As organizations bolster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, some employees are showing signs of resistance. Forty-two percent of employees believe their organization’s DEI efforts are divisive. And two out of five agree that a growing number of employees feel alienated by or even resent their organization’s DEI efforts.
Political and ideological trends that characterize DEI as social engineering or discrimination against historically favored groups amplify this resistance. Employee pushback invalidates, disrupts or disconnects from programs meant to enable marginalized groups. It can be obvious or subtle, and it can be deliberate, but is often unintentional.
While many organizations ignore employee pushback because they fear validating it as legitimate, left unchecked, it may decrease engagement and inclusion, and ultimately result in attrition. In 2023, savvy leaders will address the opposition early, before it evolves into more disruptive forms of resistance.
