We’ve Known It for Years: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Don’t Work

Donald Trump’s administration has ordered all federal workers staffed in DEI roles to be placed on paid leave.

Donald Trump had pledged to “eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the entire federal government” Many DEI programs may actually increase bigotry and foment division by seeking to convince otherwise tolerant and liberal-minded trainees that they harbour hidden forms of hatred, says Andrew Hammond .

Hammond: Despite assumption that such programs improve harmony and reduce conflict, there is no substantial evidentiary basis for that claim.

The idea that aggressive DEI policies will improve corporate performance received a boost when an elite management consultancy, McKinsey and Company, released a series of studies in 2015 , 2018 , and 2020 , concluding that—as the title of the final report put it—Diversity Wins.

The message was what many people in the corporate world wanted to hear, as it seemed to pre-empt any need to balance diversity-seeking and profit-seeking mandates.