Recent changes in DEI initiatives
It has been dispiriting to watch the bonfire of DEI that is going on in the U.S. It’s not just the executive orders ending government and military DEI programs and laying people off that have been so galling to watch, it’s also the stampede of corporates rushing to follow suit.
Companies are removing all mention of DEI from their annual reports, cutting diversity hiring goals and repurposing DEI roles; some are the same companies that have shouted the loudest about their DEI achievements – even as recently as last year. Despite this, there are some companies that have responded by restating their commitment and doubling down on DEI. I don’t think it will come as a big surprise to anyone that I am with them.
I believe that it has never been more important to invest in DEI. Partly this is an instinctive response. It’s a gut reaction, channeling Michelle Obama when in 2016 she said, “When they go low, we go high.” As an aside, it’s shocking to think that was nearly 10 years ago. To me, 2016 feels very recent and, at the same time, like a distant, more innocent and hopeful time.
We can speculate about whether those companies distancing themselves from DEI were really committed to it before. It may be that it was entirely performative and their chief execs are relieved to stop having to pretend that they cared. Or it may be that they did care but feel they can’t afford to now.
Either way, it’s a wake-up call. It shows that there is no longer any point in paying lip service to DEI and making big, virtue signaling gestures that aren’t backed by real change. (There never was any point, by the way). Instead, we need to make sure our DEI initiatives are backed by real investment and that they create better outcomes for all our employees.
I’ve spoken enough about DEI that I think everyone knows my stance and what I try to do at Opinium. But for anyone in any doubt, it’s more than a gut reaction and a desire to do the opposite to the current U.S. administration.
I believe not only in hiring a diverse workforce but also in the inclusivity bit – in creating a working environment where everyone feels at home and is supported to contribute and be the best that they can be. It’s not just that it seems obvious that it is the right thing to do, it is also because of the value of many diverse perspectives on life and different ways of doing things.
Our company is richer as a result – both literally and metaphorically. And this is especially true in the insights sector.Our role is literally to represent the public – whether as consumers, customers or service users or citizens, so we need to represent that public ourselves. Who’s with me?