Equity Loses Momentum

I can’t tell you why this article landed in my newsfeed last week but I can tell you why it still haunts me. Two paragraphs.

“Fighting for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives can be particularly trying for HR leaders. Adams said she had to ‘continually convince’ other executives of the business case for building a diverse team, making employees feel included, and implementing equitable policies.

‘That’s just continually an uphill battle,’ Adams said. ‘Industrywide, the gains are small, so you get tired of always trying to convince people of the ‘right thing to do.’”

[What. The. Actual. What?]

[Checks calendar for what year it is.]

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Ok… props to my newsfeed’s algorithm for divining that this *is* top of mind for me. Because… do you know what else we lose in a recession?

Having your overworked recruiters create a rich pipeline of diverse candidates requires institutional patience. And fighting market forces for that slate demands real investment.

And in this economic environment, most companies have neither.

So… equity loses momentum.

It’s not Adams’ hill anymore. It’s a mountain.

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Let me brighten this up with my least popular opinion:

I don’t think we should have Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) as actual roles in any company. Instead, forward leaders should find candidates that *could* fill the CDO role and let them run actual businesses– not some well-intentioned, value-signaling, support-building function.

If the CEO or the Board want to hire an influencer, they’re super cheap on Instagram and TikTok… and free on LinkedIn.

If they want meaningful structural and cultural change– if they want to see the strength it takes to be patient and the resilience it takes to invest in down cycles– they need to stop relegating equity to a supporting role.

There’s no better time to climb this mountain. And, as Haitians say:

Beyond these mountains, more mountains.