How to cut through the cacophony over DEI
Outrage on right and left obscures both the costs of DEI and the benefits of diversity
What, if anything, should firms do to improve the diversity of their workforce? After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many bosses felt compelled to act. Partly out of fear of being called out for prejudice, corporate America rushed to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion (dei) schemes. By 2022 three-quarters of the s&p 500 had a chief diversity officer; more than two-fifths of listed firms set targets to increase the racial diversity of their workforce. Now many think the pendulum has swung too far.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Muddled thinking”
From the January 13th 2024 edition
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