The origins of our new global study, “For All – The Power of Allyship and Belonging”, began in October 2024, at a moment when the world felt poised on a knife edge. Even before the seismic shock of President Trump’s re-election, the climate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was already growing tense.
Would the momentum for inclusion continue, or would the winds of change blow progress off course? It was in this atmosphere of ambiguity that we commissioned our research, determined to capture the voices of over 2,500 professionals across the Americas, UK, Europe, and APAC, and to understand what allyship and belonging truly mean in the modern workplace.
We were, in many ways, ahead of the curve. As the year turned, the landscape shifted dramatically. In January, President Trump’s Executive Orders legitimised attacks on DEI in organisations, emboldening critics and sending a chill through corporate corridors. Conversations that had once felt routine became fraught with risk. Some organisations that had championed inclusion now questioned how, or even if, they could continue. For many, the ground seemed to shift beneath their feet.
It was in this climate that our fieldwork began in earnest. The journey took us from the skyscrapers of New York and San Francisco, to the historical hubs of London, from the bustling streets of India to leaders in Manila and Australia. Each stop was a lesson in resilience and adaptation.
But from the outset, our ambition was not just to speak to those already engaged in DEI work. We wanted to reach those who had never attended an inclusion workshop, never joined an employee resource group, never thought of themselves as “allies.” We wanted to understand what belonging meant to them and, crucially, how the language and practice of allyship could bring people together.
In the US, we met leaders who spoke candidly about the chilling effect of the new political climate. One HR director in Boston told me, “We’re walking a tightrope. Our people need to feel safe and valued, but we’re under scrutiny like never before.” Yet, even here, I saw quiet acts of allyship: managers making space for every voice in meetings, teams finding creative ways to celebrate difference without drawing unwanted attention.
In London, the mood was one of cautious optimism. Focus groups revealed that, while the rhetoric around DEI had become more politicised, the appetite for genuine inclusion had not waned. “We’ve learned to talk about belonging and allyship in ways that resonate with everyone,” one participant shared. “It’s about making the business case, but also the human case.”
In Hong Kong and Mumbai, the conversations were different again. Here, allyship was often framed through the lens of intersectionality, supporting colleagues across lines of identity, faith, and neurodiversity. One respondent in Mumbai put it simply: “We don’t just talk about inclusion. We are aiming to build it into our hiring, our benefits, our everyday interactions.”
Throughout the fieldwork, the numbers told one story, 81% of respondents agreed that allyship at work contributed to a greater sense of belonging, but the stories behind the numbers were even more powerful. We heard from employees who had found the courage to speak up for others, from leaders who had made themselves vulnerable by sharing their own journeys, and from teams who had discovered that belonging was not a destination, but a daily practice.
There were challenges at every turn. In some regions, legal and cultural sensitivities forced us to adapt our language and approach. In others, the sheer pace of change meant that what was true one month could be upended the next. But everywhere, we saw a common thread: a determination to keep moving forward, to find new ways to foster connection and trust, even when the world seemed intent on pulling us apart.
As we bring this research to the world, I am struck by the resilience and creativity of the people and organisations we met. In the face of uncertainty, even hostility, they have shown that allyship and belonging are not just ideals, but essential tools for navigating the future of work. Most importantly, this work has shown that allyship is not the preserve of a few, but a bridge that can bring everyone together. The journey was not always easy, but it was always worth it. And the lessons we learned on the road will shape the conversation for years to come.
