by Tova Sherman
In the corporate world, DEI programs aimed at addressing systemic barriers that have historically disadvantaged marginalized groups are facing growing resistance, with backlash becoming increasingly visible in workplaces and in public discourse.
In fact, high-profile companies like Amazon, Meta, McDonalds and Target have been cancelling their DEI programs since last year. Although others, like Costco and Apple, have said they’re keeping theirs.
The backlash against DEI isn’t just about individuals rejecting change; it reveals deeper tensions in how people see themselves and their place in society.
According to Catalyst.com, 2025:
“People misunderstand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and falsely assert that it leads to discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination—the exact opposite outcomes occur when DEI is done right. We need to take the assault against DEI efforts seriously, asserting that opposition to DEI is connected with opposition to women’s rights, disability rights, Indigenous rights, and the continuation of anti-Black racism.”
If we are to better understand the negative responses, we need to look at the individual perspectives making up this “backlash”.
What does DEI mean for me as an individual? Where do I fit in? These are important questions to ask if we’re to address those concerns promptly and head-on. The most frequent concern I hear expressed is: Why are we hiring unqualified people to fulfill quotas? Which leads us directly to the insulting label “DEI hire”.
The answer is simple; we aren’t doing this- or we shouldn’t be! DEI has nothing to do with hiring based on quotas vs competency. DEI simply speaks to the benefits of inclusion, despite some of the challenges that may occur when integrating diverse folks in your workplace – and those challenges can be avoided by acknowledging what DEI is and is not to your team – from the top down and bottom up.
DEI, when applied correctly, demonstrates the win, win, win of diversity for all team members. This starts with what I call diversity confidenceor getting comfortable with different folks. That is the first step. Additionally, we need to show team members this is not an attempt to take anyone else’s job, but to expand our corporate creativity.
The fact is if you are avoiding newcomers, persons with disabilities, people of color, Indigenous people, and 2SLGBTQ++ folks in your interview/hiring process, just imagine how far your job-seeker pool has shrunk and how narrow your choices will be. How can you know if you have the right person for the job if your talent pool is so limited?
DEI is about putting the right person in the right job. But we cannot do that if we only welcome applicants from a limited pool and do not lay the groundwork necessary to ensure our whole team is aware of the win, win, win of hiring and promoting from diverse populations.
