Hiring efforts focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, aim to foster safer and more inclusive workplaces that embrace greater diversity among employees. But recently, these initiatives have faced growing opposition from conservative legislators and corporate leaders, and resistance is afoot in some workplaces. In July, the Society for Human Resource Management, the country’s largest HR association, dropped “equity” in DEI from its terminology, saying that companies are taking “a step back” from their DEI initiatives amid societal backlash.
What Does DEI Mean in the Workplace?
DEI policies are designed to support people from different backgrounds and give them the resources they need to thrive in the workplace. When a company implements DEI hiring practices, it recruits employees of different races, cultural backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations, giving underrepresented groups equal access to job opportunities.
[Workers Weigh in on What Makes a Great Company to Work For]
What Is Behind the Anti-DEI Hiring Trend?
DEI hiring was designed to create opportunities for people who typically don’t have them. Despite an intent to promote fairness and inclusivity, these efforts have faced criticism. For example, in January Elon Musk criticized the idea of DEI on his social media platform X, suggesting it was “just another word for racism,” while others mocked the concept, suggesting DEI stands for “didn’t earn it.” Musk and other anti-DEI leaders are embracing a shift toward “merit, excellence and intelligence,” or MEI, which prioritizes individual merit and contributions without considering demographic factors.
DEI efforts have increasingly come under fire since the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions in June 2023. Since then, some states throughout the country, including Texas, North Carolina and North Dakota, have passed legislation banning the inclusion of DEI efforts in higher education. For example, in March, the University of Florida closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer and eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments for faculty.
Anti-DEI sentiment soon spread to the corporate world. In July 2023, 13 Republican attorneys general sent a letter urging Microsoft and other Fortune 100 companies to reexamine their DEI policies in response to the Supreme Court ruling. Additionally, major corporations including Meta, Tesla, DoorDash, Lyft, Home Depot and Wayfair began making staff cuts in 2023, slashing the size of their DEI departments. Mentions of DEI on corporate earnings calls have also plummeted in the past year, according to financial research firm AlphaSense.
Here are some other factors driving the anti-DEI hiring trend, according to experts.
Misrepresentation of DEI
According to Paolo Gaudiano, president of Aleria Research, a DEI tech company, opponents of DEI considerations in hiring have distorted the purpose of those efforts. “The original intent of considering DEI in hiring was not to allow less-qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, but rather to encourage employers to cast a wider net and be more mindful in recruiting as a way of offsetting some of the observed disparities in recruiting and hiring,” he said in an email.
He explained that as companies translated DEI principles into requirements, many interpreted them rigidly and, in some cases, favored candidates who fit a certain demographic but were objectively less qualified.
“The pushback, then, is partly because DEI proponents have done a poor job of clarifying that targeted hiring does not have to sacrifice quality, and how to do it, but also in large part because DEI opponents have purposefully misrepresented the meaning of ‘DEI hiring’ to foment the pushback, and they used a few isolated examples of poor execution by some organizations to generalize to all of DEI,” he said.
Poor Execution
Some anti-DEI sentiment may stem from poorly executed DEI efforts, said Meaghan Nocella, principal consultant at Preve Solutions and an HR professional with 20 years of experience in human capital management, in an email.
“Following the murder of George Floyd and other high-profile incidents of racial injustice, CEOs quickly began funding DEI initiatives to demonstrate their commitment to racial justice,” she said. “The heightened attention on these issues led to a rapid emergence of corporate DEI programs, with companies scrambling to set up DEI departments. These DEI efforts were often rushed and lacked genuine focus on creating lasting impact.”
She explained that this haste resulted in the formation of DEI departments and investment in development programs for diverse employees often without adequate preparation. As a result, the initiatives lacked the thorough planning needed for meaningful and enduring change, she said.
A Sense of Injustice
Nocella points to another phenomenon she said is powering resistance to DEI initiatives in the workplace. “There’s a fear among some members of majority groups that recent DEI initiatives were pushing them out of the workforce,” she said. “Some white men, for example, feel like they’re being passed over for promotions in favor of less qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds.”
What Employees Should Know About Anti-DEI Hiring
Employees should be aware that the backlash against DEI could impact workplace dynamics and spark heated debates. By being well-informed about the true goals and benefits of DEI, experts say employees can contribute to more constructive conversations.
Gaudiano said misconceptions about DEI hiring efforts can create uncomfortable dynamics in the workplace. “Often, perceptions are manipulated to create division and foster hostility between groups,” he explained. His company’s research reveals that historically marginalized groups frequently encounter false assumptions that non-white, non-male or non-cisgender candidates are less qualified and are being hired only due to their identity.
[How to Handle Conflict in the Workplace]
What Employers Should Understand About Anti-DEI Hiring
Navigating opposition to DEI hiring efforts can be tricky for employers. Gaudiano believes that if companies move past the noise, commit to DEI and leverage their diverse talent pools, the potential benefits could be tremendous.
Companies must do internal work first before implementing DEI strategies, said Jen O’Ryan, an organizational consultant specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. “Organizational health is foundational to DEI. If you introduce DEI strategies into a toxic environment, the unhealthy behaviors will squash any hope for a positive outcome,” she said in an email.
[What Is a Toxic Work Environment — and How Can I Avoid It?]
What Lies Ahead for DEI Hiring Efforts?
Nocella is candid about her concerns about the future of DEI hiring. “It’s incredibly frustrating to witness what will almost certainly be a major setback for diversity — and I blame HR,” she said. “We watched the bastardization of DEI unfold, and we let it happen. For some, it probably seemed too big and too fast to stop. Others, including myself, saw the unsustainable pace and fervor but believed it would still result in a net positive. We never imagined it could ultimately set us back.”
No one can predict what DEI hiring will look like in the coming years, but as companies navigate the changing landscape, experts say they must focus on cultivating cultures that are grounded in equitable values and demonstrate a genuine commitment to DEI initiatives. Employees, too, should continue to learn about the topic and address unconscious biases to help foster a truly inclusive workplace.
More from U.S. News
5 Workplace Trends Employers Love and Workers Hate
Is Job Hopping the Best Way to Advance in 2024?
What Not to Say in an Interview — Even If It’s True
What Is Anti-DEI Hiring? originally appeared on usnews.com
