Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a political football in recent months. Kicked around and framed as a failed strategy by politicos, the sharp u-turn on DEI by many big tech firms has been nothing short of shameful, which makes it more important than ever to speak up about the issue.
For decades now, great strides have been made toward improving representation of marginalized people across a raft of industries. That’s not to say there isn’t still a lot of work to be done, but some progress is better than complete stagnation.
Having openly-gay chief executives at big tech firms is a positive thing, as is having women, people of color, and disabled people holding leadership positions. Sensible individuals agreed that progress in these areas signaled positive change and we’ve rightly lauded praise on the institutions that enabled these successes.
It’s why the last few months have been so jarring. We’ve witnessed a complete shift away from DEI being a fact of modern life to seeing minority groups derided and many efforts scaled back – and big tech has jumped on the bandwagon to curry favor.
Since January, a host of major firms in the technology sector have bowed to political pressure and scrapped – or signalled their intention to scale back – DEI programs. Meta, Amazon, and Google are among the most notable companies to have made these moves.
These actions are disappointing and concerning, but the messaging has also been dark and insidious. In an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about needing more ‘masculine energy’ in business and claimed corporate life has become ‘culturally neutered’.
Comments like these from a leading industry figure were unthinkable a few short years ago, but maybe the masks have slipped. Companies that stood in ‘solidarity’ with people of color or the LGBTQ+ community when it’s convenient are now scrambling to adhere to the political status quo.
Diverse teams are successful teams, or did big tech forget?
A frustrating aspect of this shift is that they’re doing this despite a plethora of research showing that it’s advantageous to build an inclusive workforce. Are they content with mediocrity? Are they content developing products, services, or solutions that cater to only a portion of the potential customer base?
The reality is that diverse teams are more productive and report better financial performance. This has been a key advantage of diversity in tech for many years, and it’s continued to this day. Research from McKinsey’s Diversity Matters report showed that those committed to DEI and multi-ethnic representation exhibit a “39% increased likelihood of outperformance” compared to those that aren’t.
These same companies also showed an average 27% financial advantage over others.
The same performance boosts can be found in executive teams that focus heavily on improving gender diversity, McKinsey found. Companies with representation of women exceeding 30% are “significantly more likely to financially outperform those with 30% or fewer,” the study noted.
By no means am I suggesting that big tech companies are laying off minority groups en-masse, or intend to do so. These workforces will still be diverse by definition, but the key issue here is the messaging and its potential mental and emotional impact.
How can we expect software developers, cybersecurity analysts, or marketers, for example, to perform their best when their employer is disregarding programs or frameworks aimed at supporting them and members of their respective community?
That doesn’t sound like a recipe for success or a strategy that will foster an engaged, productive, and passionate workforce. It’s even more baffling given the manic focus on ‘boosting workforce productivity’ over the last year. You’d think they’d embrace this and explore all means of improving employee enthusiasm.
Maybe they’re banking on the cold, soulless efficiency of AI to render workers obsolete. It’ll be even easier to disregard diversity metrics when you’re cutting staff and automating roles.
Generational views might hamper talent retention
From a talent retention perspective, the current DEI-bashing in big tech also appears very counterproductive. Especially when one considers the widespread talent issues faced by enterprises.
After all, why stay put if you’re unappreciated? An employer that reflects an employee's values has been, and will continue to be, a big draw for workers across a variety of demographics.
This isn’t limited to those that come from marginalized groups that hold these views, either. Research from Deloitte shows a close alignment between values and loyalty for workers, particularly those in younger generations. Analysis by the consultancy found 69% of Millennial and Gen Z employees are more likely to stay at a company with a diverse company for five years or more.
They’re also more than happy to swerve roles at companies that don’t value diversity and inclusion. Nearly half (44%) of Gen Z and 40% of millennials have turned down an employer based on personal beliefs and ethics.
Similar research from Glassdoor shows 76% of employees believe diversity is a critical factor when evaluating job offers.
Are you willing to alienate huge talent pools because you want to foster a more ‘masculine’ culture in your company? If you are, then you’re fighting a losing battle and in my opinion deserve to fail. Tech bro culture counts for nothing when that runway comes to an end and you’ve no MVP.
Yet again, what this entire debacle comes down to is a highly vocal minority seeking to hamper progress. Big tech might just be going with the flow and pandering to the current prevailing ideological sentiment. In time they might come back around, but that’s what makes it worse.
I’ve no doubt that come June, the very same businesses reneging on their DEI efforts will be changing display pictures to pride flags to cash in. You can see it coming from a mile off. Then, come July, you can have your ping pong tables and cool office spaces – but better not have pronouns in your email signature.
With this in mind, it’s critical that those across the industry with moderate views champion diversity and inclusion at their employer and stand firm as allies to those being targeted.
