DEI is Key
Diversity, equity and inclusion policies benefit underrepresented groups by giving them additional consideration in competitive processes. For example, large corporations like Microsoft and Amazon have designated DEI departments to create more efficient, supportive and inclusive workplaces by recruiting more employees from diverse backgrounds. Many people believe that DEI policies unfairly advantage minority groups, but in reality, DEI serves to support equitable opportunity, eliminating generational inequalities while supporting productive workplaces.
Historically, lack of quality education and poverty have propagated each other, creating cycles of generational struggle for groups who have long been marginalized in the United States. It is crucial to understand that achieving qualification for a job position or school admission is generally more difficult for individuals who come from impoverished and discriminated environments. Without quality opportunities, it is harder to escape this cycle. According to a study conducted by the Brookings Institution, 20% of African American families have been experiencing poverty for three consecutive generations, compared to just 1% of white Americans. To rectify these inequalities and build a fairer society, the U.S. must first offer helping hands to those who have been oppressed. DEI initiatives are the first step in breaking these cycles of generational discrimination.
Furthermore, DEI policies allow people to engage with other perspectives and collaborate in a broader sphere of knowledge. Each person has a unique background and a unique approach to using the knowledge from their experiences. Incorporating unique perspectives most often translates to success in groups and workplaces. According to a 2023 report conducted by management consulting company McKinsey & Company, across 1,265 companies and six global regions, companies with “diverse leadership teams continue to be associated with higher financial returns.” Institutions with a wide range of individual backgrounds will better understand their employees and clients. Just being immersed in a diverse environment can improve senses of safety and belonging, decrease burnout and increase connectedness with others.
Opponents argue that DEI initiatives give minority groups inherent advantages over their counterparts by ignoring the lack of qualification in order to fill quotas, thereby contributing to inequalities and general unfairness. In actuality, DEI serves to remedy systemic inherent and historical discrimination and exclusion, by allowing competitive processes to proportionally and equitably offer opportunities to succeed.
In every sector of society, DEI must be preserved and advanced, and people must understand its importance and role. If we truly want to move forward from past injustices to build a fairer, more successful society, then diversity, equity and inclusion are the prerequisites.
Division in disguise
While DEI initiatives have generated significant progress in diversifying the workplace, these initiatives come with limitations. Flaws with implementing long-term DEI programs limit their effectiveness, especially with the rapid pace at which workplaces implement them; major obstacles include tokenism – promoting diversity in the workplace solely to improve the company’s image – and the lack of follow-through to make diversity efforts fully inclusive. While DEI policies intend to foster inclusive environments, unsustainable programs, underfunding and contribution to discrimination prevent them from being truly productive.
For DEI initiatives to be constructive, company leaders must be commited to the long-term. The diversity promoted by major corporations is often performative, capitalizing on movements like Black Lives Matter and Pride Month to appeal to a larger audience without making much contribution to the communities they profit off of. This can also extend to the hiring process, as corporations can receive more acclaim for having a diverse staff. While these efforts look good on paper, more impactful changes come from consistency and ongoing focus on creating welcoming environments.
DEI programs also fall victim to underfunding. According to data from a 2023 Forrester Research study, the percentage of companies that funded a DEI program fell from 33% in 2022 to 27% in 2023. Funding deficiencies limit the reach of DEI programs and curb long-term investment opportunities, which prevents companies from making permanent changes. Investing in continuous training, pushing forward with policy change and holding organizations accountable for the effectiveness of their diversity programs are all critical to achieving the goals of DEI. Without these, DEI programs are largely ineffective.
DEI programs can also lead to more workplace discrimination, as they promote the harmful stereotype of the “diversity hire.” Despite widespread acceptance of DEI, it has also attracted resistance from groups who feel that focusing on societal imbalances leads to unfair advantages. Responding to criticism of the costs of diversity training as well as a negative response on social media, companies such as Harley-Davidson, Boeing, Walmart and Ford have scaled back their DEI programs. Harley-Davidson named the social media backlash as a direct reason for this shift.
Companies that still have DEI policies in place sometimes encounter backlash from those within the organization. A 2016 Harvard Business Review study found that diversity training can have an inverse effect, leading to an increase in workplace bias rather than a decrease. Increased tension surrounding the issue of DEI, both in and out of the workplace, shows that DEI is reinforcing divisions rather than producing the unity it advocates for.
DEI initiatives have promoted underrepresented communities and helped companies adapt to changing trends. However, faced with a lack of commitment, underfunding and backlash, they are largely harmful towards minorities. Institutions should be prepared to consider the challenges that DEI can create if they plan to implement these programs.
