the experience human. You’ll hear how modern TA teams are using smart tools, streamlined processes, and focused engagement to reduce manual work and quickly connect with the right candidates. (ERE)

The Talent Magnet: Cultivating a Company Culture that Attracts and Retains the Best People

August 20, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT | 1 Hour

The best job descriptions can’t compensate for misaligned values. Even the most competitive benefits fall short when culture is inconsistent. This webinar will explore how building a strong, intentional culture can help organizations attract and retain top talent. We’ll cover practical strategies for aligning culture with hiring goals, strengthening employee engagement, and creating a workplace that draws in the best people. (ERE)