Is DEI dead?
Several news sources have reported this week that Microsoft laid off its DEI team. That isn’t precisely what happened, according to a Microsoft spokesperson who said in an email to Inc., “This was two roles impacted in the events team, doing work that was duplicative of the centrally managed D&I org — called Microsoft’s Global Talent, Development, Diversity and Inclusion team. GTDDI work continues and commitments remain unchanged.”
But notice something. It’s not DEI. It’s D&I, as confirmed by another Microsoft spokesperson, Jeff Jones, to Business Insider: “Our D&I commitments remain unchanged. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work.”
What happened to the “E”?
To keep reading, click here: DEI Might Be Dying: John Deere and Microsoft Make Big Changes
My CEO wrote the book on DEI dying (literally). Here is a review of his approach to the sentiments behind DEI: https://chiefexecutive.net/aim-for-cec-commonality-equality-and-cohesion-instead-of-dei/ . Transparently, I have yet to turn all of the pages, but this approach seems to have built the strongest culture I have been a part of in my 8 years of HR.
Excellent article on the DE&I. Honestly, I never realized equity was undefined until now…I assumed (we know what happens when we assume) that equity meant equality. That’s how I see it, so I was surprised when SHRM removed it…. but now I get it. Thank you!
“In other words, the only way to achieve the same outcome (McKinsey’s definition of equity) was to lower the standards.”
In a world where people’s contributions are not – and can never be – the same, lowering the standard is the *only* way to achieve the same outcome.
Equal opportunity is a high ideal, and should be universal. Equal outcome is not the same thing, and the only way to achieve it is to drag the best down to the level of the worst.
DEI, as it has been implemented in many, many places, is a classic example of “you get what you measure.” When you start measuring something other than “get the job done,” you *get* something other than “get the job done.”
“I’ll leave you with this thought: It’s not the name of your policy or department that matters as much as what you do. You can have a policy that states you value diversity, equity, and inclusion, but if you only hire 35-year-old White women, you’re not living up to it.”