How Diversity Statements Backfire—and What Organizations Can Do About It

“[Corporation name] is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.” 

Such affirmative messages are called “diversity statements.” They’ve become a compulsory feature of hiring since diversity, equity, and inclusion (often abbreviated as DEI) became the latest buzzwords to enter the corporate lexicon. 

There’s a moral case for these messages: valuing everyone equally is good. But there’s an even more compelling business case. Since job-seekers tend to lean left and are egalitarian-minded, pro-diversity messaging is good for optics and attracts a larger volume of potential hires. Further, if these messages do, inadvertently or not, increase workplace diversity, companies will reap the additional benefits: more qualified job candidates, more innovation, more creativity, and a better understanding of diverse target demographics.¹ 

Are diversity statements effective? That depends on what metrics you care about. For most companies, these statements do indeed bolster brand image. But do they actually help increase the diversity of their workforce? According to recent DEI reports, probably not. 

The reality is that these statements are often corporate lip service, merely band-aiding discriminatory hiring practices. At their worst, however, they’re not merely benign messages—they can actually cause harm to minority job seekers. Here, I’ll diagnose the 3 major issues with diversity statements and present innovative solutions that draw from the latest behavioral science research.²