I don't want to do "DEI Work" at work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my group, we were recently informed that our DEI officer would be "walking alongside us" in our hiring process for 2 positions to make sure they were diverse hires. This means she would participate in application comparative analysis, selecting interview questions, interviews and scoring.

One of the positions had a very specific subject matter focus, think air quality and federal regulation. We got exactly one qualified applicant, who incredibly had a background perfectly matched to the position, we would not have to train her on the project, governmental rules or goals at all. Exciting. But, she was a white lady.

A team member asked the DEI officer how to go about prioritizing subject matter expertise and hiring "diverse voices". She answered clearly, that we need to hire for lived experience and diversity, because the technical stuff can be taught, but lived experience cannot be.

The position was taken down and is in the process of being reposted.

But women fall under the gambit of DEI protection…

[Anonymous]

DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my group, we were recently informed that our DEI officer would be "walking alongside us" in our hiring process for 2 positions to make sure they were diverse hires. This means she would participate in application comparative analysis, selecting interview questions, interviews and scoring.

One of the positions had a very specific subject matter focus, think air quality and federal regulation. We got exactly one qualified applicant, who incredibly had a background perfectly matched to the position, we would not have to train her on the project, governmental rules or goals at all. Exciting. But, she was a white lady.

A team member asked the DEI officer how to go about prioritizing subject matter expertise and hiring "diverse voices". She answered clearly, that we need to hire for lived experience and diversity, because the technical stuff can be taught, but lived experience cannot be.

The position was taken down and is in the process of being reposted.

But women fall under the gambit of DEI protection…

Lol. If by woman you mean trans woman sure. Blackface though you’re fired. Your company isn’t big on DEI I assume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1. Cult is absolutely right. As a federal employee suffering through a deluge of DEI initiatives under this administration, it is stunning to watch. I'm so tempted to raise my hand at one of these ridiculous meetings and ask for evidence or data in support the outlandish statements our diversity officers routinely make, but it would be professional suicide to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

Well, no. It’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

Well, no. It’s not.

It does, in fact, have all the trappings of a religion or cult, up to and including the “DEI trivia” (Bible trivia!) that gets sent out once a month from the DEI officer.

It gaslights like a religion - (“White people, the fact that you deny that you’re racist is itself proof that you’re racist.”)

It makes illogical arguments like a religious cult. (“DEI means getting comfortable with people of different backgrounds.” Five minutes later, the same facilitator says, “people of color need to be around people who look like them and have similar cultural backgrounds in order to feel safe!”)

As others have pointed out, no one is brave enough to dissent for fear of excommunication or loss of job.

It’s a cult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1

It's the ISO 9000 of the 21st century. Companies feel pressured to get on board but it's all just a way to make consultants rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1

It's the ISO 9000 of the 21st century. Companies feel pressured to get on board but it's all just a way to make consultants rich.

+2 Even Bain is making money from it:

https://www.bain.com/consulting-services/diversity-consulting-equity-inclusion/

[Anonymous]

DEI = multi billion dollar industry with consultants laughing all the way to the bank at the corporate idiots who pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Two choices: do or door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1. Cult is absolutely right. As a federal employee suffering through a deluge of DEI initiatives under this administration, it is stunning to watch. I'm so tempted to raise my hand at one of these ridiculous meetings and ask for evidence or data in support the outlandish statements our diversity officers routinely make, but it would be professional suicide to do so.

My agency DEI actually said that talent or ability shouldn't be prioritized in hiring. Just satisfy a quota and that diverse person will suddenly become a subject matter expert or be trained up through osmosis. We will be so prepared to hire a trans person should one apply though! Last few initiatives have been all-in on possible trans issues that haven't come up in real life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1. Cult is absolutely right. As a federal employee suffering through a deluge of DEI initiatives under this administration, it is stunning to watch. I'm so tempted to raise my hand at one of these ridiculous meetings and ask for evidence or data in support the outlandish statements our diversity officers routinely make, but it would be professional suicide to do so.

This is absurd. I would in financial services. There is a ton of data that shows that diverse portfolio management teams do better than than their all white male counterparts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because having a diverse and equitable workforce IS good for the bottom line and will ultimately result in a better workplace and product for your clients.

Also and most importantly but I don't think will sway you, people deserve to work in places that are fair and equitable. And for the most place they don't. So, places are trying to change that as they should. Ultimately if it works, it's better for everyone.

I agree that having a diverse and equitable workforce is good. We have a very diverse staff, and people are treated pretty fairly overall. That's not what I'm referring to. Our company is having external facilitators come in and force us to have awkward and uncomfortable conversations with probing questions that I truly don't feel comfortable sharing with my colleagues. I don't want to share "the moment that I felt discriminated against" or "the moment I did something discriminatory to someone else" or "my family background and structure". None of these things contribute to me doing my job well.

For some of us it does. And how can you be sure how fairly people are treated at work? Rattle off your leadership numbers/demographics.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to those noting the amount of money being made off of the DEI fad. It's criminal.

The ramming of poorly constructed trainings down everyone's throat has not been beneficial in my office. We are by coincidence picture perfect diverse & the bias I see is more complex & nuanced than a workplace training could cover but what we receive is low level basic.

Most interpersonal problems we have are based on the employees actual personality. Annoying & troubled folks are troubled period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DEI is a gaslighting cult along the lines of Q-Anon or Scientology, not a management tool or some type of mechanism for social justice. Just ignore it.

+1. Cult is absolutely right. As a federal employee suffering through a deluge of DEI initiatives under this administration, it is stunning to watch. I'm so tempted to raise my hand at one of these ridiculous meetings and ask for evidence or data in support the outlandish statements our diversity officers routinely make, but it would be professional suicide to do so.

This is absurd. I would in financial services. There is a ton of data that shows that diverse portfolio management teams do better than than their all white male counterparts.

Show me one credible study.