DEI Hire

What it means when someone is called a “DEI Hire”

Let’s talk about something that’s been brewing in corporate America and all over social media lately – the term “DEI hire” and what it really means when people throw that phrase around.

You’ve probably heard this line of attack before. Maybe it was when Vice President Kamala Harris was chosen as President Joe Biden’s running mate, becoming our nation’s first Black and first female vice president… or maybe when discussing diversity efforts in your own workplace. 

It’s that dismissive suggestion that someone only got their position because they’re a person of color, a woman, or from other underrepresented groups.

The Reality Behind the Label

As a DEI expert who’s worked with everyone from healthcare executives to individual contributors, this kind of thinking isn’t just wrong, it’s harmful to an entire organization and society as a whole.

Let’s be real about what’s actually happening here. When people use the term “DEI hire” as a dig, they’re essentially suggesting that the person is somehow less qualified, kind of at the bottom of the barrel, or has an unfair advantage. This completely ignores the hard work, expertise, and qualifications these individuals bring to the table.

Before becoming California Attorney General and later U.S. Senator, Kamala Harris served as the District Attorney of San Francisco. Before becoming our country’s first Black president, Barack Obama was a constitutional law professor and state senator. Yet both faced suggestions they were chosen primarily for their skin color rather than their capabilities.

DEI Hire

The truth is, DEI initiatives aren’t about lowering standards – they’re about removing barriers and ensuring equal opportunities for people of various backgrounds who have historically been excluded from public places, higher education, and leadership positions. This isn’t just my personal experience; studies consistently show that diverse workforces lead to better decision-making and improved business outcomes.

Remember the civil rights movement? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? These weren’t created to give anyone an unfair advantage. They were established to combat racial discrimination and ensure fair treatment for all American people.

Challenging The Status Quo

Yet here we are, with Republican lawmakers pushing anti-DEI bills and folks like Rep. Tim Burchett, JD Vance, and even Elon Musk attacking DEI programs and policies. Some critics, including former President Donald Trump, have tried to frame diversity efforts as discriminatory against white men. 

But let’s be honest – challenging the status quo doesn’t mean discriminating against white males; it means opening doors for qualified candidates from all backgrounds.

I’ve seen this play out in academia too. Take the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill History Department, where discussions about joint appointments and DEI initiatives have sometimes been met with resistance. But having DEI experts and inclusion initiatives in higher education is crucial for preparing students for the real world where they’ll work with people from all walks of life.

Building Diverse Teams

Here’s what people often miss: DEI hiring isn’t about picking the weakest candidates or making decisions based solely on race, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. It’s about actively seeking out the best person for the role while acknowledging that talent comes in all forms. 

When Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott talks about building diverse teams, or when the New York Times covers DEI efforts in the federal government, they’re talking about creating environments where everyone has a shot at success.

Last year, we saw a lot of people, particularly on social media, trying to discredit DEI vice presidents and other leaders as diversity hires. But here’s the reality – these professionals, like the Lyle V. Jones Distinguished Professor or other notable appointments, earned their positions through merit and bring valuable perspectives shaped by their unique experiences and cultural differences.

DEI Hire

The whole point of DEI training and programs isn’t to give anyone a free pass. It’s to ensure that historically underrepresented groups, including Black women, women of color, and others, get fair consideration. When someone dismisses a Black person or any candidate as a “DEI hire,” they’re essentially using it as a racial slur, attempting to diminish that person’s achievements and capabilities.

Looking ahead, we need to keep pushing forward with DEI efforts, even as Congressional Republicans and others try to roll back progress. The right thing isn’t always the easy thing, but building truly inclusive workplaces benefits everyone. From the White House to the local public schools, from corporate boardrooms to university campuses, diversity isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a competitive advantage.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Studies have shown that companies with diverse leadership teams are 36% more likely to have above-average profitability. But this isn’t just about statistics – it’s about real transformation. I’ve watched companies go from having homogeneous teams to vibrant, innovative powerhouses.

Take one Fortune 500 company I worked with. After implementing comprehensive DEI initiatives, they saw employee satisfaction scores jump by 40%. Their retention rates for women of color in leadership positions doubled within two years. Even more impressive? Their most diverse teams consistently outperformed their peers in innovation metrics and client satisfaction scores.

Another organization made headlines when they adjusted their hiring practices to remove name and gender indicators from initial applications. The result? A 65% increase in diverse candidates making it to the final interview rounds, and every single one of them met or exceeded the role requirements. 

This wasn’t about lowering the bar. It was about removing the invisible barriers that kept qualified candidates from even being seen.

These aren’t just feel-good stories. They’re real examples of what happens when companies stop treating DEI as a checkbox and start seeing it as a strategic advantage.

Change The Narrative

So the next time you hear someone described as a “DEI hire,” challenge that narrative. Ask yourself: Are they really questioning the person’s qualifications, or are they just uncomfortable with change? Because in my experience, when we focus on creating equal opportunities and embracing diverse perspectives, we all win.

I’ve seen firsthand how a simple question can transform a workplace. At one company, a manager used my Truthing Cards during a team retreat to spark a conversation about diverse perspectives and privilege. Team members from underrepresented groups shared their experiences of navigating a diverse workforce, while others reflected on how rarely they considered their own privilege. 

randi b truthing cards

That one conversation shifted the team’s dynamic. It inspired the company to revise its inclusion survey questions, which highlighted areas where inclusion initiatives were falling short. These insights led to action plans that improved employee engagement, retention, and the overall workplace culture. 

If you need a little extra help getting started, Truthing Cards are available here.

After all, in the age of Obama and beyond, we’ve seen what’s possible when we judge people by their capabilities rather than their demographics. It’s time to move past these outdated attacks and focus on building the kind of inclusive future that makes our entire organization, and our society, stronger.

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About Randi B.

Randi is a diversity and inclusion strategist, speaker, trainer and writer, focusing on making connections and cultivating empathy in this diverse world one trip, speech, article, book and conversation at a time.

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