In 2006, 2011, and again in 2016, Harvard researcher Frank Dobbin analyzed the effect various corporate diversity programs actually had on their supposed target outcome: increasing companies’ gender and ethnic diversity at the management level and above. In a nutshell, here’s what these studies repeatedly found:
- Diversity training did not work, and actually led to a decrease in diversity
- Hiring tests and performance ratings are highly subject to bias, and had little to no effect in increasing equity
- Grievance systems made things worse for everyone
What actually worked? Moderate benefits came from adopting a comprehensive approach to DEI that involved:
- active recruiting and mentoring of people from desired groups
- cross-training and teamwork that put people from different backgrounds together in various combinations
- opt-in training to increase engagement
But above all, the far-and-away most effective approach was: implement an internal diversity task force and diversity managers. The data showed a 15+% increase in the numbers of Black women, Asian men and women, and Hispanic women, and more moderate gains among Black men, Hispanic men, and white women.
I can only imagine how many DEI managers have been desperately pointing to these stats over the past few weeks, as the Washington Post notes that big tech companies have suddenly started slashing their DEI teams by half or more. The list of companies on their radar includes Zoom, Snap, Meta, Tesla, DoorDash, Lyft, Home Depot, Wayfair and Twitter (aka X).
What are these companies doing instead? It’s mixed, but they’re saying things like “working with consultants” or “incorporating DEI strategies into our people programs.” Which could be true, but will it be effective?
As Erin Thomas, Upwork’s VP of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging often says: diversity is an outcome. For many organizations, it’s a strategic outcome; diverse teams bring many benefits to a business. But when it comes to business strategy, those decisions are up to the executives and the board. Who are swayed by the shareholders. Who don’t know a whole ton about organizational behavior.
In the end, the question for leaders is: is diversity in our team one of the outcomes we want to aim for?
If it is, the way to get it is clear. Keep your DEI team and allow them to do the work of incorporating best practices into your people program.
Want to do the reading? Check out Why Diversity Programs Fail (paywalled) in the HBR, or read this 2011 report by Frank Dobbin & Alexandra Kalev: The Origins and Effects of Corporate Diversity Programs (not paywalled). The Washington Post article from this week is As DEI gets more divisive, companies are ditching their teams, written by Taylor Telford.
