Embracing Intersectionality and Multiple Identities

Current State

Organizations are beginning to recognize that traditional approaches to diversity and inclusion must evolve to address the complex, multidimensional nature of identity in today’s workforce. Research shows that while awareness of intersectionality has increased, many organizations struggle to move beyond surface-level understanding to create truly inclusive environments that honor the full spectrum of human diversity. Current data indicates that only about one-half of organizations have increased their commitment to understanding intersectionality over the past two years, highlighting a significant opportunity for growth in this critical area.

Complexities

According to Brandon Hall Group™’s HCM Outlook 2025 study, organizations face significant challenges in embracing intersectionality and multiple identities, highlighted by several key statistics and issues:

• Only 27% of managers consistently demonstrate commitment to principles of inclusion, indicating a significant gap in leadership understanding of intersectionality.
• Less than half (45%) of organizations report that their leadership team’s diversity reflects their workforce composition, showing structural barriers to representation.
• Brandon Hall Group™ research shows organizations are twice as likely to focus on psychological safety and belonging than on improving equity of opportunity for under- represented groups, indicating a potential misalignment of priorities.
• Only 23% of organizations prioritize intersectionality in 2025.
• Difficulty in measuring and tracking intersectional impact, with only 33% of organizations currently conducting analysis through their data analytics programs (Source: Brandon Hall Group™ Study, Cracking the Hiring Code).
• Cultural barriers in addressing complex identity issues, reflected in the fact that only 45% say individuals treat different ideas and opinions with respect.

  These complexities are further compounded by the need to address traditional DEI challenges while simultaneously evolving toward a more sophisticated understanding of intersectionality and multiple identities in the workplace.

Implications

The success of organizations in embracing intersectionality will directly impact their ability to attract, retain, and engage diverse talent. Those who effectively address intersectionality are seeing improved innovation outcomes, stronger employee engagement, and better retention rates across all demographic groups. Conversely, organizations that fail to recognize and support multiple identities risk creating exclusionary environments that limit their access to talent and reduce their competitive advantage. The implications extend beyond HR metrics to affect customer relationships, market understanding, and overall business performance.

Critical Questions

Organizations must address several critical questions as they develop their approach to intersectionality:

1. How can organizations effectively measure and track the impact of intersectional initiatives?
2. What technologies and tools are needed to support a more nuanced understanding of workforce diversity?
3. How can leaders be developed to understand and champion intersectional approaches?
4. What changes to policies and practices are needed to support multiple identities?
5. How can organizations create safe spaces for dialogue about intersectionality?
6. What metrics should be used to evaluate success in supporting multiple identities?

Brandon Hall Group™ Point of View:

To address the critical questions surrounding the alignment of HCM practices, organizations should consider the following:

Develop Comprehensive Data Analytics

Organizations must invest in sophisticated analytics capabilities that can capture and analyze multiple identity factors simultaneously. Leading organizations are implementing AI-powered analytics platforms that can identify patterns in hiring, promotion, and retention across intersecting identity factors. Success requires not just technology investment but also clear data governance frameworks and ethical guidelines for collecting and analyzing sensitive identity information, while ensuring privacy and trust are maintained throughout the process.

Transform Leadership Development

Leadership development must become more sophisticated and intersectional. Organizations should create immersive learning experiences that help leaders understand the complexities of multiple identities through scenario-based training, reverse mentoring programs, and regular exposure to diverse perspectives. This approach must be coupled with practical tools and frameworks that enable leaders to make decisions considering intersectional impacts while fostering inclusive environments where all employees can thrive.

Redesign Policies and Practices

Given that only 45% of organizations report their leadership diversity reflects workforce composition, a fundamental redesign of organizational policies is crucial. This means examining every policy through an intersectional lens – from recruitment practices to promotion criteria, benefits packages to work arrangements. Leading organizations are creating flexible policies that acknowledge the diverse needs of employees with multiple identities, while ensuring these policies are consistently applied and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.

Build Cultural Competence

Research shows organizations are twice as likely to focus on psychological safety than equity of opportunity, indicating a need for more comprehensive cultural competence initiatives. This requires a multi-layered approach that combines regular training sessions, employee resource groups, cultural celebrations, and safe spaces for dialogue about complex identity issues. Organizations must create environments where discussions about intersectionality are normalized and valued as essential to organizational success.

Establish Meaningful Metrics

Organizations must develop comprehensive metrics that capture representation across multiple identity dimensions, analyze engagement and satisfaction through an intersectional lens, and track promotion rates and career progression patterns across identity intersections. These metrics should inform strategic decision-making and help organizations identify areas requiring additional focus and resources.

Create Inclusive Communication Frameworks

Given that only 45% of employees say individuals treat different ideas and opinions with respect, organizations must revolutionize their communication approaches. This involves developing comprehensive inclusive language guides, creating communication channels that work for different cultural contexts, and implementing feedback mechanisms that capture diverse perspectives. Regular audits of organizational communications should ensure that all forms of communication reflect and respect intersectional identities.

Foster Collaborative Networks

Organizations should create cross-functional teams that bring together diverse perspectives, establish mentoring programs that acknowledge multiple identities, and build partnerships with diverse professional organizations. These networks should serve as both support systems and catalysts for organizational change, helping to embed intersectional thinking throughout the organization.