Accounting MOVE Project launches its latest survey amid anti-DEI moment

It’s time to answer some questions, for the sake of the future of the accounting profession.

The Accounting MOVE Project, which researches diverse workforce representation in accounting, has announced its 2025 survey is open to participants.

But this year has a unique twist that reflects the precarious situation that companies are navigating.

Acknowledging the ongoing political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the latest iteration of the annual survey “reflects a pivotal shift in how inclusion is measured—prioritizing workplace belonging and measurable career equity outcomes, regardless of whether firms use the term ‘DEI,’” according to a news release.

In other words, researchers will analyze “a broader range of firm cultures” from those that embrace DEI and those that avoid the term, but still “create environments where all employees can thrive.”

But what exactly makes this year different? For one, the survey will use broader demographic categories instead of “assuming firms are advocating for women or people of color,” per the release. The survey will also ask participants “how all employees experience opportunity and advancement.”

“We know that many firms are building inclusive cultures but hesitate to associate with DEI because of how politicized the term has become,” Donny Shimamoto, founder and inspiration architect at the Center for Accounting Transformation, said in a statement. “This evolution isn’t a departure from the MOVE Project’s values—it’s an expansion designed to reflect the full diversity of how firms are approaching culture and talent today.”