Silver Linings? Lessons from the DE&I Backlash

In the last couple of weeks since the backlash against DE&I ramped up, we’ve seen a few more companies roll back their public commitments. This is unsurprising. Encouragingly however, we’ve also seen an outpouring of thoughtful reflections, solidarity and resource sharing from those still committed to DE&I, not to mention several companies vocally reaffirming their commitment to inclusion policies. While large corporations wrestle with their broad policies and public positions, it is important to harness this opportunity for reflection, taking the politicized sting out of some of the criticism to course-correct where necessary to ensure that, when the dust settles, DE&I and responsible business practices remain an impactful and integral part of organisational strategy.  

 

It’s All In The Communication  

Anyone who has had a tough performance evaluation knows that critical feedback can be a difficult pill to swallow. When framed in the context of DE&I, this feedback, if we choose to label it so, feels even more personal because it is going against work being done to – in theory – increase cohesion, productivity and satisfaction, not reduce it. Regardless of how hard it can be to hear, one thing has become increasingly apparent to those of us working in DE&I – for many people, the message is not landing. Despite the best intentions of those working to promote DE&I and responsible business, the concept has been co-opted and misconstrued in recent years. Attention-grabbing headlines and extreme outlying examples have overshadowed the core principle that inclusion benefits everyone – it creates innovation, productivity and a welcoming environment for all. Unfortunately, the concept of DE&I and responsible business practices is not resonating with a large portion of the workforce and they are seizing the opportunity to either row back vocally or slip away quietly from the policies, programmes and practices that have been put in place over the last several years of progress.  

How surprised should we be at this? Yes, the Trump inauguration has been a catalyst, but it would be naive to say that progressive politics and policies were unchallenged until this point. This time last year, our CEO Janet Ledger attended the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York and brought back incredible insights from global partners. A session in particular I think it is worth revisiting was called “The Moveable Middle” and tackled how to appeal to those in the middle who may be passive on certain issues. It is impossible to ignore, for example, the fact that 80% of the world is faith based and so considering carefully how to appeal to them on certain inclusion issues, without talking down or dictating to them, is delicate but vital to bring them on the journey.  

In a previous opinion piece on this topic, the need to present both the business and the moral case for DE&I was made. They strengthen each other and should not be presented in isolation. While this is still true, when re-examining the communication side, it seems that measurement and impact should be added to this narrative arc. Implementation and building a story of sustainable success is key. While the business and moral case might get you through the door, proving the impact will help you stay there.  

 

Quality Over Quantity  

As we see companies jump on the rollback bandwagon, it is worth analysing what they were actually doing to further inclusion at an entrenched, cultural level, and whether or not their DE&I efforts were more style over substance anyway. From our Inclusion and Belonging research, we know that two-thirds of employees value a sense of belonging at work, showing that DE&I efforts need to go deeper and be much more embedded than the demographic make-up of a team. The real work comes when digging down into the culture and producing an environment where people feel valued and psychologically safe at work – not something that can be achieved just by hitting a gender or race quota. There are neurological studies that show the pain receptors in the brain are triggered by a lack of inclusion, showing that there are physical as well as emotional repercussions when prioritising psychological safety at work.  

If we look at those organisations hitting the headlines recently, both Amazon and Meta for example, have many leaks and whistleblower testimonials against their records to suggest that they were not taking employee’s concerns or safety seriously. Were their spotlights on DE&I previously more of a PR tool than one of organisational change? It could be argued that the current scrutiny on the performative nature of DE&I will help to end the phenomenon of pink or greenwashing and instead elevate truly responsible businesses that build inclusion and employee wellbeing into their DNA. After all, if it is that easy to drop your DE&I policies, were you truly committed to them in the first place?  

 

Adapt, Don’t Abandon  

While it is important to reflect on why the message may not be landing and how to break out of the echo chamber, it is equally vital to remain steadfast, passionate and grounded in the facts. We know that diversity can be linked to numerous upsides for businesses, not to mention positive outcomes for employees. Exposure to diverse perspectives breeds innovation and we want to continue to promote this diversity in the workplace. It is therefore essential that we double down on the data and the clear arguments for DE&I, relying on the metrics and the evidence to build solid cases that speak rationally to broad swaths of the population: investors, managers, recruiters as well as those commenting from the sidelines.  

A reaffirmation as well as a repositioning of the message that inclusion is for all is what we must focus on now, bringing the many, not the few on the journey and illustrating why businesses must build inclusion into their cultures from the ground up, not treating it is a tick-box exercise that can be abandoned at the whim of a new president.  

 

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Author: Emily Moss, Director of Social Impact