Speaking on a panel discussion organised by Recruiter at the Recrutment Agency Expo, held in London’s Excel, Peter Healey, CEO, e-financial careers, said Donald J Trump’s presidency has already led most large companies in the US to drop or reduce references to diversity & inclusion (D&I) in their financial reporting. 

“Diversity and equity are now, unfortunately, considered dirty words in the US. There is a reshaping going on, and I think understanding the difference between what brands are saying publicly and what's happening on the ground is going to be really important.”

Matt Cameron, CEO of LGBT Great, said some of those companies have federal contracts so had little choice if they wanted to keep the business, but their D&I efforts haven’t necessarily stopped. 

“What we are hearing from inside these organisations is a continuing reaffirmation and commitment to supporting talent, communities and engagement, reflecting the customers and the communities concerned,” he said. Public statements about diversity might change but the behaviour of talent acquisition and HR teams remains largely unchanged, he added.

On a different note, Kevin Barrow, partner, international law firm Osborne Clark, said Trump’s deregulation agenda should be good for business and therefore recruitment. But recruiters need to remember that different states have different approaches to staffing. “How easy it is to do business from a regulatory perspective in the US will depend on where you do business,” he said.

Barrow said that US staffing businesses will benefit if and when Trump makes it hard for US companies to move operations offshore. 

Recruiter editor DeeDee Doke moderated the discussion.

Read the full report on navigating the business of recruitment in the US in 2025 in the May-June edition of Recruiter.

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