Beyond the Backlash
INSIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF INCLUSION, ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT AND GEN Z
VOLUME 12: DEI Didn’t Fail. We Just Failed to Explain It.
By Greg Almieda, CEO and Founder, Global View Communications (GVC)
There’s a narrative that has taken hold in some conversational corners about how DEI is “over”. But rarely are things so simple. The underlying data tells a more complex story, one that offers hope for DEI rather than doom and gloom.
According to a new study conducted by Bellwether Research and Hart Research, most voters still support the idea behind diversity, equity, and inclusion, even as the acronym itself has become politically loaded. In fact, a majority of voters view the full phrase “diversity, equity, and inclusion” positively, with others being more comfortable with terms like “equal opportunity” when describing organizational goals.
Here’s the nuance leaders can’t afford to miss: people don’t see DEI as anti-merit. There is considerable support for additional consideration being given to qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. What people recoil from, however, is anything that sounds like box-checking or lowering standards. When we’re talking about DEI, language matters. And it matters a lot.
The research also exposes a blind spot. Voters believe people facing the most discrimination in hiring today aren’t just racial or LGBTQ groups, but also older workers, people with physical disabilities, and those with mental health challenges. Yet DEI efforts are rarely credited with helping them, despite DEI traditionally valuing these groups as well. That gap exposes a significant messaging failure.
Politically, the country sees DEI as caught in a pendulum swing. It is perceived as having been overemphasized under Biden, only to now be aggressively rolled back under Trump. Most voters aren’t asking for one of these two extremes. They just want balance and one way to achieve that balance is having an Inclusion Strategy Built for the World As It Is.
The big takeaway? DEI isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving. Organizations that survive this moment will be the ones that stop arguing ideology and start talking outcomes: fairness, access, respect, and business sense.
And that has what DEI’s best practitioners have been honing in on all along. We invite you to visit our website, inclusionitsworthit.com to see our services and set up some time for us to chat.
Interested in submitting a guest column for publication? Contact greg@globalviewcomm.com for more information.