Corporate Management

Diversity and inclusion, an opportunity for European companies in the Trump era

Companies are called upon to redefine diversity and inclusion policies in the age of Trump

30 May 2025

4' min read

The news of the death of corporate policies for the Diversity and Inclusion is greatly exaggerated. Now, this second Trump presidency is revolutionising the world on several levels (geopolitical, economic, cultural) and if some changes are still all to be deciphered, others are obvious. In the space of a few months, several multinationals with the Stars and Stripes have revised their plans on D&I: from the 'masculine' Harley Davidson and Jack Daniels, via a few big consultancy firms, to the web giants such as Meta, Amazon and Google, which have made real about-faces by covering their heads in ashes.

Now, the world of business must by its very nature be concrete, and therefore it is good to trim some ideological extremism, but it is equally true that inclusion, diversity, the variety of cultures, genders, people and histories that make up a company, are an objective added value, an extra gear. And if the 'Americans' do mea culpa on the subject, perhaps to conform to the status quo 'suggested' by the new presidency, for European companies enormous spaces are opening up.

Diversity and inclusion produce wealth

After all, numbers and reports say that Diversity and Inclusion produce wealth. According to a McKinsey study, companies that have invested in greater female representation and ethnic diversity programmes outperform the market by 18% and 27% respectively. Those that have not, on the other hand, lose 31% and 24%. These are significant numbers, confirmed by a study that Strategic Management Partners carried out on the subject. The survey shows that, among companies that have adopted D&I programmes, 59% perceived an improvement in their corporate image, 55% a more stimulating working environment and 52% an improvement in their ability to calibrate and retain talent. Furthermore, as many as 3 out of 5 companies have adopted programmes in the last 2 years, 1 in 5 have plans to do so. Among the remaining fifth, a proportion do not undertake such measures for lack of resources (26%), while about half because they do not believe in such values.

Investing in Diversity and Inclusion policies is not only an ethical and moral choice, but an essential strategic direction to improve performance. A work environment characterised by a wide diversity of resources contributes to creating a stimulating, attractive, innovative and productive professional environment, capable of fostering collaboration, creativity and continuous improvement. In practice, not only are talents retained, but productivity and innovation are boosted, improving the competitiveness of companies.

Possible benefits for European companies

And if American companies abjure, going from one excess to another (first by exaggerating some woke ideological schemes to the extreme, now by cancelling all programmes and related investments) those in Europe can take a competitive advantage. In the Old Continent it was slower, but more solid. And now one does not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Incidentally, given that this type of approach is (fortunately) increasingly universal, the benefits may also become concrete for the medium and small-sized companies that largely make up our entrepreneurial fabric. Even if they are physiologically slower to adapt to change, nowadays even SMEs have to operate in international contexts, with foreign customers, and with other companies that have adopted D&I policies. So, in a way, the time has come for them too. Not only that, Italian SMEs are often the specialised parts of supply chains that end in large multinationals which, having grasped the concrete benefits associated with D&I policies, increasingly demand compliance with standards from their suppliers. Being able to adapt, also by drawing on the various regional calls for tenders that are active, allows SMEs to be innovative, international, in step with the times and more competitive in international contexts.

The value of certification for gender equality

An important role will be that of gender equality certification according to the UNI PDR 125:2022 practice because it goes to bite and solve the first and biggest inequality, which is gender. Following the dictates of the practice enables companies to equip themselves with the necessary policies, procedures and tools to foster equal gender representation within their companies and thus be better prepared to take advantage of the greater opportunities that the market offers. Gender equality certification is not just a choice, but a duty for organisations that want to make a difference in the world and contribute to creating a fairer and more inclusive society. And, similarly, another important regulatory instrument for gender equality is the EU Directive on Pay Transparency. By ensuring access to salary information already at the recruitment stage, it aims to reduce the gender pay gap, which stands at around 13% in Europe. However, in addition to adapting to specific rules and regulations, companies have to change, and sometimes rethink, their own DNA.

In order to achieve the benefits of a fully D&I-oriented approach, companies need to embark on a journey towards creating a genuinely inclusive work environment, for which it is imperative to adopt a systematic and conscious approach that involves all levels of the company in an integrated and coherent manner. And the promotion of diversity and inclusion should not be understood as an occasional or secondary objective, but as a fundamental principle to be embedded in the organisation's culture and daily practices. After all, it is also about practices such as parental support, equal pay, work flexibility and women's leadership development.

Interventions to be implemented

An effective inclusivity process requires targeted and measurable interventions, encompassing both the dimension of internal policies and that of relational, operational and decision-making dynamics. Creating a sense of belonging, being fair to all employees, offering equal opportunities for growth, promoting teamwork and collaboration, supporting innovation and creativity, promoting and communicating diversity and inclusion at all levels, are the basic actions that every modern company must undertake in order to compete effectively in the new competitive contexts. And thus develop a better corporate reputation, greater trust in stakeholders, and a better valorisation of resources. If there are those who think this path is dead, it is a step backwards, but it can lead to a step forward for competitors.

*Managing Partner of Strategic Management Partners