Download the full 2026 DEI Trends Report here.

This free trends report outlines industry perspectives and expert advice from our team of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE+I) consultants. You can view an excerpt of the report below, and if you’d like to discuss any of the trends or other challenges in the DEI space, connect with our team today.

Key DEI Trends

In 2026, organizations should continue to have the courage to stay committed to the values they believe in, even as the external landscape continues to shift. Businesses should continue to embed inclusion principles throughout the employee experience, from recruiting and onboarding to development, engagement, and retention. This commitment should also extend to how organizations design research, build products, and leverage technology for increasingly diverse populations. 

If you’re looking to learn more about how your organization can advance your diversity programs in the complex landscape of 2026, Clarkston’s DEI consultants have highlighted key trends that businesses should consider:

1. Maintaining Inclusive Talent Development Practices During a Shift in Employee Demographics
2. Inclusive Representation in Clinical Trial Enrollment, Design, and Operations
3. Inclusive Product Design and User Experience
4. Equity-centered AI and Tech Enablement

Trend 1:

Maintaining Inclusive Talent Development Practices During a Shift in Employee Demographics 

Industries across sectors are experiencing a significant demographic shift as Baby Boomers rapidly approach retirement age. This so-called “silver-tsunami” shift will continue through at least 2027, with more than 4 million people reaching retirement age annually. As a result, many employers risk losing up to 10% of their workforce over the next 5 years. Critically, many of these departing employees hold decades of institutional knowledge, established relationships, and leadership experience that are not easily replaced. 

Despite this risk, preparedness remains uneven. According to the Association for Talent Development, 56% percent of US employers don’t have a formal succession plan in place. As a critical strategic priority, succession plans are the key to helping organizations manage leadership turnover.  

Because many Baby Boomers occupy executive and senior-level roles, organizations that fail to intentionally build future leadership pipelines risk creating leadership bottlenecks that slow decision-making and constrain growth. Effective succession planning requires an intentional, inclusive approach to developing future leaders. This includes structured upskilling and reskilling  tactics such as mentoring, coaching, knowledge transfer, and on-the-job stretch roles. 

Behavioral assessments can help identify employees with demonstrated leadership traits and clarify the competencies needed for their development. Importantly, inclusive talent development practices must move beyond informal networks and “known quantities,” as marginalized groups are often overlooked when development opportunities rely solely on visibility or sponsorship. 

At the same time, knowledge and skill transfer are becoming increasingly critical for Gen Z and other early-career employees entering the workforce. As organizations navigate this demographic transition, they may encounter differences in learning preferences, skillsets, and development expectations.  

Employers should consider educational opportunities that appeal and are familiar to their audience, including digital-first learning, AI-enabled tools, and technology-driven knowledge-sharing platforms. Because Gen Z has grown up in the digital age, these approaches can be particularly effective in accelerating upskilling and preserving institutional knowledge. 

Trend 2:

Inclusive Representation in Clinical Trial Enrollment, Design, and Operations

The biopharmaceutical industry remains at a clear inflection point. Regulators, payers, and patient communities are increasingly aligned around a central principle: clinical trials should reflect the real-world populations they are intended to serve. The question is no longer whether to integrate inclusivity and diverse representation into clinical development, but where, when, and how to do so in an intentional, responsible, and scalable manner while maintaining the scientific rigor and regulatory compliance the industry demands. 

Any viable approach must be comprehensive and measurable, addressing the needs of patients and clinical teams while supporting the increasingly complex operational realities of global clinical trial portfolios across a wide range of therapeutic areas. What was once viewed as a differentiator is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation. 

Diverse representation in clinical trial enrollment, design, and operations has been widely discussed for years, but the issue has now reached a tipping point. Ethical considerations are no longer the sole driver; insufficient representation has direct implications for patient safety, treatment efficacy, and real-world generalizability.  

Both the FDA and EMA have consistently signaled that inclusive trial design is becoming a regulatory expectation rather than an optional enhancement. While this shift raises the bar for all sponsors, it also presents an opportunity: organizations that act decisively can gain a competitive advantage and build lasting trust with the global communities they serve. 

Improving representation in clinical trials requires a multifaceted approach. While enhanced recruitment and outreach are necessary, they’re not sufficient on their own. True progress depends on intentional trial design and operations that account for the socioeconomic, cultural, and logistical barriers that affect participation and retention.  

Common challenges include limited site access, language and health literacy gaps, inflexible work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and historical mistrust of the healthcare system. Addressing these barriers requires investment in enabling infrastructure, such as decentralized and hybrid trial models, transportation support, translation services, expanded use of electronic documentation and signatures, and other practical accommodations that make participation feasible. 

Leading sponsors are increasingly adopting equity-centered operating models that begin well before trial launch, as well as coordinating efforts across R&D, finance, regulatory affairs, patient engagement, community outreach, analytics, IT, and commercial teams. These efforts include early community engagement, partnerships with trusted local providers, and patient-centered protocol design. Companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, and GSK are embedding diversity goals into trial planning and advancing patient-centric design approaches, setting new standards for the industry. Continue reading by downloading the full report below.

Download the Full 2026 DEI Trends Report Here

Read last year’s DEI Trends Report here.