Study: DEI dumped by companies after Trump ascension is sneaking back

The DEI ideology, for “diversity, equity, inclusion,” largely was banished by President Donald Trump where he could because it bases hiring or qualification decisions on the sex, race or even “gender identity” of individuals.

Many schools and corporations divested themselves of the concept when Trump took office.

But it is coming back now, little bit at a time, and sneakily, according to a new survey.

Polling by Resumetemplates reveala that one in seven business leaders now sees scaling back the ideological agenda as a mistake, made because of political pressure.

And one in five companies that “rolled back” the race- and sex-based processes are “quietly” bringing them back.

The pollsters explained, “In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become highly politicized. What began as a widespread corporate commitment after the 2020 protests has faced growing backlash. Some critics have questioned the effectiveness of DEI efforts, while others have framed them as divisive or exclusionary. Facing political pressure, some companies have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs.”

The backlash from leftists who supported the programs, however, has brought concerns about “consequences” from the effort to minimize the agenda, the report said.

A survey of 750 U.S. business leaders has confirmed the nominal return of the ideologies.

“The plurality of respondents (30%) say the consensus among business leaders at their company is that the decision to scale back DEI was a necessary response to external pressures. Additionally, 23% say they see it as a positive move that aligns with company values, while 18% say the company’s leaders overall consider it a neutral decision with minimal impact,” the survey found.

But, “Fifteen percent say it’s believed to be a mistake that created new challenges. The remaining say the company’s leaders are either divided in their perspectives (9%) or unsure (4%).”

The reasons the agendas were ditched include political pressure, public scrutiny, budget limits and leadership turnover.

But two-thirds said they saw various “negative” results, such as damage to brand perception, loss of customers or boycotts, after they ditched the beliefs.

“Consumers, employees, and job seekers are more aware than ever of corporate policies and decisions, and they vote with their dollars and career choices,” said ResumeTemplates’ Chief Career Strategist Julia Toothacre. “When organizations dismantle DEI efforts, it sends a message that they don’t care about being fair and equitable. For many customers and workers, that doesn’t sit well. Word spreads fast, especially on social media, and I’m not surprised to see companies now rethinking those decisions.”

It also speaks to the power of the leftists who are publicizing issues, spreading information, or disinformation, about the agendas, and those political and media people in key positions who lobby for the agendas.

Significant, 21% of those companies that left the DEI initiatives behind now are “quietly reintroducing or re-expanding them.”

Another 12% are doing so publicly.

Just why go back to the sexism and racism?

“Of respondents, 75% say that whether or not their company has a DEI program ultimately comes down to what’s best for the bottom line, rather than being rooted in values or social responsibility,” the survey organizations said.

Toothacre claimed that DEI programs actually create “a safer, more respectful workplace,” and that produces “higher morale, better productivity, and fewer HR complaints.”

A report at WTOP said the results also show that companies are bringing back DEI, but are calling it “inclusive culture” or “culture of belonging” to get away from the stigma of DEI.

Also, 40% of companies said they are avoiding new DEI activism.